[Is this a ceramic cap?]

Thank you very much. 

[Is this a ceramic cap?]

This kind of cap is used for decoupling MCUs.  I'm pretty sure it's a ceramic cap, but I'm not positive.  Have I IDed this correctly? 

[Learning about Tube circuits]

This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, but it appears I was born about 40 years too late to really be in the thick of things.  Are there any good literature sources from that era that are a text book of sorts for tube electronics?  I've got access to a huge (Ohio State's) science and engineering library, bit I don't know what to look for to make use of the facilities available to me. 

[For fun - What is your degree?]

Welding Engineering from Ohio State. 

[Forumla for rectified and filtered voltage]

I want to make sure I'm reading this correctly.  For a few of the examples, there are two equations for E.  Looking at what reading I'm taking from my circuit and compairing it to those forumlas, E = .9 Erms is the voltage after rectification and E = 1.4 ERms is the voltage after filtering.  Is that correct?

[Forumla for rectified and filtered voltage]

I picked up a transformer with a 12VAC (I'm assuming that's RMS voltage) secondary, rectified and filtered it and I get 18VDC.  Now I know why this happens, but I'd like to find the forumla that models this.  Any help?

The end result is that I need 12VDC, so a tranny with a secondary that when rectified and filtered can produce this.  My guess is I need a tranny with a 8VAC secondary. 

[Assistance IDing this temp sensor]

On this page: link
there's what I'm guessing is a temperature sensitive switch, but I don't have a proper name for it.  What would this device be called?  From diging through the Mouser catalog I came across thermoresistors that sound like they could be it, but from what I'm reading they don't function like this does.  Any help IDing this part?

[How did u get started in electronics?]

My interest sparked in 5th grade when out teacher was teaching physics.  Basically two batteries a light and a switch what what we worked with in class, then we had a project where we had to build a flashlight out of a toilet paper roll.  Really cool project for a 5th grader. From there I hooked an it's been a minor hobby of mine ever since.  I would have liked to minor in it, but it's not offered at my school.  Luckily my major (welding engineering @ OSU) has a strong electronics part.