From best-selling author Charles Platt, the Easy Electronics book and kit should satisfy anyone who has felt frustrated by entry-level courses that are not as clear and simple as they are supposed to be. This is the simplest, quickest, and least technical, introduction to basic electronics you can find. Brilliantly clear graphics take you step-by-step through 12 basic projects, none of which should take more than half an hour. Using alligator clips to connect components, you see and hear immediate results. The experiments introduce you to switches, resistors, capacitors, transistors, phototransistors, LEDs, audio transducers, and a silicon chip. You'll even learn how to read schematics by comparing them with the circuits that you build. No prior knowledge is required, and no math is involved. You learn by seeing, hearing, and touching. The Easy Electronics kit provides everything you need to successfully complete every project in the book at an affordable price. Concepts and exercises explored in the handbook include: Transistor as a switch or an amplifier Phototransistor to function as an alarm Capacitor to store and release electricity Transducer to create sounds from a timer Resistor codes A miniature light bulb to display voltage The inner workings of a switch Using batteries and resistors in series and parallel Creating sounds by the pressure of your finger Making a matchbox that beeps when you touch it And more. Start experimenting right away! The hands-on approach is fun and intriguing, especially for family members exploring the projects together. Specifications This 6” X 9” handbook consists of 50 pages of full-color illustrations and-easy-to-understand explanations and instructions. Comes with incandescent bulbs, LEDs, capacitors, resistors, a phototransistor, 7555 timer, piezoelectric audio transistor, and more. No tools are required to perform the experiments — the components included in the kit are all you need. The projects are suitable for anyone with no prior experience, including younger students working with adult supervision. Meet the AuthorCharles Platt is a Contributing Editor and regular columnist for Make: magazine, where he writes about electronics. He is the author of the highly successful introductory hands-on book, Make: Electronics, and Make: More Electronics. Platt was a Senior Writer for Wired magazine, and has written various computer books. As a prototype designer, he created semi-automated rapid cooling devices with medical applications, and air-deployable equipment for first responders. He was the sole author of four mathematical-graphics software packages, and has been fascinated by electronics since he put together a telephone answering machine from a tape recorder and military-surplus relays at age 15. He lives in a Northern Arizona wilderness area, where he has his own workshop for prototype fabrication and projects that he writes about for Make: magazine.
