Circuit Basics For Beginners

 

Electricity is manipulated by simple or complex materials called electronic components, it flows in between them through what we call circuits. 

For beginners, a circuit wether complex or simple is "a path through which current flows."

According to Gorge ohm "the great scientist " of his time, he explained how current flows in a circuit which is made with different types of materials, which could be conductive or insulating. He discovered that some materials block current from flowing while some allows it, so this made him to classify all materials to only three types which are;

• Insulator: it is a material which blocks the flow of current through it. Current can be made to flow through them very slightly or totally blocking it. Examples are silk, rubber, stone and dry wood.   

• Conductor: it allows current to flow through them without any hinderence. When a material allows current to flow through it is a good conductor of electricity. Examples are all metals and electrolytes. Conductors like copper are use in making electric circuits  

                        

• Semiconductor: it behaves as a good conductor of electricity under some conditions and also as a total insulator when certain conditions are met. They are usually fabricated from minerals like germanium, silicon and gallium. Semiconductors are the building blocks of modern and digital circuits.

Ohms proposed his law based on the way conductors allows current through them, however non conductors or insulators and semiconductors don't obey it.   Ohm's law states that the current (I) flowing through a "metallic conductor" is directly proportional to the applied voltage(v) across it end, provided that temperature and all other physical properties of the conductor are kept constant. 

Therefore: V ~ I Since V is directly proportional or varies directly to I which is a short form for current, and R shortform of resistance is the constant, then the equation becomes  V=IR. 

What the heck are voltage, resistance and current? Let's take some brief explanation on them.

   

1.Voltage.

For example, a tank or reservoir filed with water and placed above the ground some distance, when a pipe is connected from the tank downwards and made to deliver water, it gushes out with great force depending on it height above the ground. So the force that makes the water gush out is known as the voltage. Thus the force that pulls out electrons from it source is known as voltage. In electricity voltage is measured in volt.

2.Current.

The amount of water delivered from the tank depends on the pressure (voltage).  A bigger pressure will deliver a large amount of water than a little one. Therefore, current is the rate at which electrons flows from it source, its unit of measurement is Ampere. Sometimes the amount of current produced depends on the voltage but, not in all cases. We can have a power source of 12v and still supply a current of 18A.

It all depends on the source of electricity and some other factors. 3. Resistance. When a pipe that delivers water from the tank is made big, the water delivered is much because of the little resistance offered by the pipe to the flow of water. But when it is of small size, it delivers little because of large resistance to the flow of water in the pipe. In circuits, resistance is the opposition to the flow of current. 

So when electric current passes through a conductor in a circuit, the resistance depends on the nature of the material and the cross sectional area. The unit of resistance is ohms. When current flows through a circuit, work is done by the electronic components which use it,  also power is used up by the circuit. Power is measured in watt.