Electronics/Connecters

Alternating Current (AC)

An electric current that reverses direction sinusoidally (electricity runs back and forth bidirectionally) (sin wave)

Direct Current (DC)

An electric current that only runs in one direction (constant line)

Resistor

an electrical device that resists/restricts the flow of electrical current (has a color chart) (bidirectional)

Capacitor

Stores electric charge like a battery

Transistor

Acts as switches or amps (three pins)

Potentiometer

Variable resistors

Diode

Like resistors, but energy can only flow one way

LED

Light Emitting Diode

¼” TRS

Balanced!!!
Tip Ring Sleeve
Instrument cable

¼” TS

Unbalanced!!
Tip Sleeve

1/8” TRS

Balanced!!
Tip Ring Sleeve

1/8” TS

Unbalanced!!
Tip Sleeve
Only mono

1/8” stereo

Balanced!!!
Headphone jack/cable, most common one

XLR

Balanced
Three Pin
X - ground pin
LR - (left and right)

RCA (cables)

Unbalanced
Radio Corp of America

AES/EBU

The good one (Balanced)
Audio Engineering Society/European Broadcasting Union

SPDIF

The bad one (Unbalanced)
Cheap
Sony Philips Digital Interface Format

Balanced/Unbalanced signal

Two points of contact/conductors (unbalanced) vs Three points of contact/conductors (balanced)
Balanced is more professional and higher capacity, Unbalanced is cheaper and more risk of noise/distortion