4 ms·

i don't think this would 'explain' a logic gate to anyone who doesn't already understand a logic gate. this model doesn't convey any information that would help

i don't think this would 'explain' a logic gate to anyone who doesn't already understand a logic gate. this model doesn't convey any information that would help someone reason about a logic gate. If you didn't know anything about logic gates and you saw this, how would it improve your intuition? If I imagine these water streams in my head, does it help me understand how, why or what logic gates do? i learned logic gates playing mods for games I was playing... I could have a motion sensor and see when I NOT'd it it made its signal the opposite. I could AND two of my sensors and see that I now had a signal combining both. I think this kind of thing, a model that simulates how logic gates are used gives a much better intuitive understanding of what they're for and how to use them.

blotter_paper 7y ago
Disagree. I once had a conversation with a sibling who was trying to understand logic gates, and I ended up using a verbal explanation of a very similar setup (in my example the AND gate was a pipe with a hole in the bottom just big enough to drain one but not both of the potential incoming streams, and another hole partway up leading into an output pipe). I think pipes can provide a useful example that seems more real and tangible than semiconductors. As an aside, I've heard/read more than one source use water as an analogy for electricity -- I think it can help people reason about, for example, friction impeding rate of flow before they're comfortable enough thinking about electrons that this would make sense intuitively.
Wowfunhappy 7y ago
It totally worked for me. 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.
- zeta0134 7y ago
  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.
- ddxxdd 7y ago
  I take it you've never seen the Numberphile YouTube video of a logic gate made from dominos.
- marcan_42 7y ago
  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.
  - userbinator 7y ago
    Yes, series and parallel connections are the underlying theory behind electrical logic gates, and work with plumbing too. I believe something like this is also discussed in Petzold's famous book (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code:_The_Hidden_Language_of_Computer_Hardware_and_Software https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code:_The_Hidden_Language_of_C... )

blotter_paper 7y ago

Disagree. I once had a conversation with a sibling who was trying to understand logic gates, and I ended up using a verbal explanation of a very similar setup (in my example the AND gate was a pipe with a hole in the bottom just big enough to drain one but not both of the potential incoming streams, and another hole partway up leading into an output pipe). I think pipes can provide a useful example that seems more real and tangible than semiconductors. As an aside, I've heard/read more than one source use water as an analogy for electricity -- I think it can help people reason about, for example, friction impeding rate of flow before they're comfortable enough thinking about electrons that this would make sense intuitively.

Wowfunhappy 7y ago

It totally worked for me. 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.

zeta0134 7y ago
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.
ddxxdd 7y ago
I take it you've never seen the Numberphile YouTube video of a logic gate made from dominos.
marcan_42 7y ago
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.
- userbinator 7y ago
  Yes, series and parallel connections are the underlying theory behind electrical logic gates, and work with plumbing too. I believe something like this is also discussed in Petzold's famous book (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code:_The_Hidden_Language_of_Computer_Hardware_and_Software https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Code:_The_Hidden_Language_of_C... )