Elenco 130-in-1 Electronics Playground - Manual (Page 5)

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DEFINITION OF TERMS
AC Common abbreviation for
alternating current.
Alternating Current A current that is constantly
changing.
AM Amplitude modulation. The
amplitude of the radio signal is
varied depending on the
information being sent.
Amp Shortened name for ampere.
Ampere (A) The unit of measure for electric
current. Commonly shortened
to amp.
Amplitude Strength or level of something.
Analogy A similarity in some ways.
AND Gate A type of digital circuit which
gives a HIGH output only if all of
its inputs are HIGH.
Antenna Inductors used for sending or
receiving radio signals.
Astable Multivibrator A type of transistor
configuration in which only one
transistor is on at a time.
Atom The smallest particle of a
chemical element, made up of
electrons, protons, etc.
Audio Electrical energy represent-ing
voice or music.
Base The controlling input of an NPN
bipolar junction transistor.
Battery A device which uses a chemical
reaction to create an electric
charge across a material.
Bias The state of the DC voltages
across a diode or transistor.
Bipolar Junction A widely used type of
Transistor (BJT) transistor.
Bistable Switch A type of transistor
configuration, also known as the
flip-flop.
Capacitance The ability to store electric
charge.
Capacitor An electrical component that
can store electrical pressure
(voltage) for periods of time.
Carbon A chemical element used to
make resistors.
Clockwise In the direction in which the
hands of a clock rotate.
Coil When something is wound in a
spiral. In electronics this
describes inductors, which are
coiled wires.
Collector The controlled input of an NPN
bipolar junction transistor.
Color Code A method for marking resistors
using colored bands.
Conductor A material that has low
electrical resistance.
Counter-Clockwise Opposite the direction in which
the hands of a clock rotate.
Current A measure of how fast electrons
are flowing in a wire or how fast
water is flowing in a pipe.
Darlington A transistor configuration which
has high current gain and input
resistance.
DC Common abbreviation for direct
current.
Decode To recover a message.
Detector A device or circuit which finds
something.
Diaphragm A flexible wall.
Differential Pair A type of transistor
configuration.
Digital Circuit A wide range of circuits in which
all inputs and outputs have only
two states, such as high/low.
Diode An electronic device that allows
current to flow in only one
direction.
Direct Current A current that is constant and
not changing.
Disc Capacitor A type of capacitor that has low
capacitance and is used mostly
in high frequency circuits.
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Provided in your kit are spring terminals and pre-cut
wires, make the wires snap together for your use in
the numerous projects. To join a wire to a spring
terminal, just directly bend the spring over to one side
and then install the wire into the opening.
When you have to join to two or three wires into a
single spring terminal, be sure that the first wire does
not come loose when you attach the second and third
wires. The simplest way to do this is to place the
spring onto the opposing side where you have
connected the first wire.
Only insert the exposed or shiny part of the wire into
the spring terminal. The electrical connection will not
be made if the plastic part of the wire is inserted into
the terminal. Removing the wire from the spring
terminals is simply just bending each terminal and
then pulling the wires out of it.
If the exposed metal ends of some of the wires break
off due to great use, you should just simply remove
3/8” if the insulation from the wire of the broken end
and then simply twist the strands together. To remove
the installation you can use either a wire-stripper tool
or a simple penknife. Be extremely careful when doing
this because penknives are remarkably sharp.
WIRING CONNECTIONS
This kit has more than 30 distinct components. If this
happens to be your first time with electronics don’t fret
over not knowing the difference between a resistor or
a transistor, because the general purpose of each
component will be described. The following
explanations will help you comprehend what each
component does and you will also gain more
knowledge of each component as you do each
experiment. There is also a parts list in the back of
this manual, that way you can compare the parts in
your kit with those recorded in the back. Resistors: Why is the water pipe that goes to the
kitchen faucet in your house smaller than the one
from the water company? And why is the pipe smaller
than the main water line that disburses the water to
your entire town? Because you don’t need a lot of
water. The pipe size controls the water flow to what
you really need. Electricity works in the same manner,
except that the wires have a minimal resistance that
they would have to be particularly thin to limit the
electricity flow. They would be solid enough to handle
and break effortlessly. However, the flow of water
through a large pipe could be restricted to by filling a
part of the pipe with rocks (a
COMPONENTS