From Physics Laws to Working Circuits

Follow one idea from the science lab to a real gadget.

Take the flow of charge. Physics gives us current, voltage and resistance, and a rule linking them. Electronics turns that rule into resistors that set currents, capacitors that store charge and diodes that steer it.

Light and magnetism follow the same path. Refraction leads to lenses and optical fibres, induction leads to transformers and motors, and the quantum behaviour of electrons in crystals leads to diodes and transistors. Knowing the principle behind a part lets you predict how it behaves and how it fails.

• Every component rests on a physics principle.
• Law, then component, then circuit, then product.
• Understanding the principle makes troubleshooting faster.

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