Electric

Question 1

Alternating Current (AC)

Answer 1

Commonly used power type. It won over DC because its voltage is easy to change using transformers.
(mnemonic: AC/DC = AC won over DC)

Question 2

Direct Current (DC)

Answer 2

Power type that is impractical for long distances without major energy loss.

Question 3

Transformers

Answer 3

Step down the voltage for efficiency and safety. Windings are the elements that step up or down power.

Question 4

Ohm’s Law

Answer 4

Describes the relationship between Wattage, Voltage, and Amperage.

Question 5

Wattage

Answer 5

Electrical power (Gallons equivalent in water analogy). Wattage = Voltage × Amperage.

Question 6

Voltage

Answer 6

Electromotive Force (Size of the hose equivalent in water analogy). Wattage = Voltage × Amperage.

Remember VOLtage like VOLume like size of hose

Question 7

Amperage

Answer 7

Current or electrical pressure (Water pressure in water analogy). Wattage = Voltage × Amperage.

Remember amPerage = Pressure

Question 8

Formula (Power)

Answer 8

Wattage = Voltage × Amperage

Question 9

Power Factor

Answer 9

Result of current and voltage being out of phase.

Question 10

Electricity

Answer 10

Power / Time

Question 11

Power Storage

Answer 11

Cannot store power (flow); energy is stored in devices like batteries.

Question 12

High Current Wires

Answer 12

Require high diameter wires which generate heat over long distances.

Question 13

Substations

Answer 13

Large, high capacity transformers

Question 14

Higher voltages

Answer 14

Allow power transfer over long distances using thinner cables.

Question 15

Lower voltages

Answer 15

Used for safe local electrical distribution.

Question 16

Windings

Answer 16

Coils inside a transformer that step power up or down.

Question 17

Phases / Phasing

Answer 17

Staggering the movement of electrons ensures the motor is never at zero.

Question 18

Standard Residential Voltage

Answer 18

Typically 120/240V, single phase, 3 wire.

Question 19

Higher voltage distribution for large buildings to allow for smaller conduit.

Answer 19

480V/277V (3 phase, which is why it’s 480, not 277*2. In 3 phase systems, the 2-hot-wire number comes first, even though 1 phase systems have that number second)

Question 20

Cogeneration

Answer 20

Creating electricity from waste heat you already had.

Question 21

Hot Wire

Answer 21

Wire coming from the power company that carries the electrical potential.

Question 22

Neutral Wire

Answer 22

Wire that completes the circuit back to the power source.

Question 23

Ground Wire

Answer 23

Wire that provides a safe path for current back to the earth during a fault.

Question 24

Parallel Wiring

Answer 24

Wiring method so everything on a breaker doesn’t need to be on at once.

Question 25

Higher Voltage Appliance Wiring

Answer 25

Run by touching two 120V wires at the same time (same phase) (this is the 240 part of 120/240V)

Question 26

Conduit

Answer 26

Protects non-residential wiring and serves as the ground.

Question 27

Electrical cable types

Answer 27

Armored Cable (AC, brand name BX), and MC. AC uses its metal armor as grounding, while standard MC requires a dedicated, insulated, internal green ground wire. MC can be used in wet conditions, AC cannot.

Question 28

Rectifier

Answer 28

Device that converts AC to DC. (Remember: rectifies it back into AC/DC order)

Question 29

Inverter

Answer 29

Device that converts DC to AC. (Remember: inverts it into DC/AC order)

Question 30

Arcing

Answer 30

Power traveling from a line to the ground because something creates a path.

Question 31

Switchgear

Answer 31

Safety switches to shut off everything behind it during an emergency.

Question 32

Breaker Boxes

Answer 32

Contain circuit breakers that flip when too much power comes through.

Question 33

GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter)

Answer 33

Senses a fault and trips; required within 6 ft of wet areas.

Question 34

Ground Wires in Outlets

Answer 34

Ensure electrons have a path to the ground during a short.

Question 35

Lightning Protection

Answer 35

Conductive metal with a path to the ground to protect buildings.

Question 36

Poles and throws

Answer 36

Poles: The number of separate circuits a switch controls. Throws: The number of options (on positions) per circuit. (Imagine a polar circuit, with different ways to throw a connector into various positions from a single point (pole))

Question 37

Two-throw/Double-throw, Single-Pole Switch

Answer 37

Features two "ons" and one "off" for 1 circuit.

Question 38

Double-throw, Double-pole Switch

Answer 38

Features two "ons" and one "off" for 2 circuits.

Question 39

Branch Circuit

Answer 39

The end of the line that serves an individual room or receptacle.