1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,880 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:08,920 Speaker 1: It's ready. Are you get in touch with technology? With 3 00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: tech Stuff from how stuff works dot Com. Hi there, everybody, 4 00:00:18,079 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff. My name is Chris Pallette. I'm 5 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,080 Speaker 1: the tech editor here at how stuff Works dot Com. 6 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: And sitting across from me, as he often does on 7 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: days such as this one, you know we're recording the 8 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: podcast because he's my co host. That would be senior 9 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: writer Jonathan Strickland. What an intro? That was more like 10 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:41,600 Speaker 1: what intro? So you want to talk about some more electronics? No, 11 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: but we're gonna no, no, no, this is important stuff. 12 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:48,879 Speaker 1: Um So yeah, it's and it's interesting stuff. It is 13 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 1: interesting stuff. It's just it's it's definitely. Uh, it's definitely 14 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: something that that I wish I'd paid more attention to 15 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: when I was in high school. I understand exactly what 16 00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:01,920 Speaker 1: you mean. So last time we talked out electronics, the 17 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 1: theory that goes behind electronics, right, we we got into, uh, 18 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: what we started with adams and and how the negatively 19 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,479 Speaker 1: charged portion of them, the electron is the basis of electricity, 20 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,319 Speaker 1: and we got into how they can be used to 21 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: create circuits and right, and that some materials resist the 22 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:22,280 Speaker 1: flow of electrons and others are particularly good at conducting. 23 00:01:23,319 --> 00:01:25,960 Speaker 1: And we talked about Benjamin Franklin who gave us the 24 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: whole concept of currents and described current as moving uh, 25 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: as positive particles moving towards the negative terminal, which sadly 26 00:01:36,920 --> 00:01:39,480 Speaker 1: is the opposite of what is happening, is that we 27 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: have negative particles moving towards a positive terminal. So current 28 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 1: goes one way, electron flow goes the other way. And 29 00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: Benjamin Franklin was a brilliant woman izer. I think we 30 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: also covered that. Well we didn't use that word. No, No, 31 00:01:54,520 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: I think I think I called him a gad about town. No, 32 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: actually you didn't. Well it was a long time ago anyhow. 33 00:02:01,160 --> 00:02:03,360 Speaker 1: But yeah, we we got into the basic, the very 34 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: basics of electricity and UH and how it moves. So 35 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 1: now we're gonna talk about circuits. Yes, it's a little 36 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: more about circuits. So we described last time as a 37 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: circuit as a kind of a pathway for electrons, a 38 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: complete closed pathway. UM. And electrons actually have to have 39 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,839 Speaker 1: a pathway for them to flow in the first place. Yeah, 40 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 1: they can well, I mean they can flow well, well, 41 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:28,120 Speaker 1: they can zip around pretty much anywhere because because I 42 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:31,280 Speaker 1: think of it this way, plasma that's an ionized gas. 43 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,880 Speaker 1: That's a gas in which electrons are zipping around all 44 00:02:34,919 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: over the place on their own. They become stripped from 45 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: their their respective atoms. But you can't really direct that 46 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: electron flow, so exec to go from point A to 47 00:02:46,480 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 1: point B. Yes, yes, so yeah, the circuit is a 48 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: way to direct the actual flow of electrons um and 49 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: you create it. It's like creating a highway system. Really yeah, 50 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 1: for some oftimes particles. So, uh, let's a very basic 51 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,480 Speaker 1: circuit would be just say, take a battery which has 52 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:11,760 Speaker 1: two terminals, positive and a negative terminal, and you attach 53 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: it to a circuit so that you've got a a wire, well, 54 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: let's say a copper wire that connects one end of 55 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 1: the battery to the other. Will that be a very 56 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,120 Speaker 1: very basic circuit that doesn't actually do anything other than 57 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: allow the electrons to move from the negative end to 58 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 1: the positive end, which means the current is flowing from 59 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: the positive end to the negative end. That's all it's doing. 60 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: Wouldn't be doing any work, wouldn't really be interesting. All 61 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: it would really do is slowly kill your battery as 62 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: the chemicals within it create the electrons necessary to generate 63 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:48,960 Speaker 1: the electron flow. Okay, so clearly that wouldn't be enough. 64 00:03:48,960 --> 00:03:50,720 Speaker 1: You need to add some more elements to it. So 65 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: let's say you were too uh put a uh what 66 00:03:55,720 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: what would you like to put in in our our 67 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: basic circuit first, and we'll talk about what it does. Okay, Well, um, 68 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: a resistor, a capacitor, um switch, anything you want. The 69 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: switch is the easy part, switch because it's essentially a 70 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:15,960 Speaker 1: gateway for the circuit. Yeah. So a switch, if a 71 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: switch is just a brake somewhere in the circuit really 72 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,359 Speaker 1: where if you open the switch, then the pathway is 73 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: interrupted and so electrons can no longer flow along the path. 74 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: When the switch is closed, the pathway is complete and whole, 75 00:04:30,880 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: and then the electrons can flow freely. So there's your switch. 76 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: That was easy, all right. Hit me with another one, 77 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:40,960 Speaker 1: Come on, come on, okay, let's throw a resistor. Resistor alright, 78 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: So resistors um resistors are this special kind of device 79 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:51,800 Speaker 1: that reduces electron flow. Okay, I'll tell you what. I'll 80 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: tell you what. Before we add the resistor, let's add 81 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:59,280 Speaker 1: something to the circuit like say a lightbulb. Okay, so 82 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,040 Speaker 1: when you have the battery and you have a light 83 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:05,040 Speaker 1: bulb and you have the switch. So when you open 84 00:05:05,279 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: the switch, the circuit completes and the flow of electrons 85 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: goes through the light bulb and the light bulb comes on. 86 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: But then if you throw a resistor in there and 87 00:05:14,880 --> 00:05:18,080 Speaker 1: it slows down the flow of electrons, then theoretically, if 88 00:05:18,120 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: I'm not mistaken, the light bulb should dim somewhat. Yeah, well, yeah, 89 00:05:22,600 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: because the the it reduces the it's it's they don't 90 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: they don't block the flow of electrics. There's resisting I mean, 91 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:34,520 Speaker 1: how aptly named can it be? Yeah, and the you 92 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: might wonder why you would have a resistor in there, 93 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: but there's lots of reasons. Essentially, what you're talking about 94 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: whenever you're building any kind of circuit, you're talking about 95 00:05:41,040 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: controlling electrons, and electrons behave in a very predictable way. 96 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: But you may need to throw resistors in there so 97 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,479 Speaker 1: that you don't overpower a certain part of your circuit 98 00:05:53,160 --> 00:05:55,799 Speaker 1: um or it may be that you know, it's really 99 00:05:55,960 --> 00:05:58,560 Speaker 1: it's really just traffic control. This is really what it 100 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: comes down to, is that the the amount number and 101 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:04,800 Speaker 1: the voltage and current that you are generating maybe too 102 00:06:04,839 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: great for parts of the circuits. So the resistors are 103 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: thrown in there as part of traffic control. That's a 104 00:06:09,760 --> 00:06:11,840 Speaker 1: very simple way of putting it, and it doesn't get 105 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 1: all the subtle nuances that that really come along with resistors. 106 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:22,080 Speaker 1: But without really getting into, uh, really the nitty gritty 107 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:27,359 Speaker 1: of electronics, I think it's it serves as a basic foundation. Okay, 108 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: So do you want to talk about capacitors next, since 109 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,480 Speaker 1: you've already mentioned them kind of don't belong in our 110 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: circuit in a way, because I've made too simple a circuit. Yeah, 111 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 1: but because you really wouldn't need a capacitor in this case. No, no, no, 112 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: But a capacitor is uh, it's it's we mentioned it 113 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:46,479 Speaker 1: in the last podcast actually because we're talking about capacity tense, 114 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:50,160 Speaker 1: but a capacitor uh involved isn't. What's involved in there 115 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: is you've got two different plates that are separated by 116 00:06:52,839 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: either space or more likely some sort of uh insulating 117 00:06:56,720 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: material in between the plates um and the plates hold 118 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:06,839 Speaker 1: opposite charges, and they can store a charge and then 119 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: eventually they can discharge that charge. So they're they're kind 120 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: of like a battery in a way except that, um, 121 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 1: they pretty much discharge all at once. They don't tend 122 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: to discharge over time. That and and uh, this capacitor 123 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:26,360 Speaker 1: is different from a battery, and that the battery is 124 00:07:26,400 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 1: actually creating electricity through a chemical reaction, and the capacitor 125 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: you stores and electric Yeah, and uh, capacitors can be polarized. UM, 126 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:39,480 Speaker 1: as you point, which, which would you know, permit the 127 00:07:39,520 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: flow of electricity in one direction only if you were 128 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,800 Speaker 1: to reverse the attempt to reverse the flow of electricity 129 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:50,440 Speaker 1: in the other direction. I you don't. You don't want 130 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: to do that because it would there's a very very 131 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,840 Speaker 1: good chance that it will explode, which is a bad thing. 132 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: This is why in Star Trek they always reverse the polarity. 133 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: I don't know if that's true or not. I just 134 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,840 Speaker 1: wanted to say it because as soon as you said polarity, 135 00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: that's the first thing I thought of. Well, no, that's that. 136 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: But that is an important thing though, I mean, do 137 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: not do not try this at home thing. Don't reverse 138 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:17,600 Speaker 1: the electrical flow through a polar esque capacity. There are 139 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: other dangerous there are other UM. Capacitors are dangerous in general, 140 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:22,640 Speaker 1: there are other things. Yes, we we did mention this 141 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: in the in the last episode as well. A capacitor, 142 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: since it does store electric charge and then can discharge 143 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 1: it very rapidly, can't does have the potential to be dangerous. Now, 144 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:35,000 Speaker 1: a small capacitor is not really that dangerous. It could 145 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 1: deliver a shock and you might even you know, might 146 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: be a shock strong enough for you to feel. But 147 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: larger capacitors are are really dangerous, and you find them 148 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:51,199 Speaker 1: in electronics that are around you right now, probably things 149 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,839 Speaker 1: like well old computer monitors, television sets, things like that, 150 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: they have these capacitors and them that store up a 151 00:08:58,160 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: pretty deadly charge and even if the device is not 152 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,320 Speaker 1: plugged in or turned on at the time, the capacitor 153 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,440 Speaker 1: can still hold that charge and it could be enough 154 00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: to cause you injury or even kill you. So that's 155 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: another good reason to never really mess around with uh 156 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: with large electronics, even if they're unplugged, and you know, 157 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:22,240 Speaker 1: definitely don't do it thinking that you're completely safe from 158 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: getting shocked, because that's just not the case. It all 159 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: depends on what's in that circuitry. So, um, let's see, 160 00:09:29,920 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: we talked about capacitors, We've talked about resistors, we talked 161 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: about switches. There are inducers, which again are that's where 162 00:09:37,920 --> 00:09:40,960 Speaker 1: you would have a coil of wire that would induce 163 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:45,920 Speaker 1: a magnetic field, often used in things like electric electronic motors, 164 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: also used in UH from what I understand, and those 165 00:09:50,440 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 1: devices that sit under the street of traffic lights. Yeah, 166 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: that that's interesting. You're talking about the sensors that can 167 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: tell if they're is a car at a cross like 168 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: an intersection, so that knows to turn the left turn 169 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: light on for example right right, so when your car 170 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,320 Speaker 1: is there if it has not. Not all intersections have these. 171 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: There are many different ways that UH that traffic the 172 00:10:15,080 --> 00:10:19,360 Speaker 1: different traffic devices used to detect whether or not a 173 00:10:19,360 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 1: car is at a traffic stops. Some don't use anything 174 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: at all. It's just a simple timer, but on other 175 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: traffic stops they the it's on a not just a 176 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:32,679 Speaker 1: timed system, but it will detect whether or not a 177 00:10:32,679 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: car is at a particular location and that will indicate 178 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 1: whether or not needs to turn on a turn signal 179 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,679 Speaker 1: or if it needs to just change the lights so 180 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: that the traffic can move in a different direction. The 181 00:10:43,760 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 1: way it does this is you have these um these 182 00:10:47,520 --> 00:10:50,800 Speaker 1: essentially inducers underneath the street and when your car is 183 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: on top of them, that's all big metal, you know, 184 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:57,400 Speaker 1: big old hunkle metal which can create it can attract 185 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: with the magnetic field that's created by the inducers, generates 186 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 1: the electric current, which then runs to the system and 187 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: tells the system, Hey, there's a big honking car here 188 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: that needs to turn. Maybe we should put on that 189 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:15,160 Speaker 1: arrow yep. And then there are diodes, which are another 190 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: for a form of traffic control because they only permit 191 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: electricity to flow in one direction. That's a very useful 192 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: element to have, especially if you're using alternating current, I 193 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:30,079 Speaker 1: mean direct current moves in one direction anyway, alternating current. 194 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:32,280 Speaker 1: That's when you're starting to look at things like diodes, 195 00:11:32,360 --> 00:11:35,880 Speaker 1: where because of the nature of the current itself, you 196 00:11:35,960 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: need to have some sort of element there to direct 197 00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: electron flow properly. Uh. There might be some parts of 198 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:46,679 Speaker 1: the circuit that it's all right for the electrons to 199 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:49,600 Speaker 1: flow one way versus the other way, there's no real difference. 200 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,240 Speaker 1: And then there are other parts where you may need 201 00:11:51,400 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: a diode there to act as kind of a traffic stop. 202 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: Do you do you want to briefly mention light emitting 203 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: diodes LEDs, yes, UM so because they are a form 204 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 1: of diet. It's a form of diode. It's the little 205 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: lights that you see in lots of different things. Like 206 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 1: you know, my my phone has an LED at the 207 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:12,120 Speaker 1: top that indicates whether or not I've missed a call. 208 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: By the way, it's probably gonna vibrate any second now 209 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,680 Speaker 1: as it tells me that I'm supposed to uh to 210 00:12:17,040 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: be researching for tweet of the week. But yeah, there 211 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: are other you know, light emitting diodes that you see 212 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: all over the place. There televisions that use light emitting 213 00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: diodes UM as the way to generate a picture. It's 214 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,720 Speaker 1: a pretty common technology. It's and it's very very simple 215 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: at the heart of it, but it's it's a definitely 216 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: important component. But you also have transistors, which are really important. 217 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: They can act as both switches and amplifiers, right and 218 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:52,080 Speaker 1: again this is more of an alternating current kind of thing, 219 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: but this transistors are are really that forms the basic 220 00:12:55,520 --> 00:13:00,280 Speaker 1: of things like the microprocessor UM technology that we all 221 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 1: have come to depend upon when it comes to things 222 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: like you know, computers and smartphones and MP three players 223 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,240 Speaker 1: things like that. Otherwise they'd be giant because we'd be 224 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:14,920 Speaker 1: still using vacuum tubes. So yeah, transistor effectively takes the 225 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:18,559 Speaker 1: takes the place of a vacuum tube. But it is 226 00:13:18,640 --> 00:13:21,400 Speaker 1: again another traffic control system. And also, like I said, 227 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 1: an amplifier, So you may need to um amplify the 228 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:29,559 Speaker 1: the flow of electrons in order to make your electronics 229 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:33,480 Speaker 1: work properly. Transistors can do that, and uh, they've gotten 230 00:13:33,520 --> 00:13:37,440 Speaker 1: incredibly small over the years. Like if you ever see 231 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,200 Speaker 1: a picture of the first transistor, it's a large object. 232 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,880 Speaker 1: I mean it's it's clunky looking, um and you know, 233 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:50,320 Speaker 1: it definitely does not look elegant at all. Today you 234 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: have transistors that are measured in nanometers and uh those 235 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: are really really teeny yeah, one allienth of a meter. 236 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:05,400 Speaker 1: I believe that is very very small. So these transistors 237 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: now you can find billions and billions of them, to 238 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: quote Carl Sagan on a single processor chip, or at 239 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: least more than a billion um That's it's it's it 240 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: boggles my mind. I don't know about anyone else's, but 241 00:14:19,720 --> 00:14:23,520 Speaker 1: to think that there are all these teeny tiny uh switches. Now, 242 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:25,800 Speaker 1: in this case, we're talking about digital circuits as opposed 243 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:28,640 Speaker 1: to analog ones. But um, I mean that's all solid 244 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:34,920 Speaker 1: state stuff. So and before we now that we've talked 245 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 1: about some basic elements, I mean, there're more that we 246 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: could talk about. But I also wanted to talk about 247 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 1: the different the three different types of basic circuitry. You've 248 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: got your basic circuit, which is just a simple pathway, 249 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 1: You've got your circuit in series, and you have your 250 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: parallel circuits. I'm done talking about them now. So a 251 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,840 Speaker 1: base circuit, you would have a pathway that leads to 252 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: whatever element that you're trying to power, whether it's a 253 00:15:05,720 --> 00:15:07,800 Speaker 1: light bulb or what. Let's see, stick with light bug 254 00:15:08,200 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: because it's a very simple example. So with the basic circuit, 255 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,840 Speaker 1: you would have say, a battery that's providing I'm just 256 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: gonna be arbitrary here. Let's say three volts of electricity 257 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: and the the electricity is flowing through uh and powering 258 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: this one light bulb. Um, when it gets to the 259 00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,960 Speaker 1: other side, you've got zero volts because the the light 260 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: bulb is consuming that voltage. All right, that it's all 261 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: the pressure is going to the light bulb. Okay, got it. Now, 262 00:15:38,880 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: Let's say that you hook up a second and third 263 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: light bulb to that same circuit. So now you've got 264 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: three light bulbs in series, a series of light bulbs, right, 265 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: because so the so what you're saying is the electrons 266 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: flow into the first light bulb and out of the 267 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,480 Speaker 1: first light bulb to the second, right, So it's you know, 268 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:00,160 Speaker 1: going through a series of light bulbs once then too 269 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 1: than three. Yes, now all three of those lightbulbs will light, 270 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:08,280 Speaker 1: but they'll each be one third as bright as the 271 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,360 Speaker 1: one lightbulb basic circuit would be. So light bulb one 272 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:13,640 Speaker 1: is going to be the brightest. No, no no, all three 273 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: will be the same brightness, sharing exactly. So you're so sorry. 274 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 1: That's what I was thinking at first, and then that's 275 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:27,280 Speaker 1: when you said that I interpreted it differently after apologie. 276 00:16:27,280 --> 00:16:29,320 Speaker 1: It was probably the way I worded it. Circuit number 277 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 1: one would be three times as bright as circuit number two. 278 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: Circuit number to would have three times as many lights, 279 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: but each light would be one third as bright as 280 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: the light on the first circuit. So essentially they're they're 281 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: having to share the same number of electrons being generated 282 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,280 Speaker 1: by the two I'm assuming two batteries because we were 283 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: saying three volts. That's you know, the average say double 284 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:54,640 Speaker 1: a battery would be one and a half volts. So right, 285 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: I'm going to say yes, So let's let's talking about 286 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:05,640 Speaker 1: that and now parallel circuits. So a serious circuit. That's 287 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: kind of easy to imagine because you're talking about a 288 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 1: loop with three light bulbs along the loop. Now, if 289 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: you're talking talking about a parallel circuit, you're talking about 290 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:19,879 Speaker 1: let's think of a large loop, all right, that starts 291 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: from the battery, loops out and then comes back to 292 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: the battery. So on the far edge, there's one light bulb. Okay, 293 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: then you you bisect the loop with like a shortcut. Essentially, 294 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,000 Speaker 1: got it all right. Along that shortcut you have a 295 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:38,440 Speaker 1: light bulb, and then you have maybe let's say that 296 00:17:38,800 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: it's like the one third the distance out to the 297 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 1: to the edge, and then two thirds of the distance 298 00:17:44,320 --> 00:17:46,600 Speaker 1: out to the edge you have another shortcut. So essentially 299 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 1: you've got three pathways that all connect to one major 300 00:17:50,320 --> 00:17:53,159 Speaker 1: circuit from the positive end of the battery to the 301 00:17:53,200 --> 00:17:55,680 Speaker 1: negative end of the battery. This is this is hard 302 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: to imagine. It's it's a lot easier if you guys 303 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,560 Speaker 1: look up what a parallel circuit looks like. It's kind 304 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:06,680 Speaker 1: of hard to explain. But in this case, uh, you've 305 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:10,919 Speaker 1: got you know, it's a little different. It's not you're 306 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 1: gonna have a third of the current going through each 307 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:20,159 Speaker 1: um light bulb. Okay, the voltage remains the same. The 308 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 1: current will be one third. So in the series, you're 309 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:27,440 Speaker 1: talking about the voltage reducing each time it goes through 310 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:31,119 Speaker 1: a light bulb, but the current would remain uh constant. 311 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:38,359 Speaker 1: In parallel, the current is reduced, the voltage remains constant. Okay, 312 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:43,320 Speaker 1: So the pressure is the same, the current is decreased. Yeah, 313 00:18:43,359 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: it's a little difficult to imagine. I just tried, by 314 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,320 Speaker 1: the way, listeners, just so you know, I want to 315 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:51,439 Speaker 1: I want this in the interest of full disclosure. I 316 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:53,879 Speaker 1: just attempted to create an analogy, and I got so 317 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: bogged down in my analogy that I just told Liz 318 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: to cut that. So if she hasn't cut that, she's 319 00:18:59,119 --> 00:19:01,439 Speaker 1: been a very bad is But Liz is awesome, so 320 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: I know she will cut it. Okay. But yeah, so 321 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 1: basic series parallel. And here's the thing is that the 322 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,800 Speaker 1: different elements we talked about, like resistors and uh and 323 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:19,880 Speaker 1: things of that nature, capacitors, they all behave differently depending 324 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 1: on whether the circuit is in parallel or is in series, UM, 325 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:30,520 Speaker 1: And it's not always intuitive until you really get a 326 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,880 Speaker 1: real firm grasp on what each element is doing. That's 327 00:19:33,920 --> 00:19:37,640 Speaker 1: why electronics is is a pretty complex subject in general 328 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 1: and very difficult for me to talk about in particular. 329 00:19:42,200 --> 00:19:45,359 Speaker 1: If you would like to speak about Middle English literature, 330 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: that would be awesome because I could let my brain rest. 331 00:19:50,640 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: All right, let's see, um trying to go through mine 332 00:19:54,840 --> 00:19:59,080 Speaker 1: notes here, because you've touched on just about everything I had. Well, 333 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: we have, we've cut is I mean without getting into 334 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:06,160 Speaker 1: to a lot of heavy duty stuff like doping and semiconductors. Yeah, 335 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 1: I think I think that would be a good uh 336 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:11,400 Speaker 1: stuff to say for the third part we're getting we're 337 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:14,440 Speaker 1: getting up there in time now anyway. And the integrated 338 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 1: circuits too, because integrated circuits are very important, especially for 339 00:20:18,720 --> 00:20:21,040 Speaker 1: a lot of this stuff that we use in our 340 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,760 Speaker 1: in our homes today. I think we can save that, Yeah, 341 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 1: we can save that for electronics three, where we'll talk 342 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: specifically about the kinds of circuits that we use in computers. 343 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: Because a lot of the stuff we've been talking about 344 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: with resistors and switches things like that, UM, most of 345 00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:39,480 Speaker 1: that deals with physical circuitry that you would find in 346 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: uh yeah even right, Yeah, I mean this is this 347 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:45,560 Speaker 1: is this is simple stuff. I mean, once you get 348 00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:49,840 Speaker 1: into the heart of a computer or an electronic device, um, 349 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 1: even it seems like simple, simple electronic devices. Now I'll 350 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: have chips in them with tons and tons of transistors 351 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,239 Speaker 1: on them and all kinds of different things, which is 352 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:01,879 Speaker 1: wonderful because it makes them very sophisticated, but it also 353 00:21:02,119 --> 00:21:05,200 Speaker 1: is makes it very difficult to talk about how they're 354 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:10,159 Speaker 1: wide right. Yeah, But we'll we'll tackle uh, digital circuitry 355 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:13,720 Speaker 1: in a future podcast, which that'll be and we've talked 356 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:16,280 Speaker 1: a little bit about it before with microprocessors and things 357 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: like that, and I'm actually on fairly firm ground with that. 358 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: It's funny because you think about it, this this basic 359 00:21:22,400 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: electronic stuff, which really should be the foundation of my 360 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: knowledge for things like microprocessors. Um, I kind of skipped 361 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 1: that and went straight to the microprocessors, and uh it 362 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: shows yeah, well, um yeah, I mean there there are 363 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 1: plenty of other little things we could talk about two 364 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: like their mists and photo resistors and sure, I mean 365 00:21:42,760 --> 00:21:45,920 Speaker 1: we could talk about like microphones, which take a physical 366 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 1: element converted into electricity, send the electricity through a circuit 367 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,520 Speaker 1: which then eventually makes its way to a speaker, which 368 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: then converts the electrical electrical signal into a physical signal. Again. Yeah, 369 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:59,720 Speaker 1: I mean that's that's really when we're talking about when 370 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: we say that electricity does work. That's kind of the 371 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,159 Speaker 1: work it it could do. Like it can take sound 372 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: waves converted into electrical impulses, send it to a speaker, 373 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: which then converts it back into sound waves. Pretty cool stuff. Yea, 374 00:22:12,280 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: you know, the process of changing one type of energy 375 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:20,119 Speaker 1: into the other ran. Yeah, so alternating to direct us 376 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 1: that what you're talking about, you know, like transducers and 377 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:28,439 Speaker 1: then again talking about transformers, about changing the voltage from 378 00:22:28,520 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 1: high voltage to lower vice versa. Yeah, there are a 379 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: lot of elements we can get into. So we'll probably 380 00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 1: be doing these electronics updates occasionally for the rest of 381 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:41,960 Speaker 1: our natural lives. Well, if you have something specific to 382 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 1: that you'd like us to talk about um with regard 383 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,239 Speaker 1: to electronics, please let us know. Yeah, write us an 384 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,080 Speaker 1: email our addresses tech stuff at how stuff works dot 385 00:22:50,080 --> 00:22:52,959 Speaker 1: com and we will be glad to tackle it, especially 386 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,119 Speaker 1: if we can have enough time to make sure we 387 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: understand it before we start talking about it. Yeah, you know, 388 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 1: anything from from some of the stuff that we've already mentioned. 389 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:06,240 Speaker 1: You know, motors, um, you know, changing mechanical I mean 390 00:23:06,240 --> 00:23:09,440 Speaker 1: electrical electrical energy into mechanical energy, all sorts of stuff 391 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:10,960 Speaker 1: like that that we haven't we haven't yet gotten to. 392 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:12,879 Speaker 1: If there's something in specific you'd like to know about, 393 00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: please let us know. Yeah, if you want to know, uh, 394 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:18,360 Speaker 1: you know how Benjamin Franklin was able to win over 395 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:20,960 Speaker 1: the ladies. That's more of us stuff you miss in 396 00:23:21,040 --> 00:23:23,679 Speaker 1: history class. But you know what, um, I'm willing to 397 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 1: look into it. That that is part of the the 398 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: uh that that also involves chemistry and you know, attracting. Yeah, 399 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: that's also getting into science. Then, because we're now you're 400 00:23:32,840 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: starting to sound like a quirk. Alright, Well that wraps 401 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 1: this up. How's that for a for an outro which 402 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:43,520 Speaker 1: a word that does not exist? All right, guys, thanks 403 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: so much for listening. I hope this wasn't too dry 404 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: for you. We decided to try and tackle it because 405 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:50,240 Speaker 1: we talked about electronics all the time and we kind 406 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: of take for granted exactly what goes into making them work. 407 00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:56,160 Speaker 1: And again we're just hitting the basics now, we haven't 408 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: even really gotten into the specifics. I mean, I'm sure 409 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:02,440 Speaker 1: you've all noticed, so uh, stick with us. We're gonna 410 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: do some more of these in the future. We're gonna 411 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:06,800 Speaker 1: take a break from doing them in the in the 412 00:24:06,840 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 1: near future and do some stuff that makes our brains 413 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,119 Speaker 1: hurt a little less. So stick with us, and we 414 00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: will talk to you again really soon. For more on 415 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:20,879 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff Works 416 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: dot com and be sure to check out the new 417 00:24:24,080 --> 00:24:26,640 Speaker 1: tech stuff blog now on the house Stuff Works homepage. 418 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: Brought to you by the reinvented two thousand twelve camera. 419 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:35,280 Speaker 1: It's ready, are you