How to figure out what you're looking at

Visual Contact:

The first step is to be familiar with what basic components look like. Sometimes different parts come in the same package, but here is a start.

http://www.uchobby.com/index.php/2007/07/15/identifying-electronic-components/

The Writing on the Package:

To figure out what an IC is you can stick the part number into Google or find some help at the following two sites:

http://www.chipdocs.com/

http://www.educypedia.be/electronics/datacomponent.htm