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Glossary
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Basic
Electrical
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AIR CORE INDUCTOR
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An
inductor that uses air as the only care material.
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ALTERNATING CURRENT
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(AC)
current that periodically reverses direction as it flows.
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AMPERE
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The unit by which electrical current is measured. One ampere, or amp, is
defined as the flow of 6.28 x 1018 electrons past a given point
in one second.
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ARCING
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Current flow through air, as can occur across an open switch.
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ATOMS
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Tiny
units of matter that contain electrically charged particles.
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CAPACITANCE
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The
ability to store electrical energy.
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CAPACITOR
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A
component used to control and/or increase the amount of capacitance in an
electrical circuit.
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CIRCUIT
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A
complete path for a current, including a voltage source and resistance.
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CONDUCTOR
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A
material that offers very little resistance to electron flow.
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CURRENT
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The
movement, or flow, of electrons in a circuit.
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DIRECT CURRENT
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Current that flows in only one direction.
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ELECTROMAGNETISM
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Magnetism that is created by current flowing through a conductor.
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ELECTRON
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A
negatively charged subatomic particle.
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FRICTION
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The
rubbing of one material against another.
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INDUCTANCE
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A
physical property of all conductors that tends to oppose a change in
current flow.
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INDUCTION
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The
process that produces a voltage due to interaction of a conductor, a
magnetic field, and relative motion between them.
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INDUCTOR
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A
component specifically designed to increase the amount of inductance in a
circuit.
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INSULATOR
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A
material that offers a great deal of resistance to electron flow.
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OHM
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The
unit by which resistance is measured. One ohm is defined as the
resistance that allows one amp of current to flow in a circuit when there
is one volt pushing the current.
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OHM’S LAW
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A
statement of the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance in
an electrical circuit: current equals voltage divided by resistance.
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OPEN CIRCUIT
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A
circuit in which the resistance is so great that there is no current flow.
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PARALLEL CIRCUIT
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A
circuit containing two or more parallel paths through which current can
flow.
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POWER
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The
rate at which work is done. Power is calculated by multiplying
current times voltage.
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PROTON
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A
positively charged subatomic particle.
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RESISTANCE
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An
electrical property that opposes the flow of current through a circuit.
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RESISTOR
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A
component that is put into a circuit to reduce current flow.
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SELF-INDUCTION
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A
type of induction that occurs within a single conductor; it occurs when a
change in the electromagnetic field around a conductor induces a voltage
in that conductor.
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SERIES CIRCUIT
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A
circuit that contains a single path for current to follow. The
component in a series circuit are connected end to end.
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SHORT CIRCUIT
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A
circuit in which the resistance drops to almost zero and current reaches its
maximum value.
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STEP-DOWN TRANSFORMER
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A
transformer that decreases voltage.
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STEP-UP TRANSFORMER
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A
transformer that increases voltage.
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TRANSFORMER
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A
component used to change AC voltage to meet specific requirements.
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VOLT
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The
unit by which voltage is measured. One volt is defined as the
voltage necessary to drive a current of one ampere through a resistance of
one ohm.
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VOLTAGE
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The
driving force that makes electrons flow.
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VOLTAGE DROP
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The
amount of voltage across a resistor in an electrical circuit.
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WATT
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The
unit by which electric power is measured. The amount of power
produced when one volt causes one ampere of current to flow.
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WATT-HOUR
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The
basic unit used to measure electrical energy. Watt-hours are
determined by multiplying power by time. One watt-hour is the amount
of energy used when one watt of power is delivered to an electrical device
for one hour.
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