On this page, I will summarize each chapter in 500 words or less.  All the concepts, nothing more.  Click on some of the embedded links through the summary for more details.

Chapter 1 is all about getting a grasp on the very basics of circuits – it is written assuming that the student knows nothing.

• Circuits is all about electrons and their negative charge.  We want to move these charges through a circuit so that we can make it do things.
• Current is the flow of electrical charge.  Materials that are conductors, such as silver, provide free electrons that can move in great numbers.
• To get these electrical charges flowing, we need something to push them.  This something is Voltage.  With voltage, the electrons in the conductor will begin moving.
• Electrons move very slowly in a circuit – about 3 feet an hour.  However, the signal moves at the speed of light because the electrons all move as a group.
• Voltage is an electromotive force or potential difference.  This force is due to the creation of an electric field between positively and negatively charged particles.
• A circuit must be a continuous, unbroken loop in which the electrons can flow.  If the conductor has any sort of break or gap, then there will be no current.
• Although electrons flow from negative to positive, the convention is that the direction of current is from positive to negative.  Blame Benjamin Franklin.
• Resistance in a circuit is anything that impedes electron flow.  Usually, resistance is added to fine tune current and voltage in accordance with Ohm’s Law.
• Resistors are passive components that are added to a circuit just for the purpose of adding resistance.  Passive refers to the fact that they do not generate energy, only use it up.
• Ohm’s Law states that the voltage is equal to the current multiplied by the resistance.
• If you hold voltage constant and increase the resistance, the electrons have a tougher time moving and current goes down.  If you decrease the resistance, current goes up.
• If you decrease the voltage and keep resistance constant, then there is less force moving those electrons and current goes down.  If you increase the voltage, current goes up.
• If you increase resistance, then current will go down.
• Ohm’s Law is the most important concept in this chapter, and the conclusion.