Getting Started with Electronics

Do you have a cunning kid who's curious about what goes on inside computers, phones, TVs, and other electronic devices? You may just have a budding Edison on your handsand what better way to encourage their fascination with electronics than a book filled with projects they can complete on their own? InGetting Started with Electronics, your child will follow simple steps to safely create cool electronics projects using basic materials that can easily be found at online retailers or hobby shops.

Just imagine your child's delight as they use clips, switches, resistors, capacitors, and more to create circuits that control light and sound! From building a nifty LED flashlight to tuning in to a local radio station using a homemade tunerand moreyour little electronic wiz's world is about to get a whole lot brighter!

• Features vivid designs and a short page count
• Focuses on your child experiencing a sense of accomplishment
• Projects introduce core concepts while keeping tasks simple
• Teaches electronics in a safe environment

Built for the youngest of learners from the makers of the trusted For Dummies brand, you can feel good about giving your child a book that will spark their creativity.

Cathleen Shamieh is an electrical engineer and a writer with extensive engineering and consulting experience in the fields of medical electronics, speech processing, and telecommunications.

Introduction 1

About This Book 1

About You 2

About the Icons 2

Updates 3

The First Step 3

Project 1: Shopping Spree 4

Plan Your Shopping Spree. 4

Budget 6

Electronic Components and Accessories 10

Tools and Supplies 15

Project 2: Pocket Flashlight 18

Get Prepared. 19

Battery 19

Light-emitting diode (LED) 20

Resistor 21

Build the Flashlight Circuit 22

Connect the resistor to the battery. 22

Wrap tape around the positive terminal 23

Add a foam cutout 24

Connect the LED to the battery 25

Wrap tape around the negative terminal 26

Test Your Circuit 26

Add a Cover 27

Project 3: Red Light, Green Light 30

Breadboarding 31

Gather Supplies 32

Get to Know New Parts 34

Battery clip 34

Jumper wire 34

Slide switch 39

Breadboard Your Circuit. 40

Track Down Problems. 45

Whats Really Happening?. 45

Improve Your Circuit 46

Connect the power rails 46

Add a power switch 47

Project 4: Brainy Nightlight 50

Collect Parts 51

A Simple Sensor 52

The Tiny, Yet Powerful, Transistor 53

Transistors and faucets 54

Explore two transistors 55

Build the Circuit 58

Test Your Nightlight Circuit 65

Make Adjustments 66

Nightlight turns on when it shouldnt 66

Nightlight doesnt turn on when it should 67

Nightlight doesnt turn on at all 68

Project 5: Railroad Crossing 70

Whats a Capacitor?. 70

Check Out Your Capacitors 72

Whats an Integrated Circuit? 73

Meet the 555 Timer 75

Collect Components and Tools 77

Build the Railroad Crossing Circuit 78

Operate the Railroad Crossing Circuit 85

Project 6: Sound Effects 86

Mini-Speaker. 86

Gather the Parts You Need 87

Prepare Your Speaker 88

The Plan 90

Build the Tone Generator 91

Test Your Tone Generator 96

Modify Your Circuit 96

Create Sound Effects 97

Project 7: Radio 99

Plan Your Mission. 102

Homemade Tuner 103

Make an inductor 104

Make a variable capacitor 107

Meet Your Radio Signal Detector. 111

Check Out Your Earphone 111

Collect Parts and Tools 112

Work Close to the (Earth) Ground 113

Prepare a Radio Platform 114

Build the Radio. 115

Listen to Your Radio 119