Electrical engineering closely affects our daily lives and is bound to the new technologies we enjoy today. At their core, electrical engineering involves the study and design of electrical appliances and tools, electricity, electromagnetism and electronics.
Whenever you turn on the light in your home or check the time on your smartphone, it takes a series of electrical engineers to make that happen. Everyday routine that we take for granted – such as the ability to light a lamp when it is dark – is actually the result of the centuries-old work of dedicated engineers.
Electrical engineers are involved in designing, developing, testing and directing the manufacture of electrical equipment, such as radar and navigation systems, electric motors, generators, or communication systems. They are also responsible for designing aviation and automotive systems.
Electrical Engineering Terms A to Z List
Following is a glossary of basic terms used in Electrical Engineering along with their meanings:
| Word | Meaning |
| alternating current | An electric current that reverses its direction many times a second at regular intervals. |
| ammeter | An instrument for measuring the flow of electrical current in amperes. Ammeters are always connected in series with the circuit to be tested. |
| ampacity | The maximum amount of electric current a conductor or device can carry before sustaining immediate or progressive deterioration. |
| ampere hour | A unit of measure for battery capacity. It is obtained by multiplying the current (in amperes) by the time (in hours) during which current flows. |
| ampere | A unit of measure for the intensity of an electric current flowing in a circuit. One ampere is equal to a current flow of one coulomb per second. |
| apparent power | Measured in volt-ampers (VA). Apparent power is the product of the rms voltage and the rms current. |
| armature | The movable part of a generator or motor. It is made up of conductors which rotate through a magnetic field to provide voltage or force by electromagnetic induction. The pivoted points in generator regulators are also called armatures. |
| capacitance | The ability of a body to store an electrical charge. |
| capacitor | A device used to store an electric charge, consisting of one or more pairs of conductors separated by an insulator. Commonly used for filtering out voltage spikes. |
| circuit | A closed path in which electrons from a voltage or current source flow. Circuits can be in series, parallel, or in any combination of the two. |
| circuit breaker | An automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an electric circuit. Circuit breakers are used in conjunction with protective relays to protect circuits from faults. |
| conductor | Any material where electric current can flow freely. Conductive materials, such as metals, have a relatively low resistance. Copper and aluminum wire are the most common conductors. |
| corona | A corona discharge is an electrical discharge brought on by the ionization of a fluid such as air surrounding a conductor that is electrically charged. |
| current | The flow of an electric charge through a conductor. An electric current can be compared to the flow of water in a pipe. Measured in amperes. |
| cycle | The change in an alternating electrical sine wave from zero to a positive peak to zero to a negative peak and back to zero. |
| demand | The average value of power or related quantity over a specified period of time. |
| dielectric constant | A quantity measuring the ability of a substance to store electrical energy in an electric field. |
| dielectric strength | The maximum electric field that a pure material can withstand under ideal conditions without breaking down. |
| diode | A semiconductor device with two terminals, typically allowing the flow of current in one direction only. Diodes allow current to flow when the anode is positive in relation to the cathode. |
| direct current | An electric current that flows in only one direction. |
| electrolyte | Any substance which, in solution, is dissociated into ions and is thus made capable of conducting an electrical current. The sulfuric acid – water solution in a storage battery is an electrolyte. |
| electromotive force | A difference in potential that tends to give rise to an electric current. Measured in volts. |
| electron | A tiny particle which rotates around the nucleus of an atom. It has a negative charge of electricity. |
| electron theory | The theory which explains the nature of electricity and the exchange of “free” electrons between atoms of a conductor. |
| farad | A unit of measure for capacitance. One farad is equal to one coulomb per volt. |
| Ferro resonance | A type of resonance in electric circuits which occurs when a circuit containing a nonlinear inductance is fed from a source that has series capacitance, and the circuit is subjected to a disturbance such as opening of a switch. |
| frequency | The number of cycles per second. Measured in Hertz. |
| fuse | A circuit interrupting device consisting of a strip of wire that melts and breaks an electric circuit if the current exceeds a safe level. |
| generator | A device which converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. |
| ground | The reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltages are measured, a common return path for electric current, or a direct physical connection to the Earth. |
| ground fault circuit interrupters | A device intended for the protection of personnel that functions to de-energize a circuit or portion thereof within an established period of time when a current to ground exceeds some predetermined value that is less than that required to operate the overcurrent protective device of the supply circuit. |
| henry | A unit of measure for inductance. If the rate of change of current in a circuit is one ampere per second and the resulting electromotive force is one volt, then the inductance of the circuit is one henry. |
| nertz | A unit of measure for frequency. |
| impedance | The measure of the opposition that a circuit presents to a current when a voltage is applied. Impedance extends the concept of resistance to AC circuits, and possesses both magnitude and phase, unlike resistance, which has only magnitude. |
We hope these words will help you learn the Electrical engineering concepts more quickly.
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