Want to learn about electronics?

Want to build your own electronics projects? Heard of the Arduino? Resistors? and Transistors? We'll explain all of these things to you!

These videos (each less than 10 minutes long) are meant to be watched while you actually build and do the electronics experiments described. So to get started, purchase these items , which are a list of all parts used in this video sequence.

Then, simply watch each video, one by one. Have fun!

The Electronics Lessons

Introduction to the "voltmeter"

How to decode the color bands on a resistor

Tour of the electrical components used in this video series

Measuring the voltage of various batteries.

Why are there two leads on a voltmeter?

Doing some basic resistance measurements

Resistance of opened and closed switches.

Resistance of a relay.

Measuring the resistance of distilled water tap water and dirt (yes dirt).

Introduction to the electrical breadboard.

Investigating a breadboard by "ohming out" the various hole patterns.

The analogy between voltage current and resistance with a water pump water and pipes

The difference between voltage vs. current measurements with a water pump analogy

The difference between voltage and current measurements emphasized with electrical schematics.

Battery resistor and LED circuit with a switch

CdS photoresistors and the potentiometer in LED circuits.

Basic electronic schematics

Current measurements with 3 different resistors and an LED.

Doing some measurements with Ohm's Law in mind.

Considering Ohm's Law where the voltage changes

Considering Ohm's Law with a photocell (photoresistor) and thermistor

Considering Ohm's law with a flashing LED.

Measuring voltages across an LEDs

Using a reed relay as a magnetically controlled switch

Voltage drop across a diode and different colored LEDs.

A mini-lecture on the voltage divider.

Examining current flow in a voltage divider

Current flow into and out of a lightbulb

How voltage dividers work: looking at the current flow.

Building a voltage divider with two resistors then a resistor and a photocell

Using a thermistor and potentiometer in a voltage divider.

Introduction to the Arduino and its ability to read voltages.

Using a photocell in a voltage divider and measuring it with an Arduino.

Using the Arduino as a voltmeter and analog to digital conversion

Arduino software to read a voltage (have the Arduino act like a voltmeter).

Proposal to use an Arduino to measure the earth's gravity

The Arduino-based pendulum to measure the earth's gravity.

Analyzing the Arduino pendulum data to measure the earth's gravity

Software for an Arduino that allows for the determination of the earth's gravity using a potentiometer-based pendulum.

Flashing an LED with an Arduino

Build an Arduino-based heat or fire alarm

An introduction to the NPN transistor

Using the brightness of an LED as a current indicator

Build a simple NPN transistor circuit with LEDs as the visual elements

Using LEDs to show how a transistor amplifies current

Use an NPN transistor to turn on a lightbulb motor and buzzer

A transistor circuit that can turn on a buzzer light bulb or motor in response to changing light conditions.

Why one might use a transistor with an Arduino

Turning on a transistor with an Arduino digital output line

Building an automatic night light with an Arduino and transistor

The use of base and collector resistors with an NPN transistor

Mini-lecture on an introduction to capacitors

Demonstrating how capacitors store electric charge or electric energy

Demonstrating how a resistor and capacitor (RC) circuit gives timing in electronics

The speed at which a voltage appears on a voltage divider vs. resistor/capacitor (RC) circuit

Watching voltage fall in a resistor/capacitor (RC) circuit

The charge equation for a capacitor Q=CV and using this with a resistor/capacitor (RC) circuit

Using resistor/capacitor (RC) circuits and a transistor to turn on an LED

The "hello world" of electronics: flashing an LED

Introduction to a relay as the core element in building an LED flasher

Proposing how we'll build a relay that can automatically discharge a capacitor

How to build the relay that turns on and off automatically

Putting the LED into the relay clicker circuit