Hey everyone. I'm new to Arduino and electronics in general. I'm a high school student taking a digital electronics class. Our teacher has tasked us to create anything that requires the use of an Arduino processor. My idea was a portable speaker with an AUX port for playing music from a cell phone, iPod, mp3, etc. Anyway I just want to know if this has been done or is possible to do, and I'd greatly appreciate any guidance you all could give.
Thanks in advance.
What part do you expect the Arduino to play? Flash some pretty lights while the music is playing?
To be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure. I don't really even know the uses or capabilities of Arduino. I'm a little lost and our teacher isn't an expert on it either.
So if you could explain them to me or tell me how Arduino could be utilized in my project, that would be greatly appreciated.
Basically it can play no part in your proposed project. His question was rhetorical.
So what can it do?
It is a controller, it can do many things. Think of a computer from the 80s. It just can't handle audio or video because it has not enough processing speed or memory.
Google
Arduino projects for more examples than you can ever possibly read.
Or look at the exhibition section of this forum to see what others have done.
QJordan23:
So what can it do?
Although it can't directly process audio, it can be used to control other chips that can. You could use the arduino to control a digital potentiometer that could adjust the audio volume.
You could also use the arduino to read a rotary encoder, and use that to control the potentiometer. If you wanted to add a display, you could show the volume level on the display, and see it change as you turn the encoder.
Lots of options 
Is there anyway I could get it to turn a fan on if the temperature rose to a certain level?
Yes that would be no problem.
Could you explain how this would be accomplished?
QJordan23:
Could you explain how this would be accomplished?
You would need a temperature sensor. You would read that sensor, and if the temperature it gives back is greater than some setpoint, write a pin HIGH (or LOW as the case may be) to turn on a relay to turn on the fan.
QJordan23:
To be honest with you, I'm not entirely sure. I don't really even know the uses or capabilities of Arduino. I'm a little lost and our teacher isn't an expert on it either.
Given this, I would suggest a whole bunch of reading and research before you get started. This site would be a good place to start. See the top of the page? Hit the Learning tab and look a the playground and the reference. Google online for some Arduino projects. Have a look around. It shouldn't take long to figure out what's up with this thing.
The bigger thing to learn in school isn't this fact and that fact and how to do this thing or that thing. The bigger lesson in school is to learn how to learn. How to go and find the information you need in the world you live in. Give it a try, you'll do yourself a lot more good than if we write your homework project for you.