Circuit components

Abstract

A component is something which makes up part of a circuit and contributes to the way in which it functions. Every material tends to inhibit the flow of electrons in a circuit (if only to a very small degree in some cases). That property is referred to as resistance. Resistors are components with specific values of resistance. Capacitors and inductors are components which will store electrical energy. They can therefore generate wave forms and can be used in tuning and filtering. Finally, there are a wide variety of semiconductor components which will conduct well under certain conditions and not so well otherwise, which are used in amplification, rectification and switching and which we deal with under diodes and transistors.