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Electronics for Kids

Play with Simple Circuits and Experiment with Electricity!

Author Oyvind Nydal Dahl

Paperback

$24.99 US

No Starch | No Starch Press

7"W x 9.25"H x 0.84"D

On sale Jul 15, 2016 | 328 Pages | 9781593277253

Grade 5 & Up

Reading Level: Lexile 1090L

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Why do the lights in a house turn on when you flip a switch? How does a remote-controlled car move? And what makes lights on TVs and microwaves blink? The technology around you may seem like magic, but most of it wouldn’t run without electricity.

Electronics for Kids demystifies electricity with a collection of awesome hands-on projects. In Part 1, you’ll learn how current, voltage, and circuits work by making a battery out of a lemon, turning a metal bolt into an electromagnet, and transforming a paper cup and some magnets into a spinning motor. In Part 2, you’ll make even more cool stuff as you:
–Solder a blinking LED circuit with resistors, capacitors, and relays
–Turn a circuit into a touch sensor using your finger as a resistor
–Build an alarm clock triggered by the sunrise
–Create a musical instrument that makes sci-fi soundsThen, in Part 3, you’ll learn about digital electronics—things like logic gates and memory circuits—as you make a secret code checker and an electronic coin flipper. Finally, you’ll use everything you’ve learned to make the LED Reaction Game—test your reaction time as you try to catch a blinking light!With its clear explanations and assortment of hands-on projects, Electronics for Kids will have you building your own circuits in no time.

Øyvind Nydal Dahl built his first circuit at 14 and has been passionate about electronics ever since. He has a master’s degree in electronics from the University of Oslo, helps companies develop new products, and travels the world while teaching electronics workshops. He also writes beginner-friendly tutorials at http://www.build-electronic-circuits.com.

Oyvind Nydal Dahl View titles by Oyvind Nydal Dahl

PART 1: Playing with Electricity
Chapter 1: What Is Electricity?
Chapter 2: Making Things Move with Electricity and Magnets
Chapter 3: How to Generate Electricity
PART 2: Building Circuits
Chapter 4: Creating Light with LEDs
Chapter 5: Blinking a Light for the First Time
Chapter 6: Let's Solder!
Chapter 7: Controlling Things with Circuits
Chapter 8: Building a Musical Instrument
PART 3: Digital Electronics
Chapter 9: How Circuits Understand Ones and Zeros
Chapter 10: Circuits That Make Choices
Chapter 11: Circuits That Remember Information
Chapter 12: Let's Make a Game!
Appendix: Handy Resources

“Beautifully designed.”
—Boing Boing

“Enlightening and fun.”
—The MagPi

“Chock-full of photographs to help guide young learners along, this book is a great jumping off point for those who are interested in learning about simple circuits and electricity.”
—School Library Connection

“Electronics for Kids continues the No Starch Press tradition of publishing smart books that make STEM topics accessible and encourage kids to think.”
—Homeschool.com

“Electronics for Kids is a fantastic tool for diving into the world of electronics and circuitry.”
—Vivify STEM

“There’s just the right mix of reading and hands-on projects that I’m confident the kids won’t get bored. Even better, the projects won’t insult their intelligence… they feature real components, a real breadboard, and actual schematics. I have no doubt that young readers will finish this book with a solid understanding of the basics of electronics and maybe even a desire to go further and learn more… a win for a parent or a teacher!”
—GeekDad

“This kind of book is the cure for the sense of depression you feel when you go to the toy store and look at the “science” section and everything you see is crap. Just get this book.”
—ScienceBlogs

“The author has pulled off a tremendous balancing act by creating a book that is fun and interesting, that has the reader building things and making stuff happen right from the get-go, and that manages to explain the underlying theory without talking down to the audience.”
—EE Times