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Basic Electrical Terms
As you study electricity in your engineering program, and as you work with electricity in the power plants, industrial plants, you will hear, read, and use various electrical terms. These terms have very exact meanings. For example, Electric Current, Voltage & Resistance are basic electrical terms.
This electrical component stores potential energy in an electric field. What is it?
The answer: A capacitor.
Today’s Trivia Question:
What is another term for electromotive force?
The Answer: Voltage.
Inspectors should understand electrical concepts in order to perform competent electrical inspections. This article seeks to clarify some elementary electrical terms and concepts that are sometimes confused.
Electrical Terms
Basic Electrical Measurement Units
Voltage, measured in volts (V), is the measure of potential energy per unit of charge. Using a “water-in-pipes” analogy, voltage in the electrical system is similar to water pressure in a plumbing system. High "pressure" or voltage in an electrical conductor means that the conductor is capable of delivering a lot of electricity to the user.
Most household current is “pushed” at 120 or 240 volts, although these values are nominal, and considerable variation occurs. Most (but not all) modern electrical equipment can handle small voltage variations and differences without any problem. For example a 240V appliance can usually handle 216V fine. Sensitive electronic equipment may require the installation of a voltage stabilizer.
Resistance, measured in Ohms (Ω), is the measure of the restriction of flow of electrical current through a material. All materials, except superconductors, have a resistance above zero. Metals have lots of free electrons; therefore, they have a low resistance, so they are used in wiring. In an electrical circuit, it is important to use cables that have a low enough resistance to adequately transfer the necessary current for the application. Thick wires are required for high-power applications because these wires have low resistance.READ MORE
