This Glossary introduces 20 essential terms and items that are crucial for electricians, providing a foundational understanding of the tools, concepts, and devices that underpin the electrical trade.
amperage
noun
The measure of electric current flowing through a conductor, expressed in amperes (A).
Example: A technician measured the amperage flowing through the circuit to ensure it was within the safe limits of the equipment.
en: intensité de courant
cable
noun
A group of wires encased in a protective sheath used for electrical transmission.
Example: To completely traverse the frame of the pantograph,, we will need not more than 3m of Cable.
en: câble
capacitor
noun
A passive electrical component that stores energy in an electric field, used to filter, smooth, and regulate voltage in circuits.
Example: The effects of a reverse current induced at the anode by the incident light, which would be accelerated by the stopping voltage produced at the CAPACITOR, also deserves further investigation.
en: condensateur
circuit breaker
noun
An automatic device for stopping the flow of current in an electric circuit as a safety measure.
Example: In electrical engineering, selecting the appropriate circuit breaker is crucial for protecting equipment from overload and short circuit conditions.
en: disjoncteur
conduit
noun
A tube or trough that protects and routes electrical wiring.
Example: The resulting supply system produced in Japan is not only vital to the viability of the manufacturer but, it is the CONDUIT for the downward cascade of Japanese style manufacturing practices.
en: conduit
diode
noun
A semiconductor device that allows current to flow in one direction only, commonly used for rectification and signal modulation.
Example: Semiconductor DIODE detectors can improve the efficiency and resolution but have other drawbacks.
en: diode
fuse
noun
A safety device that melts and breaks the circuit if the current exceeds a certain level.
Example: The housewife who knows that when her electric iron ceases to work she must replace the FUSE (let us say it is a cartridge FUSE in a 13 - amp plug) is an empiricist. She observes that by taking out the old FUSE and putting a new one in she has caused the iron to work again.
en: fusible
grounding
noun
The process of connecting an electrical system to the earth to ensure safety and prevent shock.
Example: In the electrical field, grounding is critical for safety, as it provides a direct path for fault currents to dissipate, reducing the risk of electrical shock and equipment damage.
en: mise à la terre
inductor
noun
A passive component that stores energy in a magnetic field when electric current flows through it, often used in filtering applications and energy storage.
Example: Additionally, the INDUCTOR quality factor is shown to improve by up to 13% using the techniques shown.
en: inductance
load
noun
The amount of electrical power consumed by devices in a circuit.
Example: A 900mV, 128µA, 0.18µm CMOS, rail-to-rail opamp was developed using weak-inversion biasing and threshold shifting and achieves a gain of 80dB, a gain-bandwidth of 1.3MHz, and a 60 phase margin when driving a 10k, 150pF LOAD.
en: charge
multimeter
noun
A versatile instrument used to measure voltage, current, and resistance in electrical circuits.
Example: The random error in the reading of the stopping voltage was estimated through the accuracy of the MULTIMETER.
en: multimètre
ohm
noun
The unit of measurement for electrical resistance.
Example: This shows that although, the linear relationship of OHM's Law is obeyed, the relaxation times are completely inaccurate.
en: ohm
outlet
noun
A point in an electrical system where devices can be plugged in to access electricity.
Example: Standard reinforced PVC tubing was specified with Ø25mm & Ø32mm for OUTLET and inlet respectively found from the RS website.
en: prise
panelboard
noun
An electrical distribution board that houses circuit breakers or fuses and distributes power to various circuits.
Example: The panelboard in the building distributes electricity to various circuits while also providing circuit protection and control for each branch.
en: panneau de distribution
resistor
noun
A component that resists the flow of electric current, used to control voltage and current in a circuit.
Example: Low-pass filter design To overcome the problem of noise within the circuit a simple low pass filter is used, by connecting a capacitor across the feedback RESISTOR.
en: résistance
switch
noun
a device for making and breaking the connection in an electric circuit.
Example: The ability exists to be able to SWITCH signal sources on the Main Scoreboard between either the serial cable or the wireless link.
en: interrupteur
transformer
noun
A device that changes the voltage of alternating current (AC) electricity.
Example: A kind of variable inductance sensor has been chosen as a sensing method in this design, which is LVDT (Linear variable differential TRANSFORMER).
en: transformateur
transistor
noun
A semiconductor device that can amplify or switch electronic signals, forming the basis for modern electronic circuits and devices.
Example: The feature size of a TRANSISTOR, as we have seen, has decreased from 10 microns in 1971 to 0.13 microns in 2000. As feature size is a linear measurement, it follows that a linear decrease results in a quadratic increase in TRANSISTOR density.
en: transistor
voltage
noun
An electromotive force or potential difference expressed in volts.
Example: The combined circuit is shown below: The circuit has now been set up with strain gauges to sense the stresses in the shaft, and these mechanical outputs have been converted into electrical ones and amplified to a sufficiently high level with the noise attenuated so the signal can be read by a VOLTAGE-measuring instrument.
en: tension
wire
noun
Metal drawn out into the form of a thin flexible thread or rod.
Example: By nulling of the optical gauge the tensile force acting on the specimen can be calculated which is nothing but the product of the twist on the WIRE and apparent stiffness of the specimen holder.
