ASVAB Study Guide (Electronics) Latest 2023 Rated A+

ASVAB Study Guide (Electronics) Latest 2023 Rated A+ Ohms Measure resistance Volt per amp Amperes Measure current Coulomb per second Volts Measures voltage (Newton x meter) per Coulomb Watts Measures power Joule per second Electron Flow Theory Behavior of electrons when moving through a conductor - Negatively charged electrons flow from the negative terminal (ANODE) to the positive terminal (CATHODE) - In response to the attractive and repulsive forces between the charged particles Components of an Atom Protons, electrons, and neutrons Single proton Hydrogen 2 protons Helium Isotope Different number of neutrons inside the necleus Do neutrons posses a charge? No Are electrons smaller or larger than protons and neutrons? Smaller Insulators Materials exhibiting low conductivity -- high resistivity Why are metals good conductors? Electrons flow easily through them without much resistance Major Difference Between Conductors and Semiconductors Semiconductors increase in conductivity when heated Conductors increase in resistance when heated Current Rate at which charges flow through a portion of conductor in an electric circuit Measured in Amperes Ohm's Law Formula I = V/R I = current V = voltage R = resistance Voltage Electric potential difference between two charged points in an electric field - Only meaningful when considering one point in relation to another Measured in Volts Electromotive Force Voltage - Difference in charge concentration results in voltage Resistance Inherent property of materials that hinders the passage of current through a conductor Measured in Ohms What determines how resistant something is? The ease (or difficulty) with which electrons in the material's atom can be displaced Cross Sectional Area in Relation to Resistance The larger the area the lesser resistance and the longer the conductor the greater the resistance Resistance Formula R = p * (L/A) p = resistivity of the conducting material L = length A = cross-sectional area Circuit Heats conducting wires Closed circuit All components of the circuit are connected via conducting wires to each other and to a voltage source WORKS! Open circuit Connections in circuit are broken DOES NOT WORK! Load Any component that drains power from a circuit i.e. light bulb (dissipate power from circuit, do not generate power) Series Circuit All components of the circuit are connected one after the other - Only one path for current to take Equivialent Resistance Sum of each resistance in the circuit - Total voltage and total resistance in a series circuit is the sum of the voltage drops across each component and the sum of the resistances in the circuit Parallel Circuit Contains more than one path for the current to pass through - Strength of the current will vary but voltage drop across each branch is the same - If a branch is disconnected from the circuit the current will continue to pass through the remaining branches (unlike series circuit) Electrical Power Quantitative measurement of the amount of work that can be done by a circuit per unit of time Electrical Power Formula P = V * I OR P = R * I^2 OR P = V^2 / R P = power V = voltage I = current R = resistance DC Direct Current - Flows in one direction AC Alternating Current - Alternates in the direction it flows Batteries produce... DC Alternators produce... AC Grounding Method of neutralizing a charged object by connecting it to a much larger source of charge (most commonly the Earth) Resistors Passive circuit components used to reduce current flow and voltage levels in a circuit - Useful for modifying circuits to produce a desired amount of current Where can resistors be used? Circuit in series, in parallel, and in series-parallel Fuses and Circuit Breakers Safety features that preserve the integrity of a circuit in the case of a power overload When is a circuit shorted? Intended pathway of the current in a circuit is "shorter" than it is designed to be - Undesirable because the surge in current running through the circuit and the possible dangers associated with the surge Capacitors Passive circuit components - serve to temporarily store electrical energy in a circuit What are capacitors made of? Two conducting plates separated by a distance containing a dielectric (material that can become polarized) Capacitor Formula C = Q/V C = capacitance Q = charge V = voltage Farads Capacitance unit of measurement Capacitive Reactance Formula X.C = 1/W^C W = angular frequency C = capacitance Most Common Semiconductors Silicon and germanium Doping Process of adding impurities to semiconducting material as a means of altering its electrical properties Diodes Electrical components that restrict the movement of current to only one direction and block the motion of current in the opposite direction What is used to bridge rectifiers to convert AC to DC Diodes Transistors Components used to regulate current and voltage in a circuit - Amplify current and act as electrical switches Electricity Energy produced from the motion of charged particles Magnetism Moving charged particles (electricity) create magnetic fields Magnetic Field Conducting wires wrapped around a core (called electromagnets) create magnetic fields when a current passes through Inductor Passive electrical components Transformer Used to convert high voltage to low voltage (or vice versa) - Consist of two inductors in close proximity that differ in the number of wrapped coils ~ Creates voltage difference by way of varying magnetic field Motor Machine that transmutes electric energy into mechanical energy Generator Transmutes mechanical energy into electric energy