Most important concept?

[duskglow]

So let's say that I was a complete beginner and walked up to each of you and asked what you thought the most important concept to learn in getting started with electronics was.  What would you answer?

Keep in mind the assumption is I'm a rank beginner and know nothing but how to plug a cord into a socket.

Now, let's say that I was not a rank beginner, but was asking you that question anyway.  How would your answer change?

[c4757p]

So let's say that I was a complete beginner and walked up to each of you and asked what you thought the most important concept to learn in getting started with electronics was.  What would you answer?

Passion. If you're curious enough and put the work in you can learn anything. Just start trying to do things and you'll learn a surprising amount from trying to fix your mistakes.

Now, let's say that I was not a rank beginner, but was asking you that question anyway.  How would your answer change?

It wouldn't.

[AndyC_772]

Ohm's law. The simple relationship between voltage, current, and the medium through which the current is flowing.

If you really understand Ohm's law, you'll understand why things get hot, why smaller devices run faster, and why sticking your finger in a wall socket is painful while birds can sit on power lines without feeling a thing.

If you weren't a rank beginner, I'd give you an odd look and wonder why you were even asking the question.

[duskglow]

I'm not a rank beginner, and I'm asking the question because I want to find out where the holes in my knowledge are, the important ones that I really need to plug. 

[c4757p]

Ohm's law. The simple relationship between voltage, current, and the medium through which the current is flowing.

Yes, if you want true electrical concepts instead of airy-fairy comments about passion, then I second this with enthusiasm. This is so often misunderstood by beginners, or at least only considered with respect to actual resistors.

I'm not a rank beginner, and I'm asking the question because I want to find out where the holes in my knowledge are, the important ones that I really need to plug. 

Then it becomes a much harder question to answer.

[duskglow]

Then it becomes a much harder question to answer.

Indeed, which is why I asked it as I did.  Both of the answers so far have been very illuminating, so thanks.

[notsob]

Soldering tips are hot

[c4757p]

I'm still learning that one.

[miceuz]

I would explain current and voltage and then go to resistance and then to Ohms law. Wouldn't change a thing for a non-absolute beginner.

[free_electron]

there is a more fundamental concept than ohms law.

The fact that every electron sent into a system has to come out of the system. in other words the sum of all currents in a node is zero ( for every electron that flows into a node , one has to leave the node. )

Passion, enthusiasm and above all curiosity !

[ejeffrey]

there is a more fundamental concept than ohms law.

++.  Kirchoff's laws are the most basic and important concept in circuits.  They tell you why current and voltage are sensible quantities to talk about.  If you don't understand kirchoff's laws, you don't understand current and voltage.

But I think the premise is a bit off.  I think kirchoffs laws are probably the most *fundamental* concept in electrical circuits, but I would hesitate to call anything the 'most important'.  The idea of a most important concept seems a bit misleading to me, since it suggests the presence of a silver bullet concept.  In reality, electronics is about many interlocking pieces that build off of each other.  None one concept by itself is going to get you very far, the power is in the combination of many concepts.

[c4757p]

But I think the premise is a bit off.  I think kirchoffs laws are probably the most *fundamental* concept in electrical circuits, but I would hesitate to call anything the 'most important'.

I'd definitely call Kirchhoff's and Ohm's the most important, because they lead to a more thorough understanding of a huge number of other topics. Nothing else is more universally applicable to just about everything you'll ever do in electronics.

[duskglow]

ejeffrey, then maybe that's the most important concept?

[ampdoctor]

1 Ohm's law & Power Law, and how to work with them in tandem
2. Kirchoff's Law
3. Series/Parallel resistance capacitance, inductance
4. voltage division with resistors and capacitors
5. basic high pass, low pass filters and cutoff frequencies.

If you've got a decent grip on the above that should carry the beginner a very very long way to a good general understanding of basic electronics.

[westfw]

"There is no magic, and the math doesn't lie."
cor: you should try really hard to understand the math.
suggestion: do the math with units.  units are important, and this makes things self-checking.

[manticore00]

How important is the need to keep in mind the differences between ideal components/functionality vs the less than ideal, dirty and erratic world?

What I mean is there's an old joke(sort of) that when writing code you spend 20% of your time writing functionality and 80% dealing with failure scenarios and error handling. Is it like this in the professional EE world as well?

[Psi]

"There is no magic, and the math doesn't lie."

Unless you're talking about ghz RF electronics, then its pure black magic and the math never agrees with a real circuit. 

So let's say that I was a complete beginner and walked up to each of you and asked what you thought the most important concept to learn in getting started with electronics was.  What would you answer?

The most important concept is to learn how to connect different circuits together. (ie Blackbox design).

You may not understand exactly how module/circuit A works but if you understand its outputs and inputs and how to join them to module C and D in order to make something useful then you will always be happy because you can build pretty much anything doing that.

Happiness is the key, If you can make things (even if it's just joining premade modules/circuits together) then you will achieve things and be confident to try building your own circuits and that's when you learn

What kills projects (and fun) is thinking "This is never going to work and i have no idea how to fix it"
So keep in the back of your mind, "Well.. i can always buy a pre-made module or use a circuit from the datasheet instead of my design"

When you have a fallback position it allows you to try things and experiment without feeling like the project is doomed if you fail.

[MacAttak]

So let's say that I was a complete beginner and walked up to each of you and asked what you thought the most important concept to learn in getting started with electronics was.  What would you answer?

Electricity wants to kill you unless you are smart enough to outwit it.

All electronic designs are variations on the theme of "how to outwit electricity to get what you want, preferably without killing you".

[duskglow]

These are really good answers, thanks.  I'm getting a better idea of where I'm deficient now, and maybe this will help others too.