A diode allows current to pass easily in one direction and blocks current in the other direction. Diodes are commonly used for rectification which is the conversion of alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). Because a diode only allows current flow in one direction, it will pass either the upper or lower half of AC waves (half-wave rectification) creating pulsating DC. Multiple diodes can be connected together to utilize both halves of the AC signal in full-wave rectification.

As their names indicate, a step-up transformer is used to step up or increase voltage and a step-down transformer is used to step down or decrease voltage. In a step-up transformer, the secondary voltage is higher than the primary voltage and it has more turns in the secondary winding than in the primary winding.

You can multiply the voltage or the current supplied by individual batteries by connecting them together either in series or in parallel. The characteristics of batteries connected in parallel are that total voltage equals the average of the individual battery voltages, total current equals the sum of the individual battery currents, the positive terminal of one battery is connected to the positive terminal of the next, the negative terminal of one battery is connected to the negative terminal of the next, and two connections are made between each adjacent battery.

Circuits containing transistors are packaged into integrated circuit chips that allow encapsulating complex circuit designs (CPU, memory, I/O) for easier integration into electronic devices and machines.

Connecting the 10 batteries in series multiplies their voltage while keeping their current the same yielding a 60V 10A configuration. Connecting the 10 batteries in parallel multiplies their current while keeping their voltage the same yielding a 6V 100A configuration. Using a series-parallel connection, 5 batteries can be connected in series and 5 can be connected in parallel resulting in a 30V 50A configuration.