Seasoned vets and Gurus turn back now - this is not meant for you!!!
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Transistor - Amplifies a signal or opens and closes a circuit.
Integrated Circuit - An electronic device made out of semiconductor material (material that can control the amount of electricity it conducts).
Transistor stands for Transfer of Resistance
You can use a transistor in a circuit to act as a basic Amplifier or a Switch.. It is constructed out of a Semiconducting material such as Silicon or Germanium
Now the Intergrated Circuit.. AS ITS NAME WILL IMPLY.. is An intergration of of Circuit Components, such as FET's (Field Effect Transistor), Transistors, Diodes, resistors, Capacitors and Very low value Inductors.. the this circuit can be any thing from a electronic switch to a CPU core..
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Resistor - A device that offers resistance to the flow of an electric current.
Capacitor - Electric component that stores energy in the form of an electrostatic field; it consists of 2 conducting metal plates separated by an insulating material.
good enough for beginners.. Resistance is measured in Ohms, Capacitance in Farads (any know why those names.. now no cheating Google searches are banned..I am watching)
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Connector - The part of a cable that plugs into a port or an interface.
Hmm well.. other wise known as Plugs? hmm well sort of.. it is the device that allows cables/cards to connect to other cables/cards etc.. Two parts.. You have the Plug..and ..The Socket..
USes.. Data path, Radio signals, Power..etc
Check out, Edge Connector, PCI Socket, P/S2 Connector, IDC, IDE, RCA, Phono.. DC
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Light Emitting Diode (LED) - A device that lights up when electricity passes through it.
LOL.. So a Incandecent Light Bulb is a LED... And that 33ohm REsistor I connected across the 240V mains is also a LED?
LED.. Light Emitting DIODE.. IS a Diode (Thermionic or Semiconductor) that when it is forward Biased (ie a current is passing through the device) will emit light
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Printed Circuit Board (PCB) - A thin plate on which chips and other electronic components are placed.
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Well sort of.. but a plate? dinner Plate?
How about A thin sheet of Dialectric material, usually with a coating of copper, this coating etched to create a electrical paths (Circuit), for the mounting of electronic components, including resistors, capacitors, IC's (intergrated Circuits), Cpu (**** another IC).etc..