principles of electricity

conductor

the materials that best transport electricity

insulator

material that doesn’t allow current to pass through it

electricity

form of energy that produces light, heat, and magnetic and chemical changes

amp

unit of electrical strength

volt

unit of electrical pressure

OHM

Unit of electrical resistance

watt

measure of electrical energy

direct current DC

electrons move at an even rate

alternating current AC

electrons lflow first in one direction

inverter

changes DC to AC

rectifier changes AC to DC

rectangular (pulse wave)

had constant amplitude over the pulse wave

sinusoidal (smooth wave)

linear wave motion with periodic rise and fall times in motion that is up/down or side/side

overload

when too many appliances are put on one circuit, operated at same time

short circuit

can occur anytime a foreign conductor comes in contact with a wire carrying current to a load

circuit breaker

reusable safety device that breaks the flow of the current when an overload occurs

GFCI

ground fault circuit interpreter

waveform

visual representation of the output that varies in time, strength and direction

transformer

transforms electricity by an oscillating magnetic field that connects two or more electrical circuits

polarity

negative and positive poles at the ends of a circuit