I have zero physics background, and this is something I've never understand. I knew what a logic gate did, but the core idea of "how does a gate just know whether it's this AND this" always seemed like magic.
I had a serious lightbulb moment with this video. Although, I had to download it and slowly scrub through several times.
I still don't actually understand how this would work with electricity, but I can see how it's broadly possible.
This doesn't help you see how it works with electricity, because it's not really how it's done with electricity.
Put two valves after each other on a pipe. The water can only flow if the first valve AND the second valve are open.
Fork off a pipe into two pipes with a tee, put a valve on each side, and connect the other ends of the valves together with another tee. Water flows through the whole thing if the first valve OR the second valve is open (or both).
That's how it works with electricity too. The valves are themselves controlled with water/electricity too.
Armed with this information, you should try to understand voltage, resistance, relays, and transistors, in roughly that order. That may help to bridge the gap from the water gates here, to transistors which are solid state; you can't see them moving, but they largely accomplish the same basic function and can be used to create the same kinds of gates using just electricity.
I have zero physics background, and this is something I've never understand. I knew what a logic gate did, but the core idea of "how does a gate just know whether it's this AND this" always seemed like magic.
I had a serious lightbulb moment with this video. Although, I had to download it and slowly scrub through several times.
I still don't actually understand how this would work with electricity, but I can see how it's broadly possible.