hair dryer
Your home life is ruled by electronic components … and you thought you were in charge! Those two electronic leads that are soldered together on a printed circuit board are the very mainstay of your life! From washing machines, to CD players, telephones to toasters – they’re all enabled by that electronic circuit with a particular function! Most electronic components are packaged with networks of matching components. Some though are integrated inside semi-conductors or thick film devices.
Most electronic components get hot after they’ve run for a time. You’ll feel the Playstation or Radio casing heat up. That’s because the electronic components generate heat while their “fired up”. Let’s take the humble hairdryer – an every day home appliance and a staple for most families. It’s assembled from a series of electronic components which include the electrical motor, copper wiring, switch mechanisms and fan blade. In the early days many people were actually electrocuted by their own hairdryer. That’s not common these days since the formation of the “Ground Fault Circuit”. Today hairdryers have a safety cut off switch that prevents the temperature of the appliance from rising higher than 140°F (60°C). The outside plastic coating is a kind of “shell” or protective covering which keeps the overall weight of the appliance fairly light.
To be honest, the “Average Joe” doesn’t need to know about Transducers, sensors and detectors. He can be sublimely oblivious to Magnetic (inductive) devices and resistors. However, just as long as our home appliances keep those connections between two or more electronic components, the useful function that provides our needs, will continue to be much appreciated.