What is electronics?
Quick answer
Electronics is the study of circuits that control the flow of electricity, covering components, measurement and the safe design of working boards.
Students breadboard, measure and troubleshoot their own circuits before soldering a final build.
In context
It underpins everything physical students build, and it rewards careful measurement over guesswork.
Debugging a circuit teaches a systematic diagnostic habit that transfers directly to debugging code.
In a NASCA classroom
Students breadboard, measure and troubleshoot their own circuits before soldering a final build.
Related terms
Sensors and actuators
Sensors convert something physical, such as light or distance, into data a computer can read. Actuators do the reverse, turning a computer's decision into movement or output.
Robotics
Robotics is the design and programming of machines that sense their environment, decide what to do and act on it, combining mechanics, electronics and code.
Mechatronics
Mechatronics is the engineering discipline that combines mechanical design, electronics, control systems and software into a single working machine.