Understanding the physics behind electronics

Electronics is the study of how electrons flow across different materials or space when subject to a variety of conditions.

Tip

To remind you of what an electron is, they exist as a negatively charged "cloud" of particles that orbit the nucleus, this itself consisting of protons (positively charged) and neutrons (electrically neutral). The atom is then made up of both the nucleus and the orbiting electrons.

These various materials can be classified into three categories based on their conductivity, which means the degree to which a specified material conducts or transfers electricity:

• Conductors have a large number of free electrons that can flow freely in the materials in one or the other direction. As a result, they have the highest conductivity amongst all three types. Some examples of conductors are copper and aluminum. Most of the electrical cables that you see are made of copper because they can carry electricity along its length without much...