Hey everyone, I'm pretty new to electronics and I was wondering if anyone here could help me out and answer some of my questions. Hope you can help me!

Thanks A Lot,
Bill

 

We try our best....

 

Originally posted by goddard1824@Jun 17 2006, 08:41 PM
Hey everyone, I'm pretty new to electronics and I was wondering if anyone here could help me out and answer some of my questions. Hope you can help me!

Thanks A Lot,
Bill

[post=17788]Quoted post[/post]​

The members here will try to answer any electronics/electrical engineering related question you ask. My advice would be: provide as much information as you can for your question, detail any work you have already done (this makes it easier for people to help you, but also reduces the chances of you being flamed for expecting everyone to do your work for you) and finally if you have 5+ questions don't ask them all at once, ask a couple at a time. Finally, keep it relevant and appropriate.

Fire away.

Dave

 

Thanks a lot guys.

Well, to get started, I guess it would be wise to share with you what I know already. I am familiar with the very basics of electronic (ex. electrondevices, uses, Ohms Law, etc.) and my grandfather (who is an electronics engineer has helped me understand some further things. Though, he is an 80 year old Austrian man who has little patience (haha!), so it is kind of hard to get info out of him. Anyway, I know the basics theoretically, but I wouldn't know where to begin physically. Also, I know I may sound stupid at times (which I know I'll end up making some mistakes with terms and such), but I ask that you please don't get annoyed with me (haha!). I am around 15 years old, but I know I do not have enough mathematical experience yet to get into sophisticated electronics. So, before I have any questions at all, are there any things at all I should know before we start getting into "the good stuff"? To be more specific, I mean, are there any elementary and obvious things I should know before I get into circuit building?

And to Dave, yes, I know that I will not rely on you guys to build the circuits for me. Though, I KNOW that I will come up with a million questions (which, yes, I will post 2 at a time), so please do not get fed up with me. Also, perhpas when I need to get a better explanation of something, we could just private message each other.

Thanks Again!

 

Greetings goddard1824,

It sounds as though you are just beginning to delve into the interesting world of electronics.

If you have not already done so, I would recommend you take the time to review the material contained in the excellent tutorials that are located at the link below.

AAC's homepage

As you read the material, you are sure to have questions. At that point you can come to the forum where you can post your questions.

hgmjr

 

Originally posted by goddard1824@Jun 18 2006, 07:26 PM
Thanks a lot guys.

Well, to get started, I guess it would be wise to share with you what I know already. I am familiar with the very basics of electronic (ex. electrondevices, uses, Ohms Law, etc.) and my grandfather (who is an electronics engineer has helped me understand some further things. Though, he is an 80 year old Austrian man who has little patience (haha!), so it is kind of hard to get info out of him. Anyway, I know the basics theoretically, but I wouldn't know where to begin physically. Also, I know I may sound stupid at times (which I know I'll end up making some mistakes with terms and such), but I ask that you please don't get annoyed with me (haha!). I am around 15 years old, but I know I do not have enough mathematical experience yet to get into sophisticated electronics. So, before I have any questions at all, are there any things at all I should know before we start getting into "the good stuff"? To be more specific, I mean, are there any elementary and obvious things I should know before I get into circuit building?

And to Dave, yes, I know that I will not rely on you guys to build the circuits for me. Though, I KNOW that I will come up with a million questions (which, yes, I will post 2 at a time), so please do not get fed up with me. Also, perhpas when I need to get a better explanation of something, we could just private message each other.

Thanks Again!

[post=17798]Quoted post[/post]​

Hi goddard1824,

I admire your approach to electronics, it will bring you much satisfaction in the coming years. Firstly, I agree with your concern about your mathematocal experience being potentially a problem - its shouldn't be so. Although for your benefit you may wish to look at complex numbers (they're not that complex considering!) which will greatly benefit your understanding of AC circuits. It also has many applications in more advanced electronics topics such as DSP, but we won't get into that here.

A very good starting point for complex number theory is K.A Stroud - Engineering Mathematics. Reference Part II - Programmes 1 and 2. Now I do not recommend that you buy this book (yet), it is intended to be a first/second year undergraduate level, however I have had success in the past at explaining complex numbers to students of 16 and 17 years of age using this text. I do recommend that you try to get a copy of this book from the library and work through the above sections - you will find this pays off in the long run.

At this point, assuming you have the basic rudiments in mathematics for someone of your age (this would be equivalent to GCSE level in the UK, I'm not sure about what level that would be in your part of the world). That said you should be able to do basic algebra, geometry and trigonometry (only sine, cosine and tangent is required at this level).

As for a good general starting point look at Volume 1 here at AAC

Particularly, chapters 1, 2, 5, 7 and 10

Have a look at the above chapters and and let us know if this is an appropriate level. There is nothing wrong with having a look at other chapters in Volume 1. Is there anything you are unsure about in the about chapters, or is this all stuff you have done before? Lets just get a better idea of the level you are at, then we can provide you with appropriate supplementary information to help you get on the way to building real and practical circuits.

Oh, and don't worry about asking lots of questions, that is what these forums are for! There is a vast amount of knowledge floating round these boards that can help you at every level of your electronics career, whether it be hobbyist or Doctorate-level electronics system designer. And don't be afraid to contribute to other peoples topics, as long as it is appropriate, it is welcome.

Dave

 

Thanks a lot Dave!

Hopefully I will be able to get a chance to look at those articles this evening. Also, yes, I am familiar with algebra and basic trig. I am from New England in the States, this way here we know our time differences! I'll be back with questions, you can count on that!

Thanks a lot!

 

Ok, I already have a question:

Before I joined this forum I was reading about series and parallel circuits and this confused me while I was reading as well. Why is it that the amount of current in a circiut is the same between any two points? But then I also read that it may vary. Of course, to me, it seems logical that the current after running through a resistor would be different than the current before it ran through the resistor, but apparently the current is the same before and after. I'm pretty confused and I do not want to continue studying any more until I understand this completely. May I please get some help?

Thanks

 

hi goddard,

you have a very good question.

i do not have a great answer to your question but I think it's about the law of charge conservation. (current = charge / time). Charge Q can't be "destroyed". That's where Kirchoff's Current Law came about (nodes).

Also resistors are passive devices. Passive devices do not have the capability to electrically control electron flow. Unlike transistors (Active device) which can limit electron flow.

We can also look into the origin of Ohm's law..

This is a good question, most of us generally started by being given these formulas (like Ohm's Law) and not asking why? We know Ohm's law by V=IR. Then we stop.

Thanks,
Liz

 

hi goddard,

since you already fired your 1st query, and as what has already pointed out, try to check on Kirchoff Voltage/Current Law. that will give you the proper insight to your question. it's here in the AAC and also in the net.

am always excited whenever a young person gets interested with electronics

moz

 

Thanks a lot guys, I'll check those laws out.

 

Hmm, being a beginner myself i probably cant answer this to great but ill give it a try since the laws dont really explain why very well(least not to beginners from my expeince).

Electrons dont really just all go running down a wire all in a mess. They push each other along, the ones n front have to move before the ones n back and go. So much like say cars in traffic, the ones ahead say at a toll booth(resister) can only move so fast, so that means the ones behind can only move so fast too, so the whole line of "cars" moves only as fast as the ones in front. And the ones after, well theres only so many that can go through the toll booth at a time.

Ok not the best example, but hope it helps.

Edit. Forgot to explain the variances in current. This comes from say two resisters in parallel. You can think of it as one road breaking off as a cross road, each with ts own toll booth before coming back together into one road. The ammount of cars on the first road will be the same as the on other side where the cross roads meet again. So the current will be the same. But, with thr cross roads, the ammount of cars on each cross road will be dfferent because say the toll booths beng the same amount of lanes, the cars will splt in half going through. ie, 10 cars travle along the road and come to a cross road, half goe one way the others go the other, now each cross road has 5 cars, but when the cross roads meet again, the 10 cars end up back on the same road.

Hope this isnt confusing lol.

 

Originally posted by goddard1824@Jun 19 2006, 07:00 PM
Thanks a lot guys, I'll check those laws out.

[post=17815]Quoted post[/post]​

hi goddard,

sorry i forgot to mention(getting old? ) "thevenin theorem", they go hand in hand with ohms law and kirchoffs.

there's also the "superimposition theorem" which you should also study. however consider first the first 2 mentioned.

moz

 

Thanks Guys, don't worry, I always make mistakes like that, you're not getting old....unless I am too! Thanks also to Neereus, that car analogy actually helped me out.