Electronic Components and Energy Conversion
Electronic Components
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Electronic Components
Open by framing electronics as systems that take information or energy in, do something with it, and produce an effect.
Learning goal
I can identify common electronic components and explain whether they act as input, process or output parts in a circuit.
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What words come to mind when you hear electronic components?
Use this to surface prior knowledge such as switch, battery, LED, wire, sensor, resistor, motor or circuit before formal classification begins.
Input, process and output
Electronic systems are often grouped by what each component does.
Input components receive information or energy from the environment
Process components control or change the electrical signal
Output components create a change in the environment
This helps us understand how a complete circuit works.
Link this classification to real-world systems: something is detected or supplied, something in the circuit handles it, and something happens as a result.
A simple system view
Real world input → input component → process component → output component → real world output
Examples from this lesson:
switch or sensor
resistor
LED, speaker or motor
Keep the idea broad here. Students do not need full circuit design yet, only the roles components play.
Input components
Input components take in information or energy needed by the circuit.
They respond to a condition such as pressing, light or temperature
Some inputs are controlled by people, such as switches
Some inputs detect the surroundings automatically, such as sensors
Power sources can also be classed as inputs because circuits need electrical energy to work
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Switches as inputs
A switch controls whether current flows by making or breaking a connection.
Closed connection: current can flow
Open connection: current is stopped
Emphasise the physical action: switches do not create electricity; they control the path for current.
Push switches and limit switches
Push-to-make (PTM): when pressed, the connection is made and current flows
When released, a spring breaks the connection again
Push-to-break (PTB): when pressed, the connection is broken and current stops
When released, the connection is remade
Push switches
A moving part presses a metal lever
The switch turns a circuit on or off at a set position
It can work as PTM or PTB
Common uses include safety guards and automatic doors
Limit switches
Students often confuse PTM and PTB. Tie each name directly to what happens when the button is pressed.
Other switch types
SPST means single-pole, single-throw
It is a simple two-position on/off switch
DPDT means double-pole, double-throw
It combines two switches operated at the same time
It has six connections and can be used in motor reversal circuits
Do not over-teach the abbreviations beyond what is shown here. The key point is simple on/off for SPST and paired switching for DPDT.
Sensors as inputs
Sensors detect changes in the environment and produce an electrical signal a circuit can use.
They allow circuits to respond automatically
Common examples in this lesson are light and temperature sensors
A sensor changes its electrical behaviour when conditions around it change
This is the bridge from manually controlled inputs to automatic inputs.
Two common sensors
Thermistor
Heat-dependent resistor
In this lesson, resistance is high in cold
Resistance is low in heat
Used in hot or cold detection circuits
Light-dependent resistor
Resistance is high in darkness
Resistance is low in light
Used in light or dark detection circuits
LDR
If needed, note that the thermistor shown is an NTC type, where resistance falls as temperature rises.
Power sources as inputs
Circuits need electrical energy to operate.
A battery provides low-voltage DC power
This makes it an input to the electronic system
Batteries are used in devices such as phones and laptops
Clarify that 'input' here can mean energy entering the system, not only information entering it.
Which component is an automatic input?
Thermistor
LED
Resistor
Speaker
Checks the difference between inputs and outputs/process parts. Thermistors detect temperature automatically.
Inputs in a circuit
A switch controls current by making or breaking a connection. A push-to-make switch lets current flow when it is pressed. An LDR has high resistance in darkness and low resistance in light. A battery provides low-voltage DC power to the circuit.
All answers come directly from the input-components block: switch action, PTM behaviour, LDR behaviour and battery power type.
Process components
Process components take signals from inputs and help control what happens next in the circuit.
They do not usually affect the environment directly
Instead, they shape or control the electrical conditions in the circuit
In this lesson, the main process component is the resistor
Keep the distinction clear: process components act inside the circuit, while outputs act on the outside world.
What resistors do
Resistors limit the flow of electric current in a circuit.
This helps other components work safely and correctly
Resistance is measured in ohms (Ω)
By changing resistance, a circuit can be controlled
Avoid a deep dive into calculations here; the goal is function and role in the circuit.
Types of resistor
Variable resistor
Fixed resistor
Resistance can be adjusted
Often changed with a screw or knob
Useful when the circuit needs control or tuning
Has a set resistance value
Used when the circuit needs one chosen amount of resistance
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What is the main job of a resistor?
Produce light
Store energy
Limit current
Detect heat
Distractors match nearby component roles: LED produces light, batteries supply energy, thermistors detect temperature.
Process components
Process components control what happens inside the circuit. A resistor limits the flow of electric current and resistance is measured in ohms. A variable resistor can be adjusted with a screw or knob.
This anchors the key process vocabulary and the distinction between function, measurement and adjustable control.
Output components
Output components make a change in the environment.
Examples include:
LEDs for light
Speakers for sound
Motors for movement
They are the part of the system people usually notice first.
This slide intentionally stays at classification level because the attachment gives examples rather than detailed mechanisms.
Energy conversion in outputs
Some electronic components convert electrical energy into other forms.
LED: electrical → light
Speaker: electrical → sound
Motor: electrical → movement
This is the lesson landing point for energy conversion: outputs create observable effects by changing electrical energy into another form.
Putting the system together
A simple electronic system can be described by the job of each part.
Input: switch, sensor or battery
Process: resistor
Output: LED, speaker or motor
Looking at components this way makes it easier to understand larger circuits later.
Connect this forward to future circuit-building work without introducing new components beyond the source material.
Which sequence describes a simple electronic system?
Output, input, process
Input, process, output
Process, output, input
Input, output, process
Tests the overall system model students have just built across the lesson.
Which output component is easiest for you to identify?
LED
Speaker
Motor
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What is one thing you will remember from this lesson?
Invite students to name one clear takeaway, such as classifying components as input, process or output, or describing what a switch, sensor, resistor or output does.
What helped you understand the components best?
Look for metacognitive comments about what supported understanding, for example examples, images, grouping by input/process/output, or comparing switches and sensors.
Glossary
input component - a component that receives information or energy from the environment
process component - a component that controls or changes the electrical signal inside a circuit
output component - a component that produces a change in the environment
switch - a component that makes or breaks a connection to control current flow
sensor - a component that detects a change in the environment and produces an electrical signal
battery - a source of low-voltage DC electrical energy for a circuit
resistance - opposition to the flow of electric current
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Glossary
ohm (Ω) - the unit used to measure resistance
LDR - a light-dependent resistor whose resistance is high in darkness and low in light
thermistor - a temperature-sensitive resistor whose resistance changes with temperature
fixed resistor - a resistor with a set resistance value
variable resistor - a resistor whose resistance can be adjusted
SPST - single-pole, single-throw; a simple on/off switch
DPDT - double-pole, double-throw; two switches operated together
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