Singapore · SEABSyllabus
Electronics syllabus, dot point by dot point
Every dot point in the Singapore Electronicssyllabus, with a focused answer for each one. Click any dot point for a worked explainer, past exam questions, and links to related dot points. Written by Claude Opus 4.8, Anthropic's latest AI.
Amplifiers and Operational Amplifiers
Module overview →- How do feedback resistors set the gain of an op-amp amplifier, and how do the inverting and non-inverting configurations differ?Apply the gain equations for the inverting and non-inverting op-amp amplifier and explain the role of negative feedback9 min answer →
- How does an operational amplifier compare two voltages and give a clear high or low output that can switch a circuit?Explain the operational amplifier used as a comparator, including its very high gain and the two output states8 min answer →
- How can a single transistor amplify a small signal, and why must it be biased before it can do so?Explain how a single transistor amplifies a small signal, the need for biasing, and the meaning of voltage amplification8 min answer →
- What does it mean for an amplifier to have gain, and how is that gain expressed as a ratio and in decibels?Define voltage gain as a ratio, calculate it, and express it in decibels using the gain equation8 min answer →
Analogue Electronics
Module overview →- What makes a signal analogue, and how do we describe a repeating waveform using its amplitude, period and frequency?Describe an analogue signal, read a waveform on an oscilloscope, and calculate amplitude, period and frequency8 min answer →
- How can a capacitor charging through a resistor create a time delay that switches something on a few seconds after a button is pressed?Explain how a capacitor charging through a resistor produces a time delay and how the delay depends on resistance and capacitance8 min answer →
- How can two resistors split a supply voltage into a smaller, chosen value, and what happens when one of them is a sensor?Apply the potential divider equation to find an output voltage and explain how a sensor in a divider produces a varying voltage9 min answer →
- How do we combine a sensor, a potential divider and a transistor to make a circuit that switches a load automatically?Explain a sensor-driven transistor switching circuit and design one to turn a load on in the dark or when it is hot9 min answer →
Basic Circuit Concepts
Module overview →- How do we represent a real circuit on paper using standard symbols so that anyone can read and build it?Recognise and draw standard circuit symbols, interpret a circuit diagram, and use the conventions for current direction and meter connection7 min answer →
- What are current, voltage and resistance, and how do they describe what is happening inside an electronic circuit?Define current, voltage (potential difference) and resistance, state their units, and explain how they relate in a simple circuit8 min answer →
- How fast does a component convert electrical energy, and how do we calculate the power it dissipates and the energy it uses?Define electrical power and energy, apply the power equations, and calculate energy transferred and the cost of running a device8 min answer →
- How does the current through a resistor depend on the voltage across it, and when does that simple relationship hold?State and apply Ohm's law, define resistance from it, and recognise ohmic and non-ohmic components from their V-I graphs8 min answer →
- How do current, voltage and resistance behave differently when components are wired in series compared with in parallel?Apply the rules for current, voltage and resistance in series and parallel circuits, and calculate combined resistance9 min answer →
Digital Electronics and Logic Gates
Module overview →- What do the AND, OR and NOT gates do, and how is each one described by its truth table and Boolean expression?State the function, symbol, truth table and Boolean expression of the AND, OR and NOT logic gates8 min answer →
- What does it mean for a signal to be digital, and how do binary numbers and the two logic levels represent information?Describe digital logic levels, explain binary representation, and convert between small binary and denary numbers8 min answer →
- How do we design a logic circuit that does a real job, starting from a description of when the output should be on?Design a simple logic system from a written specification by building its truth table and selecting the gates needed9 min answer →
- What do the NAND and NOR gates do, and why is the NAND gate called a universal gate?State the function, truth table and Boolean expression of the NAND and NOR gates and explain why NAND is universal8 min answer →
- How do we work out the output of several logic gates connected together, for every possible combination of inputs?Derive the truth table of a combinational logic circuit built from two or more gates and write its Boolean expression9 min answer →
Electronic Components
Module overview →- How does a capacitor store electric charge, and what does its capacitance tell us about how much it can store?Describe a capacitor as a charge-storing component, define capacitance, and apply the relationship between charge, capacitance and voltage8 min answer →
- Why does a diode let current pass in one direction only, and how is that used to turn alternating current into direct current?Describe the diode as a one-way component, state its forward voltage, and explain half-wave rectification of an alternating supply8 min answer →
- How does an LED produce light, and why does it always need a series resistor to work safely?Describe the LED as a light-emitting one-way component and calculate the series resistor needed to set a safe LED current8 min answer →
- What does a resistor do in a circuit, and how do we read its value from the coloured bands printed on it?Describe the function and types of resistor, read the four-band resistor colour code, and choose a resistor value8 min answer →
- How can a tiny current at one terminal of a transistor control a much larger current through it?Describe the bipolar transistor, name its three terminals, and explain how a small base current controls a larger collector current8 min answer →
Practical Construction and Testing
Module overview →- How do we build a circuit on a breadboard for testing and then on stripboard for a permanent version, including safe soldering?Describe building circuits on breadboard and stripboard, explain their internal connections, and state safe soldering practice8 min answer →
- When a circuit does not work, how do we find the fault systematically instead of guessing, and how do we test against the design?Apply a systematic fault-finding method to a circuit, identify common faults, and test a circuit against its specification8 min answer →
- How do we use a multimeter to measure voltage, current and resistance correctly, and how is it connected for each?Use a multimeter to measure voltage, current and resistance, connecting it correctly and choosing a suitable range8 min answer →
Sensors and Transducers
Module overview →- How do a light-dependent resistor and a thermistor turn light and temperature into an electrical signal a circuit can use?Describe the LDR and the thermistor as input transducers, state how their resistance changes, and use them in a potential divider8 min answer →
- How does a circuit turn its electrical output back into something we can see, hear or use, such as light, sound or movement?Describe common output transducers (lamp, LED, buzzer, motor, loudspeaker) and the energy conversion each one performs7 min answer →
- How do switches and variable resistors act as inputs to a circuit, and how does a switch produce a clean logic signal?Describe switches and variable resistors as input devices and explain how a switch with a pull-down resistor gives a logic input8 min answer →
- How can a small electronic signal safely switch a large or mains-powered load, and why is a protective diode needed?Explain how a relay lets a small current switch a large or isolated load and why a flyback diode is connected across the coil8 min answer →
Systems and Signal Processing
Module overview →- What is the difference between an analogue and a digital signal, and why is digital often preferred for processing and storing information?Compare analogue and digital signals, state the advantages of digital, and describe converting between the two8 min answer →
- How does feeding the output of a system back to its input let it control itself, as a thermostat keeps a room at a steady temperature?Explain feedback in a control system, distinguish negative from positive feedback, and describe a closed-loop control example8 min answer →
- How can we understand a whole electronic system as a chain of input, process and output blocks rather than a tangle of components?Describe the input-process-output systems model and use block diagrams to represent an electronic system8 min answer →