Home BEAM background   Getting started Electronic basics Passive components Resistors Capacitors Batteries Switches Semiconductor components Integrated Circuits Nv neurons and Nv nets Nu neurons Tutorials   BEAM From the Ground Up is a BEAM Reference Library site.		Basics of passive components Resistors, capacitors, and batteries -- oh my! A passive component is one that contributes no power gain (amplification) to a circuit or system. It has no control action and does not require any input other than a signal to perform its function. For our purposes, this means resistors, capacitors, batteries and switches. Resistors-- limit, or resist electrical current Capacitors -- store charge (namely, electrons) Batteries -- compact, chemical sources of voltage Switches -- turn an electrical current on and off Note that diodes are often treated as passive components -- but I discuss them elsewhere, along with other semiconductor-based components. For more information... I'm in the process of "beefing up" this material; in the meantime, I've found two good web sites that cover the basics -- John Adams' Basic Electronics, and Professor V's Basic Electronics mini-course. If you're looking for a good book, and you live in North America, Radio Shack sells a book called "Getting Started in Electronics" by Forrest M. Mims.
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