Discrete Electronic Components

Discrete Electronic Components
Components such as Resistors, Capacitors, Inductors and Diodes in electronic circuit can be
connected as individual pieces or as a microchip where all components are assembled in a small piece of
silicon chip.
Resistors: They are added to circuits to provide measured resistances.

 In electronic circuits, resistors are also used to limit the current in the circuit.
 Most resistors are made of carbon or metal films. Some resistors consist of spools of fine,
high resistance wires covered with ceramics.
 Since voltage, current and resistance are related through Ohm’s law, resistors are a good way
to control voltage and current in your circuit.
Notes: A resistor impedes the flow of electricity through a circuit.
In the laboratory, the most common resistors for electronic circuits are the color-coded resistors.
Color-coded resistors:
 The colored stripes of the resistors give the resistance value through a code.
Note: By memorizing the color code of the resistors, one can readily know the resistance of a color coded
resistor.
Color code of resistors
Color Code
Black 0
Brown 1
Red 2
Orange 3
Yellow 4
Green 5
Blue 6
Violet 7
Gray 8
White 9
Silver 10%
Gold 5%
Three stripes are commonly used. The first two give the significant digits; the third stripe gives
the power of ten with which to multiply the significant digits. A fourth stripe, spaced farther from the
others, indicates tolerance or the accuracy of the indicated value of resistance.
Units
 Kilo and Mega are common in resistors.
 Milli, micro, nano and pico can be used in other components
K (kilo) = 1,000
M (mega) = 1,000,000
M (milli) = 1/1,000
u (micro) = 1/1,000,000
n (nano) = 1/1,000,000,000 (one trillionth)
p (pico) = 1 / 1,000,000,000,000 (one quadrillionth)
Light-dependent and Temperature-dependent Resistors
Some resistors are used in electronic circuits as sensors. These sensors are either light-sensitive,
as in the case of photocell, or temperature-sensitive, like the thermistor.
Photocell = sometimes referred to as light-dependent resistor LDR

Thermistor = referred as a temperature-dependent resistor TDR
 Just like ordinary resistors, they are used to limit the current in the circuit.
Note: By limiting the current, these components can be used as a switch.
Capacitors: It stores electrical charges/electrical energy.
 The simplest capacitor is made of two metal plates with a small gap (d) between them. The
small gap can be just air or any insulating material such as ceramic, mica, paper, plastic, or
electrolyte.
 Capacitors are named according to the insulating
materials used between the parallel conductors.
Hence, there are paper, mica, or electrolyte
capacitors.
A capacitor is charged as soon as a capacitor is

connected to a battery. The potential difference of the battery
causes changes to move along the wires. Electrons from the
negative terminal of the battery move towards one plate of the
capacitor. At the same time, electrons on the other plate move
towards the battery. As a result, one plate becomes positively
charged and the other negatively charged.
Different types of capacitors
Polarity of Capacitors
 The shorter terminal goes on the negative side.
 The stripe is on the negative terminal side of the
capacitor.
 The board is marked for positive and negative.
o A capacitor has the ability to store the amount of charge necessary to provide a potential
difference equal to the charging value.
Note: If 220 V were applied, the capacitor would charge to 220 V, if 20 V were applied, it would
charge to 20 V.
o The capacitor would also discharge the same amount of potential difference that was charged.
Charge can be stored on a capacitor from less than a thousandth of a second to many hours. That is why
even the television set is switched off; may of the capacitor inside the television set which store charges
at very high voltages remain charged. If you put your hand even just close to one of them, the capacitor
will discharge through your body and you will receive an electric shock. Discharging a capacitor is
achieved by having a a second circuit connected to the capacitor.
The capacity of the parallel plate to store charge or the electric capacitance of a pair of parallel
plates depends on its dimensions. For a capacitor of fixed value, two equal parallel plates have a
capacitance given by
C = ƐA/d
where
C = capacitance in farad (F).
A = surface area of one plate (m²).
d = separation between plate (m), and
Ɛ = permitivity of the space between the plates.
The above formula shows that the closer the plate are to each other, the bigger their capacitance.
A bigger plate area A results in higher capacitance. Insulators inserted between the plates, which are
called dielectrics. Also affects the capacitance since they are of varying values of permitivities.
Farad (F) is unit of capacitance. It is equivalent 1 coulomb per volt. As a unit of capacitance, it is
so big that the capacitor plates separated by 1 mm must be as large as a big city to have a value of 1F.
Hence, the smaller submultiplies, the microfarad µF (10−6 F), nanofarad Nf (10−9 F), and picofarad
pF (10−12 F), are often used instead.

Discrete Electronic Components

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Discrete Electronic Components

Resistors: They are added to circuits to provide measured resistances.

Color code of resistors

Photocell = sometimes referred to as light-dependent resistor LDR

A capacitor is charged as soon as a capacitor is

Different types of capacitors

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