Why does atmospheric temperature affect the operability of circuits and other components in modern electronic devices?
In: Engineering
When it’s getting warm, a few things can happen. A lot of conductors and semiconductors become more resistant to electricity at high temperatures, so circuits which are sensitive to resistance can get thrown out of whack when they overheat – this is one reason why old synthesizers can go out of tune. At higher temperatures, you’ll start to burn plastic and warp the semiconductor die in an integrated circuit, potentially breaking or crossing/shorting its electrical connections, or soften and break solder joints.
At low temperatures, semiconductors can be more conductive than the engineer expected/intended, and that can cause unexpected voltages to hit unexpected parts of the circuit. (But sometimes, the lower resistance is desired; certain electronic devices can perform much better when cold!) Besides that, when electronics are colder than the surrounding air and are warming up slowly, they will attract moisture out of the air and become covered with condensation. Water in the device can cause corrosion and short circuits.
eta: In extreme cases, condensation can get into tight spaces, and then freeze, and the expansion of the water can loosen or break connections. The same thing happens to the roads in cold cities in the winter, and that’s why there are so many asphalt trucks out in the springtime.
Latest Answers