Electrical Systems Flashcards
(73 cards)
What’s a Hot, Neutral and ground wire?
Hot wires carry electricity from the power source to the device (Like a light bulb)
Neutral wires carry the electricity back to the power source after being used.
Ground wires are for safety. Incase something goes wrong it directs the electricity to the ground, preventing shock.
What are Ohms/Ohms law?
An Ohm is the unit of resistance in a circuit.
Ohms law helps us understand how electricity works in a circuit. Tells us how resistance, current and voltage are related in a circuit.
What’s a Stator?
The Stationary part of a motor surrounding the rotor.
What is Cogeneration?
The process where a simple cycle gas turbine produces electricity and steam.
What’s Electrical code?
Forms the basis of electrical safety standards.
What are conductors, semi conductors and super conductors?
Conductors are materials that easily allow electricity to flow.
Semi conductors fall between insulators and conductors. Can be made to do either.
Super conductors offer no resistance and current can flow without any power loss.
Define Short Circuit
Occurs when electrical energy finds a way to bypass the appliance on a path that has little or no resistance.
What’s the difference between Primary and Secondary cells.
Primary - Cannot be recharged (Single use).
Secondary - Can be recharged.
What’s the difference between Step Up and Step Down transformers?
Step Up - Increase voltage and decrease current.
Step Down - Decrease voltage and increase current.
What are the different parts of a circuit and how do you draw them?
Light - Two bumps and a semi circle around it.
Battery - A short vertical line then a gap and a longer vertical line.
Wire - A line.
Switch - A dot with a lone coming off of it (Attached to the other side when on and diagonal when off) then on the other side another dot.
Resistor - A rectangle.
What’s a generator? And what’s the difference between AC and DC generators?
Transforms mechanical energy into electrical energy.
AC - The wire turning inside the magnets generates AC. Two rings for two directions of current.
DC - Wires turning inside magnets. Split ring that causes the circuit to ‘break’ so current pulses in one direction.
What’s the Piezo-Electric Effect?
Sound produced by vibrations in a tiny crystal. Expands/Contracts slightly and anything that touches it experience’s pressure which can create sound waves or vibrations.
What is a Thermocouple and what is it used to do?
When two metals are joined at one end and the junction is heated a small electrical current is produced. Heat can be turned directly into electrical energy using it. If the temperature between junctions increases so does the current.
What’s an Ammeter?
A device that measures the electrical current (Amps) in a circuit.
What’s a Load?
Any component that consumes electrical energy and converts it into another form of energy (Light, heat, motion) Ex. Lightbulb.
What’s the difference between AC and DC?
AC - Alternating current. Reverses the direction of electron flow in regular patterns.
DC - Electrons flow in one direction. Usually pulsing.
What’s Mechanical Energy?
Anything that moves or has the potential to move has mechanical energy. For example, a moving car or a stretched rubber band both have mechanical energy.
It is made up of two types of energy:
Kinetic energy (energy of movement)
Potential energy (stored energy due to position or height)
What’s Chemical Energy?
Chemical energy is energy stored in the bonds of chemical substances. This energy is released during a chemical reaction.
For example, batteries, food, and gasoline all contain chemical energy.
What are Scrubbers?
Devices used to clean harmful gases from industrial smoke before it goes into the air. They help remove pollutants like sulfur dioxide, which can cause acid rain.
Often used in factories or power plants to reduce air pollution and protect the environment.
What is Open Pit Mining?
A way of mining where large holes are dug in the ground to remove minerals or rocks that are close to the surface. This can cause damage to the environment, like habitat loss and water pollution.
What’s the difference between Renewable Energy and Non Renewable Energy?
Renewable - Comes from natural sources that can be replaced quickly or never run out. Ex. Solar, Wind, and Hydro energy.
Non Renewable - Comes from sources that take millions of years to form and can run out. Ex. Coal and Oil.
What’s a Turbine?
A machine with blades that spins when pushed by moving water, steam, or air.
What’s Tidal Energy?
Made from the movement of ocean tides. As the tides go in and out, the moving water turns turbines, which generate electricity.
What’s Hydroelectric Energy?
When water flows from a dam or down a river, it has a lot of kinetic energy (energy of movement). This moving water can spin turbines, which then power generators to make electricity.
