MEPX
Chapter 6 of 10All chapters

Chapter 6 of 10

Components

What each part is for.

The common ones

Resistors limit current, capacitors store charge briefly, diodes allow flow one way, LEDs emit light doing so, and transistors switch or amplify.

  • An LED needs a resistor in series or it destroys itself.
  • A capacitor blocks steady current and passes changing signals.

Switches and relays

A switch breaks a circuit mechanically. A relay lets a small current control a large one, and a transistor does the same job with no moving parts.