I am not here to give anyone an E/EE background. Sometimes it helps to understand some of the whys before we do the what. So in a nutshell here is some basic electrical theory.
Definitions
Voltage (E) - Electric potential energy per unit charge, measured in joules per coulomb ( = volts). It is often referred to as "electric potential"
Current (I) - The rate of charge flow past a given point in an electric circuit, measured in coulombs/second which is named amperes.
Resistance (R) - The ratio of the voltage applied to the electric current which flows through it.
Inductance (L) - Characteristic of an electrical conductor that opposes a change in current
Capacitance (C) - Amount of Charge that can be stored per unit voltage applied to the device.
Power (P) - Rate at which electrical energy is converted to another form, such as motion, heat, or an electromagnetic field.
Capacitive Reactance (XC) - Opposition to current flow due to capacitance of a circuit. (AC circuits only, capacitors act like an open in DC circuits).
Inductive Reactance (XL) - Opposition to current flow due to Inductance in a wire. Caused by voltage generated due to forming and collapsing of magnetic fields. (AC circuits only, Inductors act like a short in DC Circuits).
Impedence (Z) - Combined opposition to current flow in a circuit due to resistance, capacitance, inductance.
Formulas (Click for More Information)
Ohms Law - States that E/R = I or Voltage/Resistance = Current
Faraday's Law - Any change in the magnetic environment of a coil of wire will cause a voltage (emf) to be "induced" in the coil.
Kirchoff's Current Law - the sum of currents flowing into a junction equals the sum of currents flowing away from the junction.
Kirchoff's Voltage Law - sum of voltage drops around a closed circuit is equal to zero.
Resistors in Series - RT = R1 + R2 + R3 + ....
Resistors in Parallel - 1/RT = 1/R1 + 1/R2 + 1/R3
2 Resistors in Parallel - RT = R1 x R2/R1 + R2
Power - EI or I2R or E2R
Component Types and Symbols (Click for Link)
Application of Theory (Click for Link)
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