How do we charge our mobiles? How does a fan circulate the air to keep the room comfortable? These were some topics discussed and demonstrated among others at a two-day interactive basic electronic workshop held on the Birla Industrial and Technological Museum (BITM) campus from September 24. Over 50 students participated.
Supervised by the BITM mentors, Rabi Adhikary, Sayak Mukherjee and Rakesh Mazumder, the workshop was attended by students between Classes VI and XII. They were from Garden High School, South Point High School, Patha Bhavan, Mahadevi Birla World Academy, DPS Ruby Park among others.
“We discussed the basics like how to deal with alternate current, direct current, how to make a circuit etc. To ensure safety, instead of 220 volts, we used a step-down technique. The second session dealt with an advanced approach to the basics which included a discussion on the analog and digital modes,” said Rabi Adhikary, BITM mentor.
The workshop aimed at practically demonstrating the fundamentals of electronics. Students were given a lowdown on the theories of electronics, including the difference between electrical and electronics, the definition and measurement of power, components of electronics, break board, batteries, resistors, and more. They also received hands-on experience on making circuits. They faced practical issues and solved the same with basic science under the mentors’ guidance.
The Innovation Hub at the BITM tries to simplify complicated fundamentals in a practical way. It paves way for critical thinking and installing problem solving skills through activities and experiments. It supports the innovative ideas by young minds and promotes an open discussion with the mentors. For membership, one can apply to bitminnovationhub@gmail.com
Indraxi Sharma, a Class IX student of GD Birla Centre for Education, said, “During lockdown, we were taught these [principles] through online slides but it was not clear to me then. Following the practical session here, I have understood it.’’ The 14-year-old further stated, ‘’What I learnt today, might come in handy someday. I loved the colour band resistance calculation part. In physics, we have a chapter on current and electricity but we are yet to reach it.’’
