ASVAB 2025 - Electrician

Electricity

form of energy that can travel invisibly through conductors.

Conductor

a material that allows an easy flow of electrons.

Insulator

a material that resists the flow of electrons.

Circuit

loop of conductors that takes electricity from its source to the load and back to the source.

Load

anything in a circuit, such as a heater, a light, or a motor, that uses power.

Electric Current

the amount of electrons flowing through a conducting material.

Electric Power

amount of power consumed by an electrical device.

Voltage Drop

how much electrical pressure is used in a part of the circuit.

Direct Current (DC)

steady flowing type of electricity, produced by batteries and used in flashlights, boom boxes, and computers.

Alternating Current (AC)

type of current that changes direction many times per second.

Voltage

force that affects the rate at which electricity flows through a conductor (aka: electrical pressure).

Frequency

number of complete alternations from one direction to the other and then back again, that alternating current makes per second.

Amperes

represents current strength.

Ohms

represents the measurement of the resistance in any circuit.

Electromagnet

a current passing through a conductor creates a magnetic field around it.

Transformer

essentially is two electromagnets placed next to each other.

Step up Transformer

has more turns of wire on the output side which creates a stronger output voltage than input voltage.

Step Down Transformer

the exact opposite of a step up transformer.

Motor

changes electric energy into kinetic energy.

Generator

changes kinetic energy into electric energy.

Series Circuit

All moving electrons pass through every part of the circuit, to include all loads and switches.

Parallel Circuit

loads are placed between two supply wires, so that they all get the same voltage.

Circuit Rule

Current is the same at all points in a series circuit.

Circuit Breaker Box

(1) Breaks up the load in a building into a number of circuits. (2) Prevents excess current from flowing into the circuits.

Typical Wiring

3 Wires (black, white, bare) Black- hot conductor, White - grounded conductor aka neutral, Bare - Alternative route utilized in case of an emergency.

Semiconductor

Can act as an insulator or a conductor.

Transistors

Device that can switch a current, regulate its flow, or amplify a current.

Diodes

Devices that allow a current to flow in one direction only.

Ohms Law

Describes the relationship between voltage, amperage, and Ohms: A = V/ Ώ.

The Law of Electrical Power

used to calculate the amount of power consumed by an electrical or electronic device: W= V x A.

Finding Resistance in a Circuit

Series - add the resistance of each load; Parallel - add the inverses of the resistance.