Beginnings

 Where do we begin studying electronics?

Electronics is a wide field, which includes analog and digital circuit design, instrumentation, power electronics, and embedded design. Traditionally, a beginning student learns

  • What is electrical energy?
  • What is "flow of charge" or electrical current?
  • How electrical current is generated, transmitted, and manipulated?
  • What is an electrical signal?
  • How electrical current and signal and their behavior are represented mathematically?
  • What are the basic electronic components?

    and so forth…

    What exactly is the scope of electronics?

    I have indicated partial answers in addressing prior questions. Anyway, an electronic engineer may find it difficult to explain such questions as what is the nature of electricity? Or how are integrated chips or other components constructed? Because he/she does not operate at the layer or sphere of knowledge. But, she/he will agree that electronic products are designed and manufactured in a systematic manner, and are reliable. An electronic engineer understands the "operational theories" on subjects such as electrical energy, and component physics, but does need not immense beyond it.

    When exactly electronics came to be?

    Electronics replaced mechanics at the beginning of the 20th century (1900's). When we say electronic products, we refer to products such as typewriter, calculator, radio, light bulb, TV and computer. Refer to the time line for each of their invention and you can note that all are inventions of early 1900's.

    Time Line