Electrical Engineering

If you want to learn about current trends in electrical engineering, review these essential terms. This high-voltage vocabulary list covers circuits, conductors and insulators, electromagnetism, energy, and much more.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. ampere
    the basic unit of electric current adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
  2. analog
    having an output that is proportional to the input
  3. circuit
    an electrical device providing a path for current to flow
  4. conduction
    the transmission of heat or electricity or sound
  5. conductor
    a device designed to transmit electricity or heat
  6. convection
    transfer of heat caused by molecular motion in liquid or gas
  7. current
    a flow of electricity through a conductor
  8. digital
    using or characteristic of computerized technology
  9. electrical energy
    energy made available by the flow of electric charge through a conductor
  10. electrical engineering
    the branch of engineering science that studies the uses of electricity and the equipment for power generation and distribution and the control of machines and communication
  11. electricity
    a physical phenomenon that can produce light, heat and power
  12. electrolysis
    (chemistry) a chemical decomposition reaction produced by passing an electric current through a solution containing ions
  13. electromagnet
    a temporary magnet made by coiling wire around an iron core
  14. electronic
    relating to or operating by a controlled current
  15. energy
    the capacity of a physical system to do work
  16. feedback
    the process in which output of a system is returned to input
  17. first law of thermodynamics
    the fundamental principle of physics that the total energy of an isolated system is constant despite internal changes
  18. fuel cell
    cell that produces electricity by oxidation of fuel
  19. generator
    engine that converts mechanical energy into electricity
  20. induction
    an electrical phenomenon generating an electromotive force
  21. input
    signal going into an electronic system
  22. insulator
    a material with little electrical or thermal conductivity
  23. integrated circuit
    a very small device for conducting an electrical current
  24. interface
    circuit consisting of hardware linking a device with another
  25. microchip
    a tiny piece of material used to make an integrated circuit
  26. microelectronics
    the branch of electronics that deals with miniature components
  27. microprocessor
    a tiny electronic device handling a computer's logical functions
  28. ohm
    a unit of electrical resistance
  29. Ohm's law
    electric current is directly proportional to voltage and inversely proportional to resistance; I = E/R
  30. output
    signal that comes out of an electronic system
  31. parallel circuit
    a closed circuit in which the current divides into two or more paths before recombining to complete the circuit
  32. photocell
    a transducer used to detect and measure light and other radiations
  33. photovoltaic
    producing a voltage when exposed to radiant energy
  34. polarity
    the state of having an indicated electrical charge
  35. potentiometer
    a measuring instrument for measuring direct current electromotive forces
  36. resistance
    a material's opposition to the flow of electric current
  37. resistor
    an electrical device that resists the flow of electrical current
  38. semiconductor
    a substance as germanium or silicon whose electrical conductivity is intermediate between that of a metal and an insulator; its conductivity increases with temperature and in the presence of impurities
  39. sensor
    a device that responds to a signal or stimulus
  40. series circuit
    a circuit having its parts connected serially
  41. solar cell
    a cell that converts solar energy into electrical energy
  42. solar energy
    energy from the sun that is converted into thermal or electrical energy
  43. solenoid
    a coil of wire around an iron core
  44. subroutine
    a set sequence of steps, part of larger computer program
  45. switch
    device for making or breaking the connections in a circuit
  46. transistor
    a semiconductor device capable of amplification
  47. volt
    a unit for measuring the force of an electric current
  48. voltage
    the rate at which energy is drawn from a source
  49. voltmeter
    meter that measures the potential difference between two points
  50. watt
    a unit of power equal to 1 joule per second
Created on Wed Mar 01 19:06:59 EST 2017 (updated Mon Apr 17 16:05:28 EDT 2017)

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