Electronics : The Operational Amplifier

Advanced Level Physics - Learn Basics of OP-AMP

What you'll learn

Solve problems on the operational amplifier circuits.

Requirements

You should have basic knowledge of Current Electricity.

Description

The Operational Amplifier (Op-amp) is a major component of the  Advanced Level Physics.The
Operational Amplifier is studied under the topic Electronics. There are twenty-six topics in the Advanced Level Physics Syllabus. This course focuses on just one topic.The greatest challenge to students at Advanced Level Physics is the circuits incorporating the Operational Amplifier.
In this course I have clearly shown you how to transit from what you know in
current electricity to the circuits involving the Operational Amplifier. The prerequisite knowledge you need to have in order to understand Electronics is circuits in general electricity. This simply means Ohm’s Law and Kirchhoff’s Laws. These concepts are studied under the Advanced Subsidiary (AS)
Level of your full Advanced Level Course. It is assumed that you have done the AS part of this syllabus.Each lecture consists of a specific concept which in my opinion is important. I have therefore designed the course in such a way that one concept is built on the previous one. So it is important that once you begin the course, you do not skip any lecture. Right from the first lecture, I draw your attention to the requirements of the Advanced Level Physics Syllabus. So if you have studied the Operational Amplifier in school, you will quickly identify these concepts. The course has twenty-six video lectures. It will take you just a couple of hours to complete the course. I have kept the length of each lecture short enough as I am aware you may be under pressure to study other topics in the Syllabus. Thecourse starts with a look at Input devices and output devices. Then I introduce you to the Properties of an Ideal Operational Amplifier. This is closely followed by circuit connections involving the two power supplies and a discussion on the need for the two power supplies. This is followed by circuits involving input and output devices.  At this point you will be ready to study the Operational Amplifier as a Comparator.  Finally I will take you through the Inverting Amplifier and Non-Inverting amplifier. I end the course by looking at a comprehensive question which includes most of the requirements of the Advanced Level Physics Syllabus.I am in the process of adding a few bonus lectures on the applications of the operational amplifier. This is in response to request from students who have found the course very useful and would wish that I shed some light on applications such as the Summing Amplifier, Differential, Integrator and other applications. I am particularly grateful to Pralay Kumar Pal who suggested I throw some light into these applications.Welcome to the the course.

Overview

Section 1: Introduction

Lecture 1 Introduction to Operational Amplifier

Lecture 2 Overview of Questions on Operational Amplifier

Section 2: The potential divider

Lecture 3 Potential at a point and potential difference (p,d) between two points

Lecture 4 Problem solving in potential at a point and P.d

Lecture 5 Relationship between V1, V2 and VT

Lecture 6 Variation of potential difference with resistance

Section 3: Input devices

Lecture 7 The Thermistor

Lecture 8 The Light Dependent Resistor (LDR)

Lecture 9 Piezo-electric transducer

Lecture 10 Metal Wire Strain Gauge

Section 4: Properties of an Ideal Operational Amplifier

Lecture 11 General overview of an amplifier

Lecture 12 Infinite input impedance

Lecture 13 Zero output impedance

Lecture 14 Infinite open-loop gain

Lecture 15 Infinite slew rate

Section 5: Understanding connections to the Operational Amplifier

Lecture 16 How power supplies are connected to the operational amplifier

Lecture 17 How inputs are connected to the operational amplifier

Lecture 18 How inputs are connected to the operational amplifier - CORRECTIONS

Lecture 19 How the output is connected to the operational amplifier

Section 6: Modes of the op - amp

Lecture 20 The op - amp as a comparator

Lecture 21 Negative feedback of an op - amp

Lecture 22 Inverting amplifier

Lecture 23 Non - inverting amplifier

Section 7: Output devices

Lecture 24 The electromagnetic relay

Lecture 25 The Light Emitting Diode (L.E.D)

Lecture 26 The Voltmeter as an output device

Section 8: Wrap Up

Lecture 27 Model Examination Question 1

Section 9: Practical Investigations of the Operational Amplifier

Lecture 28 What you need - part 1

Lecture 29 What you need - part 2

Lecture 30 What you need - part 3

Lecture 31 Connecting the dual power supply to the breadboard - part 1

Lecture 32 Connecting the dual power supply to the breadboard - part 2

Lecture 33 Connecting the dual power supply - part 3

Lecture 34 Connecting the Op - Amp onto the breadboard

Lecture 35 Connecting the potential divider to the breadboard

Lecture 36 Investigating the Op-Amp as a Comparator

Lecture 37 Investigating the FIXED Potential Divider

Lecture 38 Investigating the VARIABLE Potential Divider

Lecture 39 Connecting the op-amp as a comparator using LED as the output device

Lecture 40 The op-amp as a temperature sensor

Lecture 41 The op-amp as a Light Sensor

Section 10: Experimenting with the "London Operational Amplifier" Board

Lecture 42 Introduction to the "London Operational Amplifier" Board

Section 11: Bonus Lectures

Lecture 43 The Summing Amplifier

Lecture 44 Problems Involving The Summing Amplifier

Lecture 45 Further Analysis of Op - Amp as a Comparator

This course is meant for students pursuing Cambridge Advanced Level Physics syllabus (A2 physics)