Self-tutoring about electrical consumption: the tutor looks for the typical power rating of baseboard heaters. Investigating energy consumption, I was compelled to inquire about the wattage of baseboard heaters. Baseboard heaters, because of their variable length, are often discussed in…
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Category: electricity
Electricity: where is 208 volts used?
Self-tutoring about wiring: the tutor inquires about where 208V supply might be found. Looking at the baseboard heaters the other day, I noticed they have two wattage ratings: one if in a 208V system, and one if in 240V. I…
Tagged with: where is 208 volts used?
Battery output vs discharge rate: Peukert’s Law
Tutoring physics or chemistry, you might encounter Peukert’s Law, although it’s probably used more by industry. In my March 2 post I mentioned reserve capacity and Amp*hours as two ways to measure a battery’s potential output. Numerically they are convertible…
Electrochemistry: cell vs battery
Tutoring chemistry, the distinction between cell and battery is noted. In electrochemistry, a cell is a single unit of electrical energy production. A cell comprises an anode and cathode, plus the ingredients and the environment needed for the chemical reaction…
Tagged with: cell vs battery
Electrochemistry: cells and batteries: anode vs cathode
The tutor explains which terminal is the anode, which is the cathode, as well as polarity. In terms of electrochemistry, oxidation occurs at the anode; reduction occurs at the cathode. Perhaps less obvious is the answer to the question, “Which…
Auto batteries: reserve capacity vs Ah (Amp*hrs)
The tutor defines two terms relating to auto batteries. The reserve capacity (RC) of a car battery is given in minutes. It’s the duration the battery can discharge 25A at ≥ 10.5V. Ampere hours (Ah), on the other hand, is…
AC Electricity, electronics: how a series low-pass filter works
The tutor briefly explains the low-pass filter. This explanation draws on ideas from that of a high-pass filter (see my article here). A low-pass filter sends along low frequencies but blocks higher ones. The one we’re looking at today has…
Tagged with: critical frequency
AC Electricity, electronics: series high-pass filter
The tutor gives background along with a basic explanation of how a high-pass filter works. A high-pass filter will send along high frequency signals but block low frequencies. It can do so because the impedance, Xc, of a capacitor of…
Physics: Why is electric field between parallel plates constant, but not between two point charges?
The tutor discusses the electric field between two parallel plates, then between two point charges. A consequence of Gauss’s Law is that, from an infinite charged plane, the electric field is constant, independent of distance, and given by E =…
Electricity: getting a shock from the car
The tutor shares some research about why he gets shocked leaving the car. When the weather turns dry and summery, I love it. However, I face a summertime hazard: getting an electric shock when I leave the car. Sometimes the…
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