Theory

Back to the Basics: What is Electric Current?

This post will tackle the age-old question what is electric current?

It is another write up on a basic, yet fundamental and important topic.

We’ll also try to keep this one a bit shorter than usual. After all, I know the nice long holiday weekend is on everyone’s mind (at least if you live in the U.S.) and I’m no exception.

Plus, this fundamental question shouldn’t take 2000 words to answer.

As usual, I’ll give a similar disclaimer to the ones I often give for posts on the basics. Some of you already know this. If so, it will be a good review. If you’re just starting to learn about electronics, the information in the post is need to know, so please read it.

And now let’s find out the answer to what is electric current…

3 Circuits You Totally Need to Know About

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With today’s components, it is possible to make thousands upon thousands of useful circuits. These range from the very simple to very complex. But, did you know that there are only three basic types of circuits anyone can create? That’s right, every schematic you’ve ever seen, every circuit or project you or anyone else has ever built is one of three types of circuits (or a combination of them). [Read more…] about 3 Circuits You Totally Need to Know About

All About the Decibel

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There are some things in the world of electronics that are just confusing to people, though they are actually simple underneath. The decibel is one of them.

If you’re into electronics you probably have heard the term decibel or dB thrown around.

Even if you’re not an electronics enthusiast at all, you may have heard the term used in situations dealing with sound.

Understanding the decibel (or dB) is important for any aspiring electronics geek.

Decibels show up in amplifier design, filter design, Bode plots, antenna specs and more.

Fortunately, the concept of the decibel is relatively simple once you understand it. In fact, this post will probably be shorter than most of the others due to the simplistic nature of this unit.

AC vs DC: What’s the Difference?

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One the most basic things an electronics enthusiast should know is the difference between AC vs DC.

No, we’re not talking about a hard rock band, we’re talking AC vs DC with regards to electricity.

Some of you may already know this. Even if you’ve been dabbling in electronics for a while and think you have this figured out, I highly recommend reading this whole post as there are some things that may surprise you.

One of the easiest ways to explain the differences between AC vs DC is to treat each one separately and delve into some details about each.

Toward that end, we’ll start with DC first because it’s a bit simpler to explain and most of your creations will use it.

Conventional Current vs. Electron Flow: Which is Correct?

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Conventional Current Flow vs. Electron Flow – Which is Right?

The debate rages on. Some say conventional current flow is correct. Others insist that electron current flow is right.

Let’s bust this thing wide open. [Read more…] about Conventional Current vs. Electron Flow: Which is Correct?