Electronics/Preface

Importance of Electronics

Electronics is the study and use of devices that control the flow of electrons (or other charged particles). These devices can be used to process information or perform tasks using electromagnetic power.

Electronic circuits can be found in numerous household products, including such items as telephones, computers, and CD players. Electronic devices have also allowed greatly increased precision in scientific measurements.

Interest in the field of electronics increased around 1900 and the advent of radio. Interest reached an all-time high in the 1940s, 50s, 60s, with the invention of transistor radios, the launch of Sputnik, and the science and math educational push to win the space race. Interest in electronics as a hobby in the 1970s led to the advent of the personal computer (PC).

Electronics have since seen a decline in hobbyist interest. Electronics is now generally studied as part of a college-level program in electrical engineering.

This book is an attempt at reviving the hobbyist mentality that made electronics so big in the first place, by making electronics concepts more accessible and giving practical knowledge, as well as providing technical information for the student.