In this part of the course you are going to learn about the basic units of electricity.

Firstly it will help if you have a basic understanding of Electron theory, Please see Electron Theory
(Note that Conductance is 1/Resistance (1 / R ) see the resistance page for a full explanation of resistance)

Voltage Voltage Tutorial Page
Current Current Tutorial Page
Resistance Resistance Tutorial Page

For an understanding of basic circuits see Circuits Explained

Please ensure that you have a good understanding of Voltage, Current and Resistance before moving on to Ohm's law.

Ohm's law defines the relationship between Voltage, Resistance and Current.
Ohm's Law Explained

Learn Ohm's law well as it forms the basis of many exam questions.

Now you will need to understand how resistance is calculated in Series, Parallel and Combination Circuits, See the following web Sites

Understanding Series Circuits
Understanding Parallel Circuits
Understanding Combination Circuits

For further information about the three types of circuit and more worked examples please visit the DC Circuit Analysis page

You will need to completely familiar with all three types of circuit and be able to remember the formulas used for each, These are common exam questions.

Lastly for this module you will need a basic understanding of Power.
Power is a measure of 'work done' by a circuit, in the simple resistor circuits we have dealt with so far, the work is expressed as heat.
Power is measured in Watts.

The formula used for power is

P = I × V
where:
P = power in watts
I = current in amperes
V = EMF in volts.
When current flows through a resistance, the electrical energy is turned into heat. Common fractional and multiple units for power are the milliwatt (one thousandth of a watt) and the kilowatt (1000 W).

Since the relationship between Voltage, Current and Resistance is given by ohm's law we can rewrite the power formula as

P = V² / R ( power = Voltage Squared_* divided by Resistance )
and
P=I²R ( power = Current_* Squared times Resistance)

Learn these formulae.

Please practice calculating circuits using the Formulas that and methods that have been covered in this lesson.

This completes the theory portion of module 1. Please make sure that you have a good understanding of all parts of this module before moving on to the next part.

* A Mathematical note, to square a number you simply multiply it by it's self
so V² is the same as V x V. This is carried out before the rest of the calculation, I.e. it is done first. Many calculators have a button for 'Squaring'; numbers, it is usually labeled as X² The opposite of 'Squaring' a number is the Square root function which I will refer to as SQRT(x) when needed. A Square root Sign looks like.

Morse Code (or CW as it is often called.) is the oldest yet still one of the most reliable means of communication over radio.

You are no longer required to learn Morse code to hold a Class A Amateur license in Ireland however Morse remains a wildly used and enjoyable form of communication. Everyone Should at least give it a try.

You are should learn the Alphabet, Numbers and the following punctuation Symbols
Full Stop; Comma; Question Mark; Oblique Stroke; Quotation Mark; Break; Error; Commence Traffic; End Message.

For those of you wishing to learn Morse code the following On-line book is a very useful resource

The Art & Skill of Radio-Telegraphy

To achieve success in learning the Morse code will require frequent practice, it is important to practice for at least a few minutes every day.
Morse Academy which is available from here is good computer program to help you learn the Morse Code.

Another good source of Practice Morse code once you have learnt all the letters and numbers are the W1AW Practice sessions which are available on line Here you will need to have the real audio player installed on your computer, the real audio player can be downloaded from here