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The circuit would not function properly without even one of those tiny components. Each of those tiny components performs a unique and highly specific function. A team of electrical engineers designs and builds computers and other electronic devices. By selecting and soldering on the printed circuit board, the technician is able to control how the device operates.
To learn more about electronic components, you should first educate yourself as to what each component does. The three most common types of electronic components are listed below.
Resistors and Variable Resistors
An electronic circuit board produces a desired result by directing voltage through its various components in a specific order. The resistor is the component that regulates voltage or limits current flow in a circuit. The electrical resistor is a component that is designed to conduct electricity poorly. Some components require higher or lower voltages to operate. Different types of electronic resistance exist, but each component's ability to resist a current is measured in Ohms.
Potentiometers, or variable resistors, are used in stereos to adjust the volume. They change the resistance by moving the point of contact on the resistive material.
Capacitor
Capacitors store energy by combining two metal plates and an insulator, usually ceramic, mylar, or electrolytic. The capacitance of a capacitor is measured in farads, and the voltage across it determines how much energy can be stored.
When electrons flow from one plate to another, a capacitor charges. As the capacitor charges, the current diminishes as the plate cannot hold any more electrons. At that point, the capacitor is considered charged because the voltage across the capacitor equals the voltage across the source.
Inductors
A DC current flows in one direction, like a stream or a river, whereas AC currents alternate their direction indefinitely. A simple inductor is a coil of wire, similar to a solenoid, that resists changes in current flow, allowing DC or low frequency currents to pass through it more easily. A magnetic field surrounds the coil as current flows through it, storing potential energy. Upon losing power, the magnetic field collapses on itself and releases its potential energy. You can find more information about electronic component distributors on our website or in our store.
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