Are you trying to get people to identify components for inspection and 
assembly (physical differences) or describe how the fundamental physical 
characteristics contribute to their electronic functions (electrical 
differences)? A coil is not too hard to find, and you can describe how it 
generates an electromagnetic field, but there are some losses because it is 
not made of superconducting wire. A primitive capacitor could be a stack of 
metal plates, with every other one connected together. This allows for the 
storage of electric charge, but there are losses (and even inductance) in 
the hardware.
You can describe some of these fundamental components by how many leads they 
must have.
Just a few random thoughts from someone who got his electrical engineering 
degree 46 years ago and his ham license nearly 60 ago, back when the Braille 
Technical Press was being published and a lot more people knew how to read 
braille.
73,


Lloyd Rasmussen, W3IUU, Kensington, MD
http://lras.home.sprynet.com
-----Original Message----- 
From: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2015 8:59 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Descriptions of electronic components

Hello, all -

Been a while since I posted.  I'm looking for a web resource that describes
common electronic components in a way that would be useful to blind
students.  When teaching in person I can do a show and tell, like Gordon
West used to do at Handiham California Radio Camp, but these days most
people are going to head down the self-study route and even if they are able
to get to a local class it is likely the presentation will be a PowerPoint
and the presenter may not know how to describe.  It would be great to locate
some on line resources that explained things like resistors, capacitors, and
inductors in a more blind-friendly way.  Any ideas?

Thanks!

73 - Pat

Patrick Tice
[log in to unmask]