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If you understand an LED and a resistor, you understand the foundation of electronics. That’s not hype. In this video I use one simple LED and one resistor to walk through:
Volts vs amps vs resistance
Ohm’s law
Why components burn up
Series vs parallel circuits
Voltage dividers
How microcontrollers measure sensors
Why voltage drops happen
How much heat a resistor generates
Electronics doesn’t work because parts exist. It works because parts interact. And the LED + resistor is the simplest pair that makes those interactions visible. This isn’t a blink tutorial. This is where electronics starts to make sense. If you really understand what’s happening in this simple circuit, everything else gets easier. If you’re trying to move beyond copying tutorials and actually understand what you’re building, start here.
I also built some calculators, diagrams, and extra examples to go along with this video: https://fluxbench.com (still a work in progress)
Affiliate links help support the channel. You can buy LEDs and resistors anywhere, but these are the ones I recommend.
LEDs:
BOJACK – 5 colors 500 pieces: https://amzn.to/4l4PhT8
EEEEE book – 6 colors 600 pieces: https://amzn.to/4kXZP6q
3mm and 5mm kit – 5 colors and 300 pieces: https://amzn.to/3MP9Y90
UXCELL High Power LEDs: https://amzn.to/4blko8H
Resistors:
EEEEE 1/2 watt – 30 values 600 pieces: https://amzn.to/4cf1v9o
EEEEE 1 watt – 30 values 300 pieces: https://amzn.to/40CNf34
BOJACK 1/4 watt – 50 values 1350 pieces: https://amzn.to/4saCbpE
BOJACK 2 watt – 30 values 300 pieces: https://amzn.to/4r58JR5
CHANZON 2 watt – 29 values 150 pieces: https://amzn.to/3P8eeRv
Cheapest 1/4 watt – 25 values 1000 pieces: https://amzn.to/4aRPrZm
Elegoo Arduino Mega R3 Starter Kit (get this if you are new to electronics): https://amzn.to/4aYyCfg
Basic Elegoo electronics kit (and breadboard power supply): https://amzn.to/4shoPrB
Basic BOJACK electronics kit (and breadboard power supply): https://amzn.to/4r1YPiW
Breadboard Power Supply with battery: https://amzn.to/4bgdMt9
My KUNGBER 30V 5A power supply: https://amzn.to/3MDO88q
Generic low cost 30V 5A power supply: https://amzn.to/4chefwh
0:00 Intro
2:20 LEDs
11:09 Buying LEDs
13:42 Resistors
25:37 Buying Resistors
27:03 Outro