Understand the Terminology Before Working With Electricity
Aazdak Alisimo
We all have a hankering to do a bit of DIY work around the house on weekends. Generally, this is pretty safe. Working with electricity, however, can be dangerous, so understanding the terminology in instructions is critical.
Ampere - The unit of measurement of electrical current produced in a circuit by 1 volt acting through a resistance of 1 ohm.
Alternating Current (AC) - Electric current which changes direction with a regular frequency.
Bounce - Intermittent opening and closing of closed contacts or closing and opening of open contacts, usually implying the motion resulting from contact impact
Baseload - The minimum amount of electric power delivered or required over a given period of time at a steady rate.
Controller - A device or group of devices that serves to govern, in some predetermined manner, the electric power delivered to the apparatus to which it is connected.
Grid - In an electrical system, a term used to refer to the electrical utility distribution network.
Current - A flow of electrons in an electrical conductor. The strength or rate of movement of the electricity is measured in amperes.
Impedance - The total effects of a circuit that oppose the flow of an AC current consisting of inductance, capacitance, and resistance. It can be quantified in the units of ohms.
Fluorescent Lamps - Fluorescent lamps produce light by passing electricity through a gas, causing it to glow. The gas produces ultraviolet light; a phosphor coating on the inside of the lamp absorbs the ultraviolet light and produces visible light.
Interrupter - An element designed to interrupt specific currents under specified conditions.
Joule - A unit of work or energy equal to one watt for one second. One kilowatt hour equals 3,600,000 Joules.
Overcurrent - Any current in excess of the rated current of equipment or the ampacity of a conductor. It may result from overload, short circuit or ground fault.
Turn Ratio - The ratio of the number of turns in the high voltage winding to that in the low voltage winding.
Watt - A unit of power equal to the rate of work represented by a current of one ampere under a pressure of one volt. Named after the Scottish engineer James Watt, 1819.
Resistor - Any device of material that limits the flow of current when voltage is applied.
Aazdak Alisimo writes for ElectricianCompanies.com - where you can
http://www.electriciancompanies.com/ find an electrician near you. This article is available as a
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