Chapter 31. Power
All practical computers made today operate electronically. Moving electrons—electricity—are the media of their thoughts. Electrical pulses course from one circuit to another, switched off or on in an instant by logic chips. Circuits combine the electrical pulses together to make logical decisions and send out other pulses to control peripherals. The computer's signals stay electrical until electrons colliding with phosphors in the monitor tube push out photons toward your eyes or generate the fields that snap your printer into action.
Of course, your computer needs a source for the electricity that runs it. The power does not arise spontaneously in its circuits but rather must be derived from an outside source. Conveniently, ...
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