Found 1006 Articles for Electronics & Electrical

A power plant is an interconnected system of various electrical equipment that is used to generate electricity. The major components of a power plant include an alternator (or generator), a prime mover, control system, a generating transformer, etc. The prime mover is a mechanism that drives the alternator or generator to produce electrical energy. The control system governs the parameters such as voltage, power factor, reactive power, frequency, etc. of the generating system. The generating transformer is to step up the voltage of the generated power for transmission purpose. Nowadays, several types of power plants are being used for power ... Read More

In a semiconductor diode, the term breakdown implies the short circuit of the diode. As we know, the diode allows the flow of electric current in only one direction (forward direction) and blocks the flow of current in the reverse direction. But, when the applied voltage in the reverse direction exceeds a limit (called breakdown voltage), the diode starts conducting in the reverse direction as well. This stage is called the breakdown in the diode. The following two types of breakdowns take place in a PN-junction semiconductor diode − Zener Breakdown Avalanche Breakdown In this article, we shall ... Read More

In electronics and communication engineering, amplifiers and oscillators are two important circuits. The major difference between an amplifier and an oscillator is that an amplifier increases the magnitude of a signal, while an oscillator generates an oscillating signal. However, there are many more differences between an amplifier and an oscillator that we shall learn in this article. But, before highlighting the differences, let's get a brief overview of what amplifiers and oscillators are. What is an Amplifier? An amplifier is an electronic circuit which accepts a weak signal as its input and produces an output signal of high magnitude or ... Read More

Vacuum tube and Transistor are types electronic switching devices used a variety of electronic devices and circuits such as computers, communication systems, power supplies, TV, radios, amplifiers, etc. However, both are significantly different from each other based on their technology and operation. In this article, we will highlight all the points that differentiate a vacuum tube from a transistor. Let's start with some basics of vacuum tubes and transistors. What is a Vacuum Tube? A vacuum tube is an electronic device used to control the current flowing in a circuit using a vacuum in a sealed glass tube. Basically, ... Read More

In every electrical system, we need to measure various electrical quantities such as current, voltage, power, energy, etc. For this purpose various types of measuring instruments have been developed to measure the respective quantity. Go through this article to find out more about wattmeter and energy meter. We also learn about the significant differences between a wattmeter and energy meter. One major difference between wattmeter and energy meter is that the wattmeter measures electrical power in the circuit, whereas the energy meter measures total amount of energy consumed by the load.What is a Wattmeter? A wattmeter is an ... Read More

An electric circuit that is used to start an electric motor is called a starter. Depending on the type of electric motor, there are different types of starters available. In this article, we will discuss the basics of three-point starters and four-point starters which are used for DC motor starting. We will also highlight how these two types of starters are different from each other. What is a Three Point Starter? As its name implies, a three point starter (shown in the above figure) is the one which has only three points (or terminals). A typical three point starter ... Read More

A cell is a device which can convert chemical energy into electrical energy. A cell consists of two electrodes and chemical substances inside it. When the cell is connected in a circuit, the chemical reactions take place inside the cell and as a result of these chemical reactions, an electric current flows in the circuit. In this article, we will discuss about galvanic cells and electrolytic cells and how these two types of cells are different from each other.What is a Galvanic Cell?A galvanic cell is an electrochemical cell in which an electric is produced from spontaneous oxidation-reduction reactions.The galvanic ... Read More

An electric motor is an electromechanical energy conversion device which converts the electrical energy input into mechanical energy output in the form of rotation of shaft. Based on the types of electric supply and working, the electric motors are classified in many types such as DC motors, induction motors, synchronous motors, stepper motors, servo motors, and many more. In this article, we will highlight all the major differences between a stepper motor and a DC motor. But, before discussing the differences, let's start with some basics of stepper motor and DC motor. What is a Stepper Motor? A type ... Read More

A circuit breaker is an electrical switching device that can open or close an electric circuit either normally or in case of fault. Therefore, a circuit breaker is one of the major component of an electrical power system or wiring system. A circuit breaker is usually equipped with a control mechanism which enable it to operate automatically in case of abnormal conditions in the circuit. Since the different electrical systems operate at different voltage and current levels. Therefore, according to system voltage and current, there are various types of circuit breakers available such as MCB (Miniature Circuit Breaker), ACB (Air ... Read More

Both servo motor and stepper motor are special electrical machines that can satisfy the basic requirements of a positioning application. Servo motors and stepper motors convert the input electrical energy into angular velocity or movement of the motor shaft. However, there are quite different from each other in the way they operate. In this article, we have highlighted all the differences between servo motor and stepper motor. But, before discussing the differences, let's have some basic information about the servo and stepper motors so that it becomes easier to understand the differences between them. What is a Servo Motor? ... Read More