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Electrical Wiring
Ask questions here about proper wiring and electrical installation here.
4,935 Questions
What is the voltage difference between positive and negative voltage?
The sign determines the direction of flow of electrons. This matters for direct current appliances and most things with computer chips in them, since memory storage, logic chips, diodes, LEDs, etc require current from one direction to operate. AC however, varies from positive to negative voltage sixty times per second (in the US- 60 Hz) which allows the power to transmit further distances through powerlines than DC would allow.
Additional AnswerIt's important to understand that 'voltage' is another word for 'potential difference'. You cannot apply the terms 'positive' and 'negative', in the sense of 'polarity' or 'charge' to a potential difference or voltage. You cannothave a 'positive voltage' or a 'negative voltage' in this sense.
'Positive' and 'negative', in the sense of polarity or charge can, however, be applied to potential. For example, you can say that an object has a "potential of +100 V or -100 V" with respect to another object. What you cannot say is that there is a potential difference of +100 V or -100 V between the two objects.
The key to understanding this is that 'voltage' is another word for 'potential difference', NOT 'potential'. So you CANNOT have a 'positive or negative voltage' because we cannot have a 'positive or negative potential difference'.
We can, though, apply the terms 'positive' or 'negative', in the sense of 'direction' to potential difference (or voltage). For example, we could arbitrarily apply a 'positive' direction to a voltage which acts clockwise around a closed loop, and a 'negative' direction to another voltage which acts counterclockwise around the same loop.
So you need to sort out in your mind exactly what you mean by 'positive' and 'negative': charge (or polarity) or direction? And then re-phrase your question.
How does electricity produce heat and light?
it is due to joule heating effect .whenever the current passes through a metal it produces heat.this principle is used ina controlled way in many of the heating devices like electric iron,water heater etc.
What causes static electricity to build up?
Static electricity builds up when there is an imbalance of electric charges on the surface of objects. This can happen when two materials rub against each other, transferring electrons from one material to the other. The accumulation of these excess charges creates static electricity.
How can you avoid getting shocked because of static electricity?
actually yes!... you can... although it will be consider a weird thing to do. Constantly be touching wood. Never, if you don't want to be shocked, touch metal without touching wood first. There are other ways to stop getting shocked by static electricity. One way is to put lotion on exposed skin areas. See the Related Link for more ideas.
How does electricity flow around a series circuit?
Imagine a series circuit consisting of a battery, a wire from its negative terminal to a lamp, and another wire from its positive terminal to the lamp.
The electricity would flow from the battery's negative terminal to the lamp and then back to the positive terminal of the battery: it's always negative to positive.
Scientists were not aware of this until long after electricity discovered. They thought electricity flows from positive to negative and this was accepted for a long time. When someone asks you to use conventional current, it means assume the current flows from positive to negative, which is the opposite of what happens in reality.
The negative terminal (the technical name for this is cathode) of an electrical energy supply, such as a battery, releases electrons with energy in them. These electrons drift to the appliance (i.e. the lamp in this case). The lamp then uses the energy in the electrons to produce light and heat before letting the electrons out on the other side. These electrons have little or no energy but they would drift back to the battery to regain energy and the cycle continues until the battery is depleted of energy. The electrons leave the lamp at the speed at which they enter the lamp.
What does this mean 230-208-1-60 electrical wiring?
230-208 means the voltage it can be used on, either, or anything in between 1 means the number of phases, in this case "single phase" 60 means the "hertz" or "frequency" - most everything in the USA
is 60
How does electricity move through air?
Electricity only moves through the air if there are electrically charged particles in the air and a live current passed through it. It also travels in the form of static electricity (lightning).
Is graphite a conductor of electricity?
Yes, graphite is a conductor of electricity.
You can do the following to prove it to!
1. Do the following demonstration to see if the graphite "lead" inside a pencil is a conductor. You will need a 6-volt lantern battery, a small flashlight bulb, a pair of metal scissors (with no insulating plastic or rubber on them), and a pencil with the eraser and its holder sawn off.
- Put the bottom end of the light bulb on the end of the pencil where the eraser would be, taping it in place, but keeping a part of the bottom exposed.
- Stand the battery upright. With one hand, hold the tip of the pencil onto the positive terminal (marked with a "+" symbol) of the battery. Hold the pencil up vertically. Hold the scissors open with your other hand, and touch the tip of one blade onto the negative terminal of the battery (marked with a "-" symbol). With the tip of the other blade, touch the bottom of the light bulb. What happens? Is the graphite inside the pencil a conductor of electrical current? How about the scissors?
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Experiment By Oak Meadow
What is the difference between static charge and static electricity?
Static charge refers to the imbalance of electric charges on an object's surface, while static electricity is the result of the buildup of this static charge. Static electricity can manifest as phenomena such as sparks or shocks when the charges are discharged.
What are the uses of electricity?
To keep you nice and cool, or used in electrical appliances to cool them.
Circulate air in a room.
Magnetic substances are substances containing aligned dipoles. Dipoles are spinning electrons. In order for something to be magnetic, its dipoles must be aligned with each other, so that they face the same direction. The direction they face create a North end, while the opposite end creates a South end.
Some substances, known as ferromagnetic substances, have permanently aligned dipoles. Other substances, such as paramagnetic and dimagnetic substances, require an external magnetic field to align, or 'induce' the dipoles of the substance.
To conclude, magnetic substances contain dipoles which are permanently aligned, or can be aligned through the force of external magnetic fields.
Diamagnetic Substances are those Substances there is no resultant field as the magnetic field produce by both the spin and orbital motions of the electrons might add up to zero.
How is electricity transported?
Electricity is transported over long distances through power lines, which are made of conductive materials like copper or aluminum. The electricity flows from power plants to homes and businesses through these lines, and transformers are used to step up or step down the voltage as needed for efficient transmission and distribution.
Resistance to current flow is measured in?
Resistance to current flow is measured in ohms, denoted by the symbol Ω. It quantifies how much a material or component impedes the flow of electric current through it.
What happens when static electricity is discharged?
When static electricity is discharged, the excess electrons stored on an object are released, causing a flow of current. This discharge can result in a spark, heat, or a mild shock. The process equalizes the charge between objects and reduces the imbalance of electrons.
What are the tiny particles that move through wires when a current flows?
The tiny particles that move through wires when a current flows are called electrons. These negatively charged particles carry the energy and information needed for electrical devices to function.
What uses chemical reactions to create an electrical current?
A battery uses chemical reactions to create an electrical current. This occurs through the movement of ions between two electrodes (anode and cathode) in the battery, generating a flow of electrons that can be used as electrical power.
Is water a good conductor of heat?
Water can take up a huge amount of energy before going up/down in temperature. This is why, for example, they use it to extinguish fires.
Water is a very good conductor of heat and here is proof: sleep in a water bed with no heater and see if you don't wake up cold. Air matresses require no heater because stagnant air is a very poor conductor of heat
Why do some materials conduct electricity?
For a material to conduct electricity , it has to be impure , so for example pure silicon cannot conduct electricity but Silicon chips in computers that are mixed with other things can. So the materials that conduct are charged with little particles that allow the flow of electricity
Because of electrolytes. Or because of the metal something is made of.
What is the minimum level of electrostatic discharge that a person can normally feel?
A person can typically feel an electrostatic discharge when it reaches around 3,000 volts. This sensation is often described as a small shock or static electricity zap.
What kind of electrical charge does a neutron carry?
The neutrons doesn't carry a charge.
They're neutral - that's why they're called "neutrons".
A neutron has no charge. That is why it is called a neutron, because it is neutral.
Difference between series and parallel circuits?
The answer to this question is that in a parallel circuit there is more that one circuit or form of energy the circuit. In a series circuit there is only one form of energy in that circuit. Hope this helped you and gave you the answer!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 :)
if you look at a diagram of a parallel circuit, it looks like a ladder, where as a series circuit diagram looks like a rectangle
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"What are the differences between a series circuit and a parallel circuit?"
In a series circuit there is only one path for the electric current to flow. If this path is broken, then the current will no longer flow and all the devices in the circuit will stop working. So if you hook up a bunch of light bulbs together, and one goes out, they all go out, and that can be a problem. In a parallel circuit there is more than one oath for the electric current to pass through. The current continues to flow through the other paths. So if one light bulb goes out of 20 goes out in a parallel circuit, they won't all go out, unlike a series circuit.
When was static electricity first discovered?
Static electricity was first discovered in ancient Greece around 600 BCE by Thales of Miletus when he observed that amber (a fossilized tree resin) could attract lightweight objects after being rubbed.
Resistance is the measure of the degree to which an object will oppose an electric current. The SI unit for resistance is Ohm (Ω).
Resistance can be found using the formula R=V/I
where
R=resistance (Ohms)
V=the potential difference across the object (Volts)
I=the current through the object (Amperes)
What is the power output of a d battery?
A typical D battery has a power output of around 1.5 volts. The power output can vary slightly depending on the specific brand and type of battery.
How well does bronze conduct electricity?
It is a moderately good conductor, but not great. If you rate pure copper at 100%, then regular annealed copper wire rates an 85%, various aluminum alloys are between 50 an 60%, commercial annealed bronze rates a 44%, brass about 32%, and zinc about 29%. There are several different alloys of bronze, by the way, including phosphor bronze. Each has a different conductivity, so the above is rule-of-thumb info, not exact.
