Electronics
This section of the whole unit we completed, is all electronics. The first experiment of this section was making circuits using alligator clips, batteries, and small light bulbs. we used the alligator clips to make a continuous circuit of electricity. After slightly different experiments with these same materials, we started to use breadboards. Breadboards are small, rectangular pieces of plastic with many small holes all throughout it in columns and rows. In the holes, we put many different things inside to continue the flow of electricity from one side to another. Some of the things we put inside the holes were thin wires with a special amount of resistance to electricity, small led lights, and capacitors that hold then release electricity. The next thing that most of our class learned was like a miniature welding for circuits that is commonly used in everyday electronics.
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programming
This section of this whole unit, is programming. Programming, for those who don't know, is basically the thing that makes all of our electronics work and do what they do. The programming that we learned was Python. Personally, I had quite a hard time finishing the 13+ hours course. From doing this course, I learned many things about simple programming. For example I know how to make a program similar to battleship and also how to do simple operations like imputing information and have it answer or do something to it.
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Extra: cardboard chair
This is a model of out cardboard chair. The real sized one was constructed, but not totally finished. We learned many things about trial and error building this. Some concepts we learned were structure, points of weakness, and strong shapes. In the end our final chair held two people comfortably, like a bench or a laydown therapist lounge chair.
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Reflection
This whole unit to me was pretty difficult, this is probably because I have no experience with this field of electricity and especially now I'm not so sure I want to. All of the circuit boarding was fun at times, but I wouldn't want to get into the very difficult and confusing stuff. I especially had a very difficult time with the programming. Half of the time I needed help to understand.
During the beginning of our electricity section, all of us took a little while to initially understand and grasp the concepts of electricity. But after our beginning trouble we had understood and continued to understand more and more complex expirements. At the end of the experiments I was very happy at the level of our understanding for electronics.
Throughout this unit we have had a couple faults like using the wrong light bulbs and batteries. My group had blown up and burnt out multiple light bulbs. That doesn't sound as bad as the time one group caught a battery on fire. So, in the end we learned to check your materials and read the instructions before starting a project.
To me, this whole unit was pretty difficult and many times frustrating, because in everything if we did something wrong no matter how small it was, was always wrong. When it was wrong I wouldn't know what I did wrong and then end up redoing the whole part. Single wire in the wrong place could completely change the outcome and most of the time it wasn't good. Then again in programming, I had many moments where I nearly throw my computer out a window because the reason I'm getting the code wrong is from not capitalizing a single letter or a space is off the center. I usually would spend 20-30 minutes until I would realize I did something like that wrong.
During the beginning of our electricity section, all of us took a little while to initially understand and grasp the concepts of electricity. But after our beginning trouble we had understood and continued to understand more and more complex expirements. At the end of the experiments I was very happy at the level of our understanding for electronics.
Throughout this unit we have had a couple faults like using the wrong light bulbs and batteries. My group had blown up and burnt out multiple light bulbs. That doesn't sound as bad as the time one group caught a battery on fire. So, in the end we learned to check your materials and read the instructions before starting a project.
To me, this whole unit was pretty difficult and many times frustrating, because in everything if we did something wrong no matter how small it was, was always wrong. When it was wrong I wouldn't know what I did wrong and then end up redoing the whole part. Single wire in the wrong place could completely change the outcome and most of the time it wasn't good. Then again in programming, I had many moments where I nearly throw my computer out a window because the reason I'm getting the code wrong is from not capitalizing a single letter or a space is off the center. I usually would spend 20-30 minutes until I would realize I did something like that wrong.