1.  INTRODUCTION

You are at the best, free online "Basic Electronics Course". Just read the brief blocks of text, view the videos, and check out some of the screened internet links. This is the easiest, fastest way to learn basic electronics. No sign-up requirements and it is free. The menu table above provides easy access to many interesting electronics topics. You can enhance, expand and speed your learning by purchasing some of the book selections mentioned below. Take your time and enjoy.

Everyone today is exposed to electronic devices in one way or another.  The computer revolution is a good example.  Everyone can benefit from additional knowledge of electronics.  Even a quick scanning of this page will help.  A study of electronics starts with electricity, magnetism and basic electronics.  This includes Ohm's law and other basic principles of electricity.  Obtain and study various books on electronics  - this is really a must as each author will explain things in a little different way to help you grasp the concepts.

All the internet links to other web sites found on 101science.com were screened to provide you with the BEST the internet has to offer on each subject.  This will save you many hours of searching for good educational material.  This site is for everyone from the beginner to expert electrical engineering professional.  There is something here for every level of expertise in the world of electronics.  If you just need information on one specific area, use the table above to navigate to the information you need.  If you need more instruction - read on.

Maybe you already know some basic electronics and want to  test yourself to see exactly how much you do know.

2.  BASIC ELECTRICITY

ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM BASICS - It all starts with the electrons moving around atoms. Electricity is the movement of electrical charge from one place to another.  Electric charges do not exist without their associated electric and magnetic fields. This module will introduce you to many of the basic concepts involved with electricity and magnetism.  

MATTER  - Matter is physically everything that exists that we can touch and feel.  Matter consists of atoms. Now we will introduce you to the structure of atoms, talk about electrons and static charge, moving charges, voltage, resistance, and current. You  will learn about the properties of magnets and how magnets are used to produce electric current and vice versa. All matter can be classified as being either a pure substance or a mixture.  Matter can exist as either a solid, liquid, or a gas and can change among these three states of matter.  In electronics the most important matter are conductive metals, non-conductive insulators, and

ELECTRICAL CHARGE - Any object or particle is or can become electrically charged.  Nobody completely understands what this charge consists of but we do know a lot about how it reacts and behaves.  The smallest known charge of electricity is the charge associated with an electron.  This charge has been called a "negative" charge.  An atoms nucleus has a positive charge.  These two un-like charges attract one another.  Like charges oppose one another.  If you had 6,250,000,000,000,000,000 electrons in a box you would have what has been named; one coulomb of charge.  An easier way of thinking about a large number like that is called "powers of ten" and it would look like this 6.25 x 10^18 electrons.  It is simply a way to let you know to move the decimal point to the right 18 places.  When electrical charges are at rest, meaning they are not moving, we call that static electricity.  If charges are in motion we then have a flow of charge called electrical current.  We have given the force that causes this current a name called "electromotive force" and it is measured by a unit called a volt (V).  The unit of measurement of the current (I) or movement of the charge is called an ampere.  The resistance, or opposition, to current flow is called an ohm (R).

ELECTRICAL FIELDS- Around a charge is an electric field.  With every electric field there is a magnetic field.  While we can't see these fields, or yet know exactly what they consist of, we can measure them with instruments and tell a great deal about their behavior.  We can then use this knowledge to our benefit.  The design and construction of electric motors, computers, radios, televisions, stereos, and many other electrical and electronic devices depend upon a knowledge of these basic principles of electricity.  As you can see we have given names to these phenomenon to make it easier for us to study and use.  We could have called them Dick, Jane and Mary but instead we named them for the scientists that discovered or first studied them; Volt, Ampere, and Ohm.  Mr. Volt, Mr. Ampere, and Mr. Ohm spent many years of their lives studying electricity.  They were not alone however as many other scientist were studying and learning more about electricity as well.

WATTS - POWER - What is a watt?  A watt is the International System unit of power equal to one joule per second.  A joule is a unit of electrical energy equal to the work done when a current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second. The symbol used for a watt is "P" for power.  Power in watts is found by multiplying a circuits current (I) times its voltage (V).   You will learn more about power in watts in the ohms law section below.

If you don't have a clue as to what electrical current and voltage are - read on.  We will cover that shortly.

Moving electric charges are the heart of basic electronics.  Knowing what moving charges are and how various electronic components affect the moving charges is the foundation of basic electronics.  View the videos and continue on down the page.  These are the basic building blocks of understanding "Basic Electronics".


3.  BASIC ELECTRONICS

Now that you have a general background in electricity and moving charges you can move on to learning more about basic electronics.  Electronics puts a knowledge of electricity to useful work.  Electronics applies electrical current flow of electrical charges to circuits to accomplish specific tasks.  Amplifiers can be constructed from glass "tubes" containing metal elements, or more commonly today with solid state diodes, transistors, or integrated circuits.   An amplifier is simply a device or circuit that takes a small signal input and controls a larger current as it output.  The input signal voltage is small and the output voltage is larger - amplified.  A circuit containing wire conductors, resistors, capacitors, inductors and amplifiers can be configured in many ways to build various electronic circuits like oscillators, digital logic circuits, computer circuits, television and video circuits and much more.  An oscillator by the way is just an amplifier with some of the output fed back into the input.  Sounds like a perpetual motion machine but it isn't as the amplifiers power supply is providing the additional energy that is lost in the circuit and keeps the circulation, i.e. oscillations going.

Basic electronics is all about electrical components and the circuits consisting of those components .  Common components are resistors, capacitors, inductors, transistors, and integrated circuits.  You will find each of these components described in detail in the following numbered sections.  The components are interconnect with conductors, either physical wires or printed circuits.  The components make up linear analog amplifiers, oscillators, and filters as examples.  They also can be configured to create digital logic circuits such as memories, gates, arithmetic units, and central processing units.  So you will find basic electronics in every computer, mp3 player, radio, TV and may other appliances in your home, car, or on your body.  Each circuit has a job. Components are interconnected to perform a specific task.  First learn about each individual component and how it works then learn about how to interconnect them to make useful end products. Continue your study by reading the numbered sections to follow.

Live blogged: The UK's new energy future

Read how Chris Huhne set out the government's plan for cutting the UK's carbon emissions, while keeping the lights on, at a price people can afford. Plus: all the reaction


The sun is setting on the UK's liberalised electricity market, with government interventions to ensure sufficient low-carbon energy will be generated to meet targets for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Photograph: Anthony Devlin/PA

This live blog has now ended. You jump straight to my sum up, if you like, or just read through in chronological order.

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2.54pm: At 3.30pm today, the UK's secretary of state for energy and climate change, Chris Huhne, is going to set out how he thinks the nation can meet the three "Cs" of energy in the 21st century: carbon, cost and continuity of supply. The challenge, in other words, is to cut the greenhouse gas emissions that stoke global warming, while keeping the lights on at a price people can afford. It's the biggest reform in quarter of a century, and will reverse the free market set up by Margaret Thatcher, which has failed to invest for the future.

In my preview, I wrote that the government decided long ago that new nuclear power stations are crucial to meeting the "trilemma" of the 3 Cs, and all sides of the debate agree this is the central aim of the complex measures set out in the white paper. The details are pretty technical – contracts for difference and so on – but this piece walks you through the labyrinth.

The key questions to be answered are, I think:

• What will it cost energy customers? The UK's creaking energy infrastructure and global fuel prices mean that energy prices are going up whether it's coal, gas, oil, nuclear or renewables. But the higher the cost, the more hard-pressed consumers will object, making it less likely future ministers will stick to the plans.

• Are there incentives for energy efficiency? Crucial, as reducing demand is very often cheaper than increasing supply, to cutting waste will help keep bills down.

• Is there help for new entrants to the market? The UK's big six supply 99% of the energy. Huhne has promised to help break this up, but how? Again it is important for cost: more competition means lower prices.

• Which of the UK's big six energy companies is happy? This will tell you which electricity generation technologies got the best deal. EDF back nuclear, SSE back renewables.

• Is there any obligation to build renewables? If not, gas looks an easier, cheaper alternative.

I'll post some thoughts from elsewhere in the run up to Huhne's speech in the House of Commons. But please let me know your thoughts in the comments below, or via Twitter. I am @dpcarrington.

Kingdom Community Wind Project, USA

The Kingdom Community Wind project is a 63MW wind farm to be built in Lowell, Orleans County, Vermont, US. The project is being jointly developed by Green Mountain Power Corporation (GMP) and Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC) under a partnership formed in October 2009. The estimated investment in the project is $150m.

GMP will own the wind farm and VEC will receive the power generated. The arrangement is part of VEC's strategy to partner with companies interested in building facilities that will supply power to its customers. Reed & Reed is the contractor for the project.


Vermont state regulators approved the project in June 2011. Construction is expected to commence in August 2011. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2012.
 p>The new wind farm is expected to reduce pollution in the region by displacing 75,000t of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The project will also lower electricity prices for customers. It is expected to generate nearly $40m in federal production tax credits, which will help in reducing the amount customers pay for the power they use. The power generated will meet the requirements of 20,000 households.


The project is expected to provide an economic boost to the region with the creation of new jobs. It is also expected to generate facilities tax and property tax payments. The payments will be diverted to the state education fund and also to the Good Neighbour Fund, which supports five neighbouring communities.
Site

The Lowell Mountain Range has been chosen as the site for the construction of the wind farm. A three-mile portion of the mountain range will be used for constructing the wind farm. The site is a working timber farm with elevations in the area ranging from 2,200ft to 2,600ft. The area features strong and persistent winds in the west north-west direction making it an ideal location for building the wind farm.

An environmental assessment study was conducted at the site in 2008 by Vermont Environmental Research Associates. The study did not identify any serious impact on the region due to the wind farm.
Plant details

The wind farm will have 21 wind turbines erected across 2000 acres. The site will be accessible through an exclusive road along Route 100 of Lowell.

In June 2011, GMP selected Vestas to provide wind turbines for the project. Vestas will provide its V112 3MW turbines, which are expected to reduce the power generation costs from the estimated 10.3 cents per kWh to 9.2 cents per kWh.

The turbines are 400ft tall and have a rotor diameter of 367ft. The blades are 179ft long. The turbines feature various noise modes that can be used to meet specific noise level restrictions.
Grid network

Three transmission lines will be used to transfer electricity generated by the wind farm to the grid network. Two 34.5kV transmission lines run along Route 58 and Route 100 of Lowell. Another 46kV transmission line passes from Lowell to Irasburg. These lines will transmit power from the wind farm to two existing substations owned by VEC and Central Vermont Public Service Corporation. The close proximity of the transmission network will further reduce the cost of the project.
Power market

The project will reduce the need to import power to fulfil the electricity demand in the region. Power imports form 70% of VEC's operating expenses. With the construction of the new wind farm, VEC expects to secure low-cost and reliable power for the region. The project will also satisfy 6-8% of the generation needs of GMP and 4% of the generation needs of VEC.

PV Lab Facility and Educational Center

Solar Energy International (SEI) has a rich tradition instilled in community. Over the past 20 years more than 16,000 people from all 50 states and 66 countries have attended SEI’s renewable energy courses. Five years ago SEI expanded operations to include a 7-acre parcel of land amongst the diverse agricultural community in Paonia, CO. This expansion serves as a foundation to SEI’s long-range goal of creating a renewable energy and sustainable living educational center which provides a diverse and enriching forum for participants to engage and learn in. Looking ahead to the next 20 years the future looks bright for SEI and renewable energy as the organization moves forward with a vision and a design ethic that is intrinsic to the future of ecological systems and the biodiversity of our region and the planet. The SEI campus is grounded in nature and contemplative practice, and is dedicated to promoting ecological competence, and nurturing cooperation and creative dialogue among diverse people.

The SEI educational center is equipped to provide hands-on experiential learning and showcase the potential for renewable energy technologies, especially photovoltaics. SEI’s educational center offers students an unparalleled opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom. Over the past five years SEI has hosted many ‘hands-on’ workshops, from Photovoltaics to Wind Power, Micro-hydro power, and Natural Building. The core learning activity is around SEI’s state of the art Photovoltaic (PV) training facility. As part of SEI’s commitment to deliver code compliant, safety oriented, cutting edge curriculum and training opportunities to participants, SEI has continued to advance the hands-on training capabilities in PV. The PV training program explores the various system types (grid-direct, grid-tied with battery back-up, and stand- alone) and mounting techniques (roof mount, pole mount, and ground mount) common in the PV industry. Participants in SEI’s PV workshops work with instructors who have extensive field experience and are passionate about teaching, offering an unparalleled combination of hands-on knowledge and technical expertise. From detailed solar site analysis to system design and installation, SEI participants can experience many aspects of PV systems.

 The members of the SEI staff enter their work with much excitement and ambition in moving the organization towards the vision of a world-class training center. On the horizon SEI holds many exciting opportunities including the design and development of a trend setting classroom building. This building will symbolize the core center of SEI activities and learning. The classroom will speak to SEI’s goals and ethics with a focus designed to impact the earth as gently as possible and to teach participants about the connections to the larger community of life. Demonstrations of renewable energy technologies and sustainable regenerative design principles will be cornerstones of a beautiful, stunning and smart building.

 The SEI renewable energy and sustainable living educational center is a chance to expand upon the amazing SEI culture, community, and create a place that shares a renewed land ethic, a relationship that inspires and transcends the current paradigm and teaches people the essence of living a renewable and sustainable life. For more information about the future of SEI’s Eco-Campus contact Matthew Harris at 970-527-7657.

Promising Solar Energy Use Worldwide. Discover promising benefits of Photovoltaic Solar Cells.

Of the many solar energy technologies, Photovoltaics (PV) show the most promise for worldwide acceptance and applications. PV or solar cells have no moving parts, are simple in design, are environmentally friendly, need very little maintenance, and silently produce electricity when they are exposed to light.

Solar cells operate in accordance with the photovoltaic effect, (“photo-light, voltaic- -electricity). Solar cells are usually made of silicon. When a photon (particles of sunlight) strikes a molecule within the silicon cell, an electron is knocked free. An electrical field causes this free electron to move to one side of the cell. The accumulated effect of millions of this interaction generates electricity.

Solar modules or solar panels are series of solar cells that are wired together into strings. These strings are enclosed in self-contained glass unites to protect from harsh weather. Modules are connected by cables that link them to the inverter. The inverter converts the direct current DC into alternating current (AC).

In order to measure the level of efficiency of a solar panel, the panel’s ability to transform sunlight into electricity must be measured. Not all sunlight works efficiently to create electricity. Sunlight of certain energies perform the best, and much is reflected or absorbed by the material of the cell. A typical commercial solar cell has an average efficiency of fifteen percent.

The efficiency level dictates the size of modules needed to produce the desired amount of electricity. Low efficiencies mean larger arrays of solar panels are needed. In order to reduce the initial cost of using solar modules this area of photovoltaics solar energy needs improvement.

Improving solar cell (photovoltaics) efficiencies while keeping costs down per cell is a primary goal of the PV industry. Research and development continues to address this important aspect of using photovoltaic solar power.

Also find out more about PV systems and photovoltaic energy

Hydrogen and Future Energy Sources

We learned in Chapter 8 that fossil fuels were formed before and during the time of the dinosaurs – when plants and animals died. Their decomposed remains gradually changed over the years to form coal, oil and natural gas. Fossil fuels took millions of years to make. We are using up the fuels formed more than 65 million years ago. They can't be renewed; they can't be made again. We can save fossil fuels by conserving and finding ways to harness energy from seemingly "endless sources," like the sun and the wind.

We can't use fossil fuels forever as they are a non-renewable and finite resource. Some people suggest that we should start using hydrogen.

Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless gas that accounts for 75 percent of the entire universe's mass. Hydrogen is found on Earth only in combination with other elements such as oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. To use hydrogen, it must be separated from these other elements.

Today, hydrogen is used primarily in ammonia manufacturing, petroleum refining and synthesis of methanol. It's also used in NASA's space program as fuel for the space shuttles, and in fuel cells that provide heat, electricity and drinking water for astronauts. Fuel cells are devices that directly convert hydrogen into electricity. In the future, hydrogen could be used to fuel vehicles (such as the DaimlerChrysler NeCar 4 shown in the picture to the right) and aircraft, and provide power for our homes and offices.

Hydrogen can be made from molecules called hydrocarbons by applying heat, a process known as "reforming" hydrogen. This process makes hydrogen from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen in a process called electrolysis. Some algae and bacteria, using sunlight as their energy source, give off hydrogen under certain conditions.

Hydrogen as a fuel is high in energy, yet a machine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost zero pollution. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel rockets and now the space shuttle into orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems, producing a clean by-product – pure water, which the crew drinks.

You can think of a fuel cell as a battery that is constantly replenished by adding fuel to it – it never loses its charge.

Energy for Transportation

In California, about one-half of ALL the energy we use goes into transportation – cars, planes, trucks, motorcycles, trains, buses. And of all the oil we use in the state about three-quarters of all it goes into making gasoline and diesel fuel for vehicles.

As we learned in Chapter 8, oil goes through a refinery where it is made into many different products. Some of them are used for transportation: aviation fuel, gasoline and diesel fuel. From the refinery and larger storage tank farms, transportation fuels are usually trucked to service stations in tanker trucks. These trucks can hold 10,000 gallons in each tank. The tanker trucks deliver the gasoline to the services stations.

At service stations, the two grades of gasoline, regular and premium, are kept in separate underground storage tanks. When you pump the gasoline into your car, you are pumping it from those tanks below ground. Mid-grade gasoline is a combination of the two types. Other vehicles, such as trucks and some cars use diesel fuel, which is also made from oil. It is brought to service stations the same way.

California has more than 26 million vehicles on its roads. All the vehicles in the state used 14.4 billion gallons of gasoline in 2001. That's more gasoline that all other countries except for the United States and the former Soviet Union. This makes California the third-largest user of gasoline in the world!

Fourteen billion gallons of gasoline is enough to fill a line of 10,000 gallon tanker trucks stretched bumper to bumper from San Francisco to San Diego, back to San Francisco, and then part of the way to Sacramento!

Burning gasoline, however, creates air pollution. That's why oil companies are creating newer types of gasoline that are cleaner than the kind we use today. Beginning in 1996, all the gasoline sold in California will be this newer, cleaner type called "reformulated gasoline." The main ingredient in that gas, however, MTBE was found to hurt water supplies if it leaked. So, that additive is being removed by 2005.

Another concern about using oil for transportation is that a lot of oil used comes form the Middle East. This makes the U.S. very vulnerable if there is political unrest. During the 1970s, Americans saw long lines at the gas pumps because oil from the Middle East was turned off by the Oil Producing Exposting Countries - OPEC. And we're in in worse shape in 2002 because we're importing more and more oil form the Middle East than ever before.

Because of concerns about air pollution and petroleum-dependence, new clean-burning fuels made from fuels other than oil are being introduced. These fuels include methanol, ethanol, natural gas, propane and even electricity. The car on the right uses methanol, the same fuel used in Indianapolis Speedway race cars.

All these fuels are called alternative fuels because they are an alternative to gasoline and diesel. Cars and trucks that use them are called Alternative Fuel Vehicles or AFVs.

Right now, there are only a small number of cars and trucks that are running on fuels other than gasoline and diesel. Energy officials hope, however, that one-quarter of all the vehicles will run on alternative fuels by the year 2025.

For more on alternative fuel vehicles, we have a whole section on Energy Quest. Go to our Transportation Section.