Tools, test equipment and safety

Abstract

Components are connected together in circuits by soldered joints. Solder is basically an alloy of lead and tin, the proportions varying according to the application. For electronics work a mixture of 60 per cent tin and 40 per cent lead is usual. If solder is heated to its melting point, and applied to a variety of different metals, it will amalgamate with the metal surface to provide a joint with high electrical conductivity and good mechanical strength—the strength is limited by the relatively poor tensile strength of the solder itself. Solder has a low melting point, lower than that of either tin or lead. The melting point varies according to the exact composition of the solder, but ordinary 60/40 tin/lead solder melts at 188°C.