AE/AT Elementary Electrical Engineering - Module 4 - ELECTRICAL MATERIALS

Electrical materials

The parts or elements used in the making of any electrical construction project developed and constructed for certain purposes.

Conductors

Objects or materials that permit the flow of electric charges from one particle to another.

Insulators

Materials that impede the free flow of electrons and do not permit the free flow of electric charges.

Semiconductors

Materials that exhibit electrical behavior somewhere between that of conductors and insulators.

Superconductors

Materials that become perfect conductors at a special temperature, exhibiting zero power loss.

Active components

Components that supply and control energy in a circuit.

Passive components

Components that respond to the flow of electrical energy and can dissipate or store energy.

Resistor

An electrical component that restricts the flow of current in a circuit.

Capacitor

An electrical component that stores electrical energy.

Inductor

A two-terminal passive electrical component that stores electrical energy in the form of magnetic energy.

Transistor

An electronic device with three terminals made of semiconductor material that controls the flow of voltage or current and acts as a switch for electronic signals.

Switch

An electrical device used to break the circuit and interrupt the current from one conductor to another.

Diode

A device made from semiconductor material that allows current to flow in one direction and blocks current trying to go against the flow.

Fuse

A material or piece of wire used to protect components from destruction due to excessive current flowing through them.

Transformer

A passive electrical device consisting of cores and wire linked by an iron core, used to transfer electrical energy between two or more circuits.

Electrical energy

Energy in the form of electric charges, capable of doing work or producing an effect.

Battery

An electrical device that converts chemical energy into electrical energy through electrochemical discharge reactions.

Generator

A component that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy through electromagnetic induction.

AC generator

An electrical generator that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy in the form of alternating current (AC).

Dynamo

An electrical generator that creates direct current (DC) using a commutator.

Alternator

An electrical generator that converts mechanical energy to electrical energy in the form of alternating current (AC)

Electrical measuring instruments

Instruments used to measure various electrical quantities such as current, voltage, resistance, and power.

Ammeter

An instrument used to measure electric current.

Voltmeter

An instrument used to measure voltage.

Ohmmeter

An instrument used to measure resistance.

Wattmeter

An instrument used to measure power.

Absolute instruments

Instruments that give the value of the measured quantity in terms of the physical constants of the instrument and their deflection only.

Secondary instruments

Instruments that are calibrated and directly give the value of the measured quantity.

Indicating instruments

Instruments fitted with a pointer that moves over a calibrated scale and indicates the electric quantity to be measured directly on the scale.

Recording instruments

Instruments that record the electrical quantity to be measured on graph paper for a desired period.

Integrating instruments

Instruments that measure the total quantity of electricity consumed in a circuit in a given time.

Kilowatt-hour meter

An example of an integrating instrument that measures the energy consumed in kilowatt-hours.

Effects Used in Measuring Instruments

1. Magnetic Effect

2. Electrodynamic Effect

3. Electromagnetic induction effect

4. Electrostatic effect

5. Chemical effect

6. Heating effect

Magnetic effects

Effects of an electric current or voltage used in ammeters, voltmeters, and wattmeters.

Electrodynamic effects

Effects of an electric current or voltage used in ammeters, voltmeters, and wattmeters.

Electromagnetic induction effect

Effect of electromagnetic induction used in AC ammeters, voltmeters, and wattmeters.

Electrostatic effect

Effect used in voltmeters.

Chemical effect

Effect used in DC ammeters.

Heating effect

Effect used in ammeters and voltmeters.

Shunt

A resistor used to extend the range of an ammeter by allowing it to measure currents greater than its original full-scale value.

Ammeter

A device used to measure electric current in a circuit.

Shunt resistor

A resistor connected in parallel with an ammeter to enable it to measure higher currents.