What I need to know...

A+ Certification Notes from A+ Certification for Dummies:

After reading the first six chapters I know that I need to brush up on the following:

converting numbers from binary to decimal
converting numbers from hex to decimal

What is ESD, how does it work and why is it so bad?

All the basic electronics terms - listed below:

Basic Electronics Terms

conductor– a material that carries an electrical current

insulator– a material that won't carry an electrical current

semiconductor– a material that alternates between conductor and insulator depending on what it was the last time it took an electrical charge. It will always alternate between the two.

transistor– a semiconductor that stores 1 binary value.

capacitor– an electrical device that stores charge

diode– a one way valve that allows the current to flow in only one direction.

resistor– acts to slow down the flow of current in a circuit.