claire1985

I did AO level electronics nearly thirty years ago, mostly as a bit of light relief during the first year of my A levels. For my liking there was far too little about designing circuits and to much about the theory (at the end of the course I'd have had no trouble explaining how semiconductors worked, but I'd have struggled to design a circuit that used more than a couple). Now I'd really like to have a better understanding of the practical side, both to able to design circuits and to look at other people's work and understand what they've done, but I've struggled to find many resources to help teach myself. I can't help wondering if these days there just aren't that many people learning about electronics outside an academic or work environment.

James

When I was in high school (12 years ago) we were taught basic electronics, how to wore a plug, simple circuit designs and the differences in parallel or series circuits, now theres nothing at all, even the science course I'm doing now doesn't go into electronics, it's such a shame as there will be a lot of future generations who will be lost if a fuse blows. I was building simple circuits Friday using resistors and LEDs I love it but don't understand it very well, I too would like to find somewhere that taught the practical side of it all, I'd like to pass it on to my daughter as well, x

The mnemonic I know for resistors almost certainly wouldn't be allowed here, but I have just googled and found:

Big Boys Race Our Young Girls, But Violet Generally Wins

for

Black Brown Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Violet Grey White

where the associated numbers start at zero (so black is zero, brown one and so on). Google also suggests that a teacher has been dismissed for teaching a boy the version I know. Schools were different thirty years ago

You only really need to remember the first four hydrocarbon prefixes; after that they follow the same pattern as polygon names, so you have methane, ethane, propane, butane and then pentane, hexane, heptane and octane (and similarly methanol, ethanol, propanol, butanol, pentanol, hexanol, heptanol, octanol for the alcohols) following the same pattern as pentagon, hexagon, heptagon and octagon as you add one more carbon atom each time.

James

Hydrocarbons I've got sorted now I think, resistors however are a different story!! I don't really understand these things at all I need some educating on electrical components x

I was trying to think of one to remember the first 5 hydrocarbons for chemistry class, we came

Up with Most Earthlings Prefer Big Pizzas.

I could do with a hand with resistors. Mrs is an electrical engineer and is always testing me, I'm only just getting into electronics though so keep it simple xxx

Just saw the Facebook posts!

Such a very very sad day. Has had me in tears!

Rip, a true legend and an idol of mine :-(