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AMPLIFIER KIT - INTRODUCTION |
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In electronics using a ‘kit project’, is often a good way of manufacturing a difficult circuit, with a variety of components. It is also a way of interesting students in electronics, as they are almost guaranteed to be successful. The project shown below is an audio amplifier, which can be connected to a mobile phone, for playing music. It acts as a type of ‘speaker’, allowing other students / friends to listen to the same music, from one device. Students construct the amplifier kit, design aspects of the amplifier casing and manufacture it. |
WHAT ARE AMPLIFIERS / WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR? |
AMPLIFY SOUND Rock concerts and audio equipment and hearing aids. |
BOOSTS AN ELECTRIC CURRENT Where the current in a circuit is low and needs boosting. Weak signal amplifiers. |
INCREASES THE VOLTAGE, CURRENT, OR POWER OF A SIGNAL When a signal in a circuit needs increasing, e.g. a sensor circuit, such as a temperature sensor or a rain sensor |
AMPLIFIERS AND TASERS |
Tasers are used to incapacitate violent / potentially violent criminals and suspects. A taser uses a 9V battery as it’s power source. If shocked by 9 volts, most people would not feel it However, the increase in voltage required to make a taser an effective device, is partly due to amplifiers, contained in the main circuit. The amplifiers, increase the output voltage from 9v to 100Kv. This would incapacitate anyone in the taser’s sites. |
Amplifiers have a range of uses. Amplifiers are not only used to increase sound, but they are essential in a variety of circuits. For example, mobile phone circuits include a number of amplifiers, that allow the phone’s circuits to work efficiently. Most amplifiers are used within a larger circuit, to boost a weak electronic signal or current, amplifying it, so that it can be detected by the rest of the circuit. Amplifiers are often called ‘amps’. Transistors are an essential component in amplifier circuits. Transistors can be regarded as one of the most important inventions in electronics. A good example of an audio amplifier is a megaphone. The input may be a persons voice and the output is amplified many times. |
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