I'm (early) in the process of writing Ultimate Electronics Book [1], which has interactive simulations built in. It was discussed extensively here on HN 4 months ago [2].
Take a look and let me know what you think.
Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
101–110 of 184 posts
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
How? Use batteries only? Obviously I shouldn't plug my own creations directly into the wall. Is it safe to use a low voltage "power brick"? Will any do, or do I need an especially robust one just in case?
As a kid I played with batteries and wall bricks or wall warts or whatever you call them(transformers). I would not say you need an especially robust one. They come in different sizes based on the amount of voltage they output and the potential current they can supply. Basically if you are playing with a 9 volt battery and want to replace it with a transformer just look for one that says 9v DC output on it.
I would not say you need an especially robust one. They come in different sizes based on the amount of voltage they output and the potential current they can supply.
They're also typically really cheap, which can be an advantage if you fry one. Or two. Or ten. Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything. :-)
Seriously though, if you have any kind of thrift store, surplus store, or something of that nature near you, you can often pick up random wall warts for next to nothing.
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#103Hmm. What level do you want to start from, and do you want to start from a practical/experimentalist viewpoint or go straight to the mathematical models? How comfortable are you with "lies for children" oversimplifications of things that are extremely complicated but mostly irrelevant except in edge cases? (This phrase sounds perjorative but isn't, most of the time you don't need the complicated version and it active…
While AoE (and the newly released X-Chapters!) is an excellent handbook to keep around, I would agree with the other commenters that it is not a particularly friendly textbook for a beginner.
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#104I'm on the opposite side of this question. I've offered to explain motorcycle charging systems in terms anyone can understand. My thought is to use the water flow analogy. Voltage => pressure. Current => flow volume. Resistance => constrictions in the system (or things where the water does work.) Flow at one point in the system must match flow in other parts except for places where water can accumulate (battery => pressure tank.)
My biggest issue is how to depict this in a format that I can share over Skype without putting in 80 hours of work. I might go with a series of pencil drawings and scan them in.
Are any of the suggested materials particularly suitable for this kind of presentation? This is intended to be a 20 minute or so presentation so I'm really just providing highlights. Points I want to get across include:
- Resistance anywhere in the circuit will cause problems. (e.g. bad ground connection.)
- Bad starting can be the result of a insufficient battery charge.
- Bad starting can be the result of high battery internal resistance.
- Bad starting can be the result of high resistance in the circuit.
- Operating with loads (e.g auxiliary lights and heated vest) that draw slightly more power than the charging system delivers can work for hours until the battery is discharged and the charging system no longer supports the loads. (DAMHIK!)
Thanks!
edit:formatting
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#105I highly recommend the All About Circuits textbook: https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/textbook/ It starts from the very basics and builds up to quite complex circuits and their workings. It's an all-round great website, too.
The Art of Electronics is also fantastic
it's a fantastic reference book - not great for learning the fundamentals
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#106Along with a book (lots of good recommendations to choose from here), I recommend getting yourself some basic tools for practical experimentation: breadboard, multimeter (even a cheap Chinesium model will be fine for low voltage DC work), an oscilloscope (entry level DSO models from Chinese OEMs such as Siglent and Rigol can be had very affordably), a bench power supply (Siglent and Rigol also offer these), and some components (Joe Knows kits that are sold on Amazon are a great way to stock up on decent quality resistors, capacitors, and semiconductors to help you get to building circuits).
If you get to wanting to experiment with faster circuits, you can ditch breadboards and their parasitics for Manhattan style construction[1] and be able to build _much_ faster circuits with better success. Or you can fall down another rabbit hole, learning how to design your own PCBs. With PCB services becoming mainstream nowadays, you can learn a tool such as KiCad (free software) and send out your gerbers to be manufactured for cheap.
[1]: http://www.sdmakersguild.org/the-art-of-manhattan-style-circ...
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#107I'm on the opposite side of this question. I've offered to explain motorcycle charging systems in terms anyone can understand. My thought is to use the water flow analogy. Voltage => pressure. Current => flow volume. Resistance => constrictions in the system (or things where the water does work.) Flow at one point in the system must match flow in other parts except for places where water can accumulate (battery => pr…
YouTube videos might work, if you want to reach a larger audience.
Or you could try streaming on Twitch (so that people can ask you questions as you explain stuff).
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
It becomes infinitely more clear and simple to understand when you stop thinking in terms of "A equals F divided by M" and think of it as "A equals the ratio of F to M".
It also is infinitely more clear and simple to understand when you correctly realize that "F equals M times A" instead. I assume this was just an accidental transposition and you're not actually a crackpot. :)
Doh!
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#109I got a lot from the articles on amasci.com by Bill Beaty. He's done a lot of experimenting, reading, and thinking about this stuff and how to explain it. And is a gifted communicator. Articles on Electricity http://amasci.com/ele-edu.html Great essays on understanding electricity, current, voltage, capacitors, transistors, batteries, static electricity etc etc, and popular misconceptions.
Thanks thanks thanks, I read the article about why three prongs long ago. Every now and then I want to say the same article to someone else but did not remember where I read it.
There is also one about different types of plugs in Europe and UK which I cannot find
Re: Ask HN: What are some good resources to learn how electricity works?
#110Try ElectroBOOM channel on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/msadaghd
I'm genuinely amazed he's not been found burned to a crisp in his workspace. The same goes for Photonic Induction, how he's not burned down his street, let alone his house is a miracle: https://www.youtube.com/user/Photonvids/videos
That's how you know he actually knows what he's doing: he knows precisely how to shock himself for comedic effect without causing any damage.