The Wonder of Electricity , livre ebook

Xlibris US - Kent Mickelson

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63 pages

English

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Description

Kent wrote this book over a number of years with the idea of sharing his love for all things electrical with his family and friends so they would better understand the wonder of electricity. The book is written to give a basic understanding of how electrical power is produced. It is designed for anyone interested in learning what makes our everyday electrical devices work as well as how electrical power is seen in nature. The book includes information on fundamental concepts, conduction of electricity, electricity and magnetism, electricity and light, production of power, basic electrical parts, electrical machines, semiconductor devices, and ends with a brief history of the origins of our current electrical system.

Sujets

Physique

Physical attractiveness

Science

Electricity

Physics

Sciences et techniques

Informations

Publié par	Xlibris US
Date de parution	24 juillet 2023
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9798369403457
Langue	English
Poids de l'ouvrage	1 Mo

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

THE WONDER OF ELECTRICITY

Kent Mickelson

Copyright © 2023 by Kent Mickelson.

Library of Congress Control Number:
2023913361
ISBN:
Hardcover
979-8-3694-0347-1

Softcover
979-8-3694-0346-4

eBook
979-8-3694-0345-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 07/24/2023

Xlibris
844-714-8691
www.Xlibris.com
852652
CONTENTS
Introduction

Chapter 1 Electricity, the Force
Atomic Parts
Electric Charge
Electromagnetic Force
Electrical Attraction
Summary Comments

Chapter 2 Fundamental Electric Concepts
The Flow of Electrons
Electrical Properties of Materials
Voltage, the Reason for Current
Relationship of Current to Voltage
The Concept of Power
Summary Comments

Chapter 3 Conduction in Materials
Material Phases
The Gas Phase and Breakdown
The Liquid Phase, the Basis for Solutions and Electrolytes
The Solid Phase
Summary Comments

Chapter 4 Electricity and Magnetism
Glimpsing the Electricity Magnetism Relationship
A Practical Example of Electricity Related to Magnetism.
A Deeper Understanding
Electromagnetism
Electromagnetic Waves
Summary Comments

Chapter 5 Electricity and Light
How Excited Electrons Produce Light
How This Works in Familiar Lights
Summary Comments

Chapter 6 Producing Electric Power
Major Types of Voltage Sources
Generators
Voltage Induction
DC Generators
AC Generators
Battery
Solar Cells
Summary Comments

Chapter 7 Basic Electrical Parts
Wire and Insulation
Resistors
Capacitors
Inductors
Transformers
Summary Comments

Chapter 8 Basic Electric Machines
Summary of the First Part of the Book
Basic Electric Machines
Bells
Relays
Solenoid
DC Motors
AC Motors
Summary Comments

Chapter 9 Semiconductor Devices and Applications
P-N Junction Diode
LEDs, Light Emitting Diodes
Bipolar Transistors
Other Semiconductor Devices

Chapter 10 The Origins of the Commercial Power System
Components of a Power System
Electric Lights: The First Load
The Light Bulb’s Inner Workings
The First Commercial Power System
The Three-Wire Distribution Scheme
U.S. Power System Standards
Summary Comments

Bibliography
INTRODUCTION
It seems like a long time ago that I first gained an interest in the world of electronics. Up until that time, my exposure to electricity was mostly a picture imprinted on my brain by my parents. This came in the form of a fear of what the electric outlet represented. For electricity, was, for sure, a dreadful thing, even though it powered all the lights and turned darkness into day?
This fear was planted by the use of a character named Reddy Kilowatt. This character would leap out of the outlet and kill you if you were to put your finger in the socket. I was too young to understand how or why. I’m not even sure that my parents knew. In my mind, I wondered if old Reddy was as real as the Tooth Fairy or even Santa Claus. I was terrified of what might happen if I were to just once disobey the rules. I did not quite associate the battery used in our flashlight with the terror of Reddy. Now that fear has been tempered with knowledge. The fear of the outlet has been replaced by a healthy respect, and I understand now how it is associated with a “simple” battery or a powerful bolt of lightning. The force of electricity is surely a miracle of creation.
Back to my youth, I remember walking the two miles to the local hobby shop. Much to my amazement, there was a little radio in the shop. It was not a kit, but it became an object of my desires. The storekeeper said that all you needed to do was clip it to a piece of metal, and you would be able to listen to the radio, without even using batteries. I was hooked. However, that steep price of $1.99 was a big obstacle. I only got an allowance of 40¢ a week. I had to put a dime of that into the Sunday school offering plate. However, I was ten years old and just about to get my first job. The $2 every month I got for delivering drive-in movie advertising door to door and the $1.50 a week I got for mowing the neighbor’s lawn put me in the big money. I walked back to the store and bought the radio. I was amazed then, and still amazed, even with a degree in electrical engineering, that I could listen to the local radio station without batteries.
What is just as amazing are all the other “miracles” possible when electricity is used. From the beginnings of that tiny crystal radio blossomed the transistor radio, the television, and the modern computer. How can you not be constantly in a state of excitement when you think about the fact that you can use a telephone to talk not only to your local friend, but that you can dial a simple number and talk to your relatives across the country or even on the other side of the world as well?
The applications of electricity in man-made objects are too numerous to describe. However, if you continue reading, let us hope the mystery of how they work will be revealed. This book is meant to help you understand, but it is not meant to help you design. You will gain an understanding of what electricity is and about many electronic components used today. Equipped with those tools, we will look at how those components can be combined into useful things. You will learn the concept of simple design but not be exposed to scary mathematics.
I progressed from the simple crystal radio to the electric motor, the electric bell, the transistor, and then the computer. From what I recall, I learned how to make things that would work long before I understood how they did work. It was not until I was in college that the light bulb of understanding was turned on. My goal is to couple that experimenting and the questions of my youth with the knowledge of my later years to help you. I may not be able to transfer the excitement of the moment I got my first homemade electric motor to work to you, but I will try.
Then too I could not help but be a reminder for the concept of electrical activity in each person. A person might look at the role electricity plays in the beating of your heart, the movement of your finger, the sensation of pain, and the thinking of a thought. I encourage you to investigate this area.
It’s all part of the wonderful world of electricity and electronics. I hope you will enjoy it, but most of all, I hope you will learn from it. I hope you will learn to understand the things around you. One spark is all it takes!
CHAPTER 1
ELECTRICITY, THE FORCE
Before we can talk about a definition of electricity, we must take a close look at what makes up matter. Matter is composed of very small particles known as atoms . Now you might ask, must we start at such an elementary level? Yes, to understand electricity, it is necessary to understand this concept.
Atomic Parts
Of the many particles that make up matter, an atom is the smallest that cannot be chemically divided. Each atom has a special set of characteristics. Among these are mass and a unique number of protons and electrons that give the atom other physical and chemical properties like color, boiling point, and the ability to conduct heat or electricity. Each different kind of atom is directly associated with an element , and the atom passes on its special qualities. All atoms consist of smaller particles, and the combination of these smaller particles gives each element its properties.
Although atoms contain several particles, these are the three basic particles that combine to form an atom:
1. Proton
The proton is one of the building blocks of the atom’s center or nucleus . Although they are thought to be made from smaller particles, protons are considered stable particles. In the context of atomic structure, a particle is defined as stable if it can exist outside the atom without breaking up.
2. Electron
The electron is a very tiny particle that moves around the atom. It is stable and can exist outside the atom.
3. Neutron
One of the other particles in the nucleus of an atom is the neutron, which has a neutral electric charge, not positive or negative. When more than one proton exists in the nucleus, the neutron and the strong force associated with it keep the protons locked within the nucleus. The neutron’s strong force overcomes the effect of individual protons trying to repel each other. The neutron is stable and can exist outside the nucleus.
A normal atom is neutral, which means the number of electrons equals the number of protons. The number of protons and electrons determine the atom’s properties.
Each element has a different number of protons. The eleme