Basic Electronics for Tomorrow's Inventors: A Thames and Kosmos Book

by Nick Dossis

Overview

Created in partnership with Thames & Kosmos, Basic Electronics for Tomorrow's Inventors introduces you to essential electronics concepts through fun, do-it-yourself projects. You'll get tips for setting up your home workbench, safely handling materials, and creating a variety of entertaining gadgets. All of the projects and experiments use inexpensive, readily available electronic components and different types of breadboard, which creates a plug-and-play environment for you to build electronic circuits—no soldering required!

Inside you'll find:

• Things You'll Need—lists of all the electronic components and equipment required for each experiment
• A Circuit Diagram—shows how each of the electronic components are connected to produce the experiment
• How the Circuit Works—identifies the building blocks used to make the circuit and helps you read circuit diagrams
• Breadboard Layout—close-up photographs that guide you in building each electronic circuit
• Time to Experiment—explains how to get your experiment working

Step-by-step projects include:

Phone experiments

• Make an LED light up
• Make an LED flash
• Create colors with an RGB LED
• Build a working telephone

Dashboard experiments

• Create indicator lights
• Build a temperature sensor
• Make an electronic horn
• Set up a water sensor

Security experiments

• Design a basic alarm circuit
• Make a pressure-sensitive mat
• Create a touch-activated alarm
• Build an electronic security keypad
• Make a reading light that switches on when it goes dark

Electronic game experiments

• Create a random number generator
• Flip an electronic coin
• Get ready for infrared target practice
• Build a sound-effects generator

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780071794695
Publisher:	McGraw Hill LLC
Publication date:	12/14/2012
Edition description:	List
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Nick Dossis holds a Higher National Certificate in Electronic/Electrical Engineering. He is the author of several articles published in Everyday Practical Electronics EPE Magazine, a popular monthly publication for electronic hobbyists. Nick has been playing around with electronics for most of his life, originally encouraged by a grandfather who bought him his first crystal radio set when he was six. He continues to design electronic circuits and projects in his spare time. He is the author of Brilliant LED Projects: 20 Electronic Designs for Artists, Hobbyists, and Experimenters, also from McGraw-Hill.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Part I: Let's Get Started!
Chapter 1: Setting up Your Workbench
Chapter 2: The Four Main Electronic Building Blocks
Part II: Can You Hear Me Now: Phone Experiments
Chapter 3: Getting Charged Up! Make an LED Illuminate
Chapter 4: You Have a Message! Make an LED Flash
Chapter 5: How Do Screens Show Colors? Experiment with an RGB LED
Chapter 6: Can We Talk: Build a Working Telephone
Part III: Behind the Wheel: Dashboard Experiments
Chapter 7: Which Way Now: Create Indicator Lights
Chapter 8: Is It Hot in Here? Build a Temperature Sensor
Chapter 9: Beep! Beep! Make an Electronic Horn
Chapter 10: Is It Raining Outside? Set Up a Water Sensor
Part IV: Spy Vs Spy! Security Experiments
Chapter 11: Intruder Alert! Design a Basic Alarm Circuit
Chapter 12: Step Inside! Make a Pressure-Sensitive Mat
Chapter 13: Careful What You Reach For! Create a Touch-Activated Alarm
Chapter 14: You'll Never Get In! Build an Electronic Security Keypad
Chapter 15: Let there be Light! Build a reading light that operates when it goes dark
Part V: Electronic Game Experiments
Chapter 16: Pick a Number! Create a Random Number Generator
Chapter 17: Heads or Tails: Flip an Electronic Coin
Chapter 18: Read, Aim, Fire! Get ready for Infra-Red Target Practice
Chapter 19: Let's Make Some Noise!
Appendix
Resources