This chapter addresses the fundamental concepts that are the building blocks for advanced electrical knowledge and practical troubleshooting. Some of the questions addressed are: How does energy travel through a copper wire and through space? What is electric current, electromotive force, and what makes a landing light turn on or a hydraulic pump motor run? Each of these questions requires an understanding of many basic principles. By adding one basic idea on top of other basic ideas, it becomes possible to answer most of the interesting and practical questions about electricity or electronics.
Our understanding of electrical current must begin with the nature of matter. All matter is composed of molecules. All molecules are made up of atoms, which are themselves made up of electrons, protons, and neutrons.
- General Composition of Matter
- Metric Based Prefixes Used for Electrical Calculations and Static Electricity
- Magnetism
- Types of Magnets and Electromagnetism
- Conventional Flow and Electron Flow and Electromotive Force (Voltage) and Current and Ohm’s Law (Resistance)
- Resistance of a Conductor
- Power and Energy
- Types of Resistors
- Circuit Protection Devices (Part One)
- Circuit Protection Devices (Part Two)
- Series DC Circuits
- Parallel DC Circuits and Series-Parallel DC Circuits and Alternating Current (AC) and Voltage
- Generator Principles (Part One)
- Generator Principles (Part Two)
- Capacitance (Part One)
- Capacitance (Part Two)
- Inductance
- AC Circuits (Part One)
- AC Circuits (Part Two)
- DC Measuring Instruments
- The Voltmeter and The Ohmmeter
- AC Measuring Instruments (Part One)
- AC Measuring Instruments (Part Two)
- Basic Circuit Analysis and Troubleshooting (Part One)
- Basic Circuit Analysis and Troubleshooting (Part Two)
- Batteries (Part Two)
- Batteries (Part One)
- Nickel-Cadmium Batteries and Lithium Ion Batteries
- Inverters
- Semiconductors
- Rectifiers
- Introduction to Transistors (Part One)
- Introduction to Transistors (Part Two)
- Vacuum Tubes and Filtering
- Amplifier Circuits
- Magnetic Amplifiers and Logic Circuits (Part One)
- Magnetic Amplifiers and Logic Circuits (Part Two)
- DC Generators (Part One)
- DC Generators (Part Two)
- DC Generators (Part Three)
- DC Generator Maintenance (Part One)
- DC Generator Maintenance (Part Two)
- DC Motor Construction and Types of DC Motors
- Counter Electromotive Force (emf)
- AC Motors (Part One)
- AC Motors (Part Two)
- AC Motors (Part Three)
- Alternators (Part One)
- Alternators (Part Two)
- Alternators (Part Three)
- Generator Control Units (GCU) and Alternator Constant Speed Drive System
- Hydraulic Transmission (Part One)
- Hydraulic Transmission (Part Two)
- Voltage Regulation of Alternators
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