Electrical Circuits Quiz

Basic Electronics

• Electronics is a branch of science and technology related to the behavior and control of electrons.
• Core of electronics is the study and manipulation of electrical circuits.
• These circuits use components like resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors and integrated circuits.

Active and Passive Components

• Active components amplify, switch, or control electrical signals.
  • Examples include transistors, integrated circuits (ICs), operational amplifiers (op-amps), and diodes.
• Passive components do not require external power to operate.
  • Examples include resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transformers.

Ohm's Law

• Ohm's Law relates current flowing through a conductor to the voltage applied across it and the resistance of the conductor.
• I = V/R (I = current, V = voltage, R = resistance)
• The current is directly proportional to the voltage and inversely proportional to the resistance.

Various Types of Resistors, Capacitors, and Inductors

• Resistors regulate current flow, control voltage levels, and divide voltages.
• Capacitors store and release electrical energy, used in filtering and timing circuits.
• Inductors store energy in magnetic fields; used in applications such as filtering and energy storage.

Resistors

• Passive two-terminal electrical components that resist current flow.
• Used to control current, create voltage drops.
• Types include:
  • Carbon Composition Resistors: Mixture of carbon powder and binder.
  • Metal Film Resistors: Thin metal alloy layer on a ceramic or plastic substrate.
  • Wire Wound Resistors: Resistance wire wound around a ceramic or fiberglass core.

Resistor Color Coding

• Resistor values are coded with color bands.
• The first two bands represent significant digits, third band represents decimal multiplier, and fourth band represents tolerance.
• Examples of color coding are given.
• Also include reading a 4-band resistor, 5-band resistor, and a 6-band resistor to provide necessary details related to the topic.

Resistors in Parallel and Series

• Resistors in parallel: Resistors are connected side-by-side, with both ends connected to the same points. Total voltage is the same, but current divides.
• Equivalent Resistance = 1/R₁ + 1/R₂ + ...
• Resistors in series: Placed sequentially, end of one connected to the beginning of next. Total resistance adds up. The current is the same across each resistor, but voltage divides.

Capacitors

• Passive electronic components that store and release electrical energy.
• Consist of two conductive plates separated by an insulating material (dielectric).
• Types include:
  • Ceramic Capacitors: Small, inexpensive, high frequency circuits
  • Electrolytic Capacitors: Polarized, with electrolyte as the dielectric, commonly used in power supplies
  • Film Capacitors: Thin metal film on a plastic or ceramic substrate, high frequency applications

Capacitors in Parallel and Series

• Capacitors in parallel: Total capacitance simply the sum of the individual capacitances.
• Capacitors in series: Reciprocal of the total capacitance is equal to the sum of the reciprocals of the individual capacitances. This means that when capacitors are connected in series, the total capacitance decreases.

Inductors

• Passive electrical components that store energy in magnetic fields when current flows through.
• Used in filters, oscillators, and power supply circuits.
• Types include:
  • Air Core Inductors: Non-magnetic core.
  • Iron Core Inductors: Ferromagnetic core.
  • Toroidal Inductors: Donut-shaped core.

Inductors in Parallel and Series

• Inductors in series: Total inductance is the sum of individual inductances.
• Inductors in parallel: Reciprocals of the total inductance are the sum of individual reciprocals of inductances.

Semiconductors

• Materials with electrical properties between metals and insulators.
• Key characteristics: Possess bipolar nature, current is transported by two charge carriers with opposite signs.
• Important properties are determined by crystal structure and energy bands.

Intrinsic Semiconductor

• Semiconductor in pure form..
• Example: pure Germanium, Pure Silicon
• At room temperature, no. of electrons = no. of holes

Extrinsic Semiconductor, n-type, and p-type

• Extrinsic semiconductors are created by doping.
• n-type: Pentavalent impurities added, increasing the electron concentration.
• p-type: Trivalent impurities added, increasing the hole concentration.

PN Junction Diode

• A p-n junction is a boundary between p-type and n-type semiconductors within a single crystal. Formed by doping.
• Depletion layer: The formation of a narrow region which is free from mobile charge carriers on either side of the junction.
• Ideal diode: Serves as a switch.
  • Forward biased: acts as a short circuit.
• Reverse biased: acts as an open circuit.

V-I Characteristics

• Relationship between voltage and current of a diode.
• Characteristics in forward and reverse bias regions.
• Breakdown voltage of a Zener diode.

Zener Diode

• Specially doped Semiconductor device.
• Functions in reverse bias.
• Can regulate voltage.
• Used as voltage regulators.

Light Emitting Diode (LED)

• Special type of diode.
• Emits light when forward biased.
• Used as lighting sources

Bipolar Junction Transistors (BJTs)

• Three-layer semiconductor device (either npn or pnp).
• Constructed from two PN Junctions.
• Two types:
• npn
• pnp
• Current-driven devices.

Transistor Operation

• Working principles of npn and pnp transistors.
• Detailed descriptions of emitter, base and collector junctions

Rectifiers

• Devices that convert alternating current (AC) into pulsating direct current (DC).
• Types:
  • Half-wave rectifier
  • Full-wave rectifier (Center-tap)
  • Full-wave rectifier (Bridge)
• Advantages and disadvantages of different types.
• Peak inverse voltage (PIV) for different rectifiers

Filter circuits

• Circuits that smooth out pulsating DC output from rectifiers (remove AC components).
• Shunt capacitor filters, Series inductor filters, Pi filters