What is Electrical: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwell's equations. Various common phenomena are related to electricity, including lightning, static electricity, electric heating, electric discharges and many others.
The presence of an electric charge, which can be either positive or negative, produces an electric field. The movement of electric charges is an electric current and produces a magnetic field.
When a charge is placed in a location with a non-zero electric field, a force will act on it. The magnitude of this force is given by Coulomb's law. If the charge moves, the electric field would be doing work on the electric charge. Thus we can speak of electric potential at a certain point in space, which is equal to the work done by an external agent in carrying a unit of positive charge from an arbitrarily chosen reference point to that point without any acceleration and is typically measured in volts.
Electricity is at the heart of many modern technologies, being used for:

Electric power where electric current is used to energise equipment;
Electronics which deals with electrical circuits that involve active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies.Electrical phenomena have been studied since antiquity, though progress in theoretical understanding remained slow until the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The theory of electromagnetism was developed in the 19th century, and by the end of that century electricity was being put to industrial and residential use by electrical engineers. The rapid expansion in electrical technology at this time transformed industry and society, becoming a driving force for the Second Industrial Revolution. Electricity's extraordinary versatility means it can be put to an almost limitless set of applications which include transport, heating, lighting, communications, and computation. Electrical power is now the backbone of modern industrial society.

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. Guidestone

    Strange questions about electrical circuits

    What's up people? I'm new in this wonderful forum. I have several questions about circuits, and they are not really common, I mean, I find them somehow complicated, but I would really come to enlightenment if you guys gave me some clues. 1.- So, let's suppose we got the simplest circuit, a...
  2. P

    Finding magnitude of electrical field at specific point

    Homework Statement [/B] Two point-like charges are placed as shown in the figure, r1 = 28.0 cm and r2 = 56.0 cm. Find the magnitude of the electric field at point (p) shown in the figure. Let q1 = −13.0 µC, q2 = +30.0 µC. Homework Equations [/B] E1 = k*q1 / r^2 3. The Attempt at a...
  3. UrsaMinor

    I am thinking of opting Electrical engineering for physics

    I am getting an integrated MTech degree in Electrical engineering I have always been interested in Physics, but I opted EE. I mean it is the time of admissions and I am talking about the choices i have. I chose integrated msc over mtech. I want to know if I can pursue research in Physics after...
  4. toforfiltum

    Electrical power generated by wind turbine

    Homework Statement Homework Equations P=FV The Attempt at a Solution To calculate the mass of wind swept by turbine in a second, I take 2000m2 ×10ms-1×1.3kgm-3.Then, to calculate the force I multiply the answer with 10ms-1. Since they want the power and the yield is 50%. I multiply the...
  5. Bobby425

    Engineering Thevenin's equvalent circuit of the network?

    Homework Statement thevenin's equvalent circuit of the network Homework Equations thevenin's voltage thevenin's impedance The Attempt at a Solution using nodal analysis i tried to find thevenin voltage but the dependent source and the dependent variable troubling me!
  6. Dunedain979

    Engineering How much programming is typical in electrical engineering?

    Hey everyone. I'm getting ready to start my first year of college and I'm trying to decide between mechanical and electrical engineering. At first I was more interested in electrical, but then I heard that electrical engineers do a lot of programming which I'm not really big on. How much...
  7. Akif

    International Standard of Electrical Power Cable

    Hello there, All Electrical Engineer fellas, :smile: Someday ago, I had been assigned to conduct a building audit of one company in Indonesia. For completing this task, I need all international standard about electrical equipment installation, especially for wiring / cable. Is there anyone...
  8. T

    Electrical circuit Source transformation Question

    I'm extreeeeamly rusty at basic circuit theory. I want to transform a sort of infinite arrangement of this circuit: The values themselves aren't important, just the representation of what's happening, all the verticle resistors are the same value as each other, and all the horizontal resistors...
  9. L

    Thesis proposal for Electrical Engineering

    Guys, I'm 5th yr student of Electrical engineering do you have any idea of how to propose a thesis proposal, if you have file much better. thank you
  10. Y

    Recently i have pursued B.E. in electrical eng. .

    what I should do if i want to study astronomy now?
  11. A

    Complex forms of electrical laws

    Hi, I'm trying this summer to finish my mathematical methods book. I'm investigating right now the chapter of complex numbers, the end of the chapter has some applications in electricity and how can complex numbers make the work easier. The problem is that I didn't found it easier nor...
  12. Q

    Harmonic motion and Electrical Fields

    Homework Statement Two positive charges +Q are affixed rigidly to the x-axis, one at x = +d and the other at x = -d. A third charge +q of mass m, which is constrained to move only along the x-axis, is displaced from the origin by a small distance s << d and then released from rest. (a) Show...
  13. K

    Electrical Engineering Grad. after Physics B.Sc.

    Hello all. I will be graduating with a physics degree in the fall of 2016, and going to grad school. I go to a small university in the US, not very well known for its physics program, but I've been doing fairly well here, so I was aiming at a top tier university for grad school in physics. My...
  14. Electgineer

    Movie with electrical /electronic engineering theme

    Please do you have the idea of any movie with electrical /electronic engineering theme.
  15. S

    Capacitance between two wires-not straight

    Hi, I would like to know how to calculate capacitance between two wires which are parallel but not necessarily straight.for instance the two wires might be parabolic..I would like to calculate for such general structures.i.e) two parallel wires that are not necessarily straight. Thanks in advance
  16. S

    Capacitance between two parallel wires not straight

    Hi, I would like to know how to calculate capacitance between two wires which are parallel but not necessarily straight.for instance the two wires might be parabolic..I would like to calculate for such general structures.i.e) two parallel wires that are not necessarily straight. Thanks in...
  17. D

    Why does lowering the slew rate lower the electrical noise?

    From my research I am showing that if an input signal becomes too slow (ie: a low slew rate) then the noise can cause multiple state changes. But I am being told that if the slew rate is low then it will get rid of unwanted noise. I read my results from this: (I lost the link but I did copy...
  18. W

    Electrical mobility definition confusion

    Hi! According to this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_mobility, the definition of electrical mobility ##\mu## is: ##\vec{v} = \mu \vec{E}##. But since electrical mobility is always positive, this means that the velocity is always parallel to the E-field regardless of charge. How can...
  19. A

    Programs Mechanical + Electrical Double Major

    Currently, I'm going into electrical engineering, but I've been considering a double major with mechanical engineering. I'm taking a statics course right now and am really enjoying it. It definitely seems like something in which I'd be interested. If anyone is doing this, studying either major...
  20. D

    Masters in Electrical Engineering abroad

    Hi all. I have just completed my bachelors degree from an Indian University. I am an Indian citizen. I want to do a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering(Control Systems most probably) from abroad in a year or two. I searched on Internet to find the top universities in the world and found...
  21. R

    Programs Can I be an electrical engineer off of a math degree

    I'm really interested in electrical engineering but I don't feel it's worth getting a degree in it to get involved it it. Is it self-teachable also I'm more interested in math. I'm 26 and was able to do a couple of calculus problems while staying in a hospital also I was able to calculate a...
  22. G

    Distribution Factor in Electrical Machines

    Homework Statement demonstrate that the distribution factor is equal to 1 in concentric windings. Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution i have tried to solve it doing the equations shown in this page, http://www.electrical4u.com/winding-factor-pitch-factor-distribution-factor/ but i...
  23. F

    Ceramic that is electrical conductor?

    hello! is there a high thermal insulator material, like ceramics, that is also a good electricity conductor? or these two things, thermal insulation and electrical conductivity, are mutually exclusive? thanks!
  24. JJBladester

    Possible grounding issue - HDMI over CAT-6 electrical arc

    I was recently asked to help with some A/V stuff at my church. The goal was simple: Display HDMI video from a laptop to two LCD TVs. Since distance was an issue, I purchased an active HDMI-to-Ethernet converter. I've included a diagram for reference. When I went to plug the 3' HDMI cable...
  25. M

    How hard is 3rd year in Electrical & Electronic Engineering?

    sup guys im currently year 2 studying electrical & electronic engineering. Next year we had to choose modules where it was split equally between magnetics(mainly covered with waves, optoelectronıcs, nano technology and like magnetic materials etc), power(renewable, machine power, a bit of...
  26. T

    Engineering Electrical engineer jobs that aren't hardware based

    How do I find electrical engineering jobs that aren't hardware based? I am looking for jobs that are more software/programming/statistical based work. My undergraduate was in economics and mathematics. My masters is in electrical engineering with an emphasis in communications. When searching for...
  27. D

    Programs Best double major for Electrical Engineering? CS or Physics?

    I'm hoping to work in an Astronomy-related field. My dream would be NASA, but I'm not holding my breath. I'm currently working on my Electrical Engineering BS. What would the best double major be to compliment my end goals, Computer Science or Physics? Thank you!
  28. E

    Complex analysis book recommendation for electrical engineering

    I need recommendation about complex analysis book. As I'm electrical eng. student, it should cover everything one engineer need to know about that mathematical field, but without strict mathematical formalism :)
  29. T

    555 timer IC - Calculating resistance needed

    Voltage = 9.0 V, Current = 20 mA, Capacitor (C) = 10 microF, Resistance before (too high) [R_A = R_B] = 10 k Ohms. In a a-stable oscillator, calculating the resistance needed for two resistors (R_A = R_B) to discharge and charge a capacitor (C) so that a LED does not blow. Currently my circuit...
  30. QuangNguyen

    Electrical Power Engineering Studying

    Hello everyone from PhysicsForums, At the moment, I'm nearly 90% of my first year completion in Finnish University of Applied Science. During my first year, I have acquired some basic knowledges about circuit analysis, Labview and MATLAB programming, basic mathematics and physics. For the next...
  31. G

    Electrical distribution sysytem

    in 11kv /230 v delta /star connected distribution transformer neutral not connected to earh,then if we touch the one phase (ex:R phase)of secondery line, shall we get shock or not?
  32. L

    Understanding the Basics of Electrical Amperage and Wiring for Automotive Lifts

    Im looking into getting an electrician... but it drives me crazy when I don't know why something is done a certain way. I bought a Bendpak 10000 lb automotive lift. the motor supplied is 220 single phase or 3 phase (i am using single phase) the motor for 220 single phase is supplied with a...
  33. P

    Electrical physics question

    I have got this question stating that: Immersing a pair of gold electrodes into a NaCl salt solution in the presence of a fixed voltage causes the capacitance and current to: either increase, decrease, remain unchanged or increase briefly and then return to its original value.. I think that by...
  34. R

    Am I too dull/unintelligent to continue in Electrical Eng

    It took me 15 minutes to read one page of my introduction to circuits book. It took me 8 hours to read 30 pages and I remember only about 10% of what I read. (meaning I can't really summarize to someone else what I learned after reading). It takes me at least 3 readings to grasp 50% of the...
  35. D

    Electrical Engineering BS to Aerospace Engineering MS

    Hello. Is this possible, or would I be missing out on a lot of groundwork? Any options? I'd like to work on anything involving space, like satellites and such. Thank you!?
  36. A

    Engineering Electrical engineer who doesn't like to program

    How common is it for electrical engineers to not particularly like programming very much? A bit more background: I go to a school in which the electrical engineering and the computer science department are very much intertwined, and so there's a big focus on computers in the EE curriculum...
  37. K

    Deciding between Electrical and Mechanical

    First off, thank you for spending your time to read this and respond. I'm quite aware that there have been other posts on this and I've read through nearly all of them, but I'm looking for a bit more personal advice.I started typing out a bit about myself and my experience thus far with college...
  38. W

    Electrical Conductivity of Copper, Gold And Silver

    Copper ::: 60.7 x 106 S m^-1 Silver :::62.9 x 106 S m^-1 Gold :: 48.8 x 106 S m^-1 Why is the electrical Conductivity of these elements this way? I mean down the periodic table it should increase in case of GOLD but instead Gold is have far less value of Electrical Conductivity.
  39. E

    Length contraction test in electrical circuits

    As I am sure everyone is aware, there are still folks who don’t believe SRT and GRT. While 99.9% of them are nut-jobs, there is at least one that I respect – Tom Phipps specifically. I am not familiar with any of his writing before the advent of the GPS satellites. In any case, he now accepts...
  40. I

    Electrical Engineering (Cascoded Amplifiers)

    Homework Statement Hey guys, i can use some help with this problem: I don't really have issues with part A, its more of part B and C that i can use some help with Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution
  41. U

    Too late to pursue Computer Engineering at age 27?

    Hello. I have been contemplating whether or not I should start pursuing a degree in CE, EE, or Comp Sci. I currently work as a wildland firefighter and am not happy with what I do. I started to learn programming about 9 months ago with various online tools such as Codecademy and taking online...
  42. R

    Electrical vs Computer Engineering

    Hello, I'm currently enrolled as a Dual-Major in Electrical & Computer Engineering. To be honest I'm more interested in the software and computing side of the aforementioned disciplines. But there are only 5 extra classes over my last 4 semesters I would have to take and they are...
  43. S

    How does a magnetic field affect an electrical field

    More specifically, what happens and why when a magnet is brought close to a nonferrous charged object.
  44. K

    Engineering Book recommendations for an Electrical Engineering student.

    I was wondering if someone could recommend some electrical engineering books that help explain rectifier circuits and DC chopper circuits. I've read electrical circuit theory and technology by John Bird and electrical machines, drives and power systems by Theodore Wildi and both seem to lack in...
  45. K

    Mean voltage and current, rectifiers

    Homework Statement Devise the mean voltage and current in controlled and uncontrolled single device rectifier circuits with R-L series loads. Single circuit series circuit given of an AC voltage source, a uncontrolled diode, resistor, inductor. V = 240 v, F = 50 Hz, R = 10 ohms, L = 50 mH...
  46. D

    Engineering Electrical Engineer major taking electrician internship?

    Currently in my 3rd year in college of engineering, and I recently got offered a HV electrician intern for the DoD. Is worth taking? Being that its different towards my degree.
  47. y2j

    What Is the Electrical Conductivity of R11?

    I've been searching the Internet high and low looking for the ELECTRICAL conductivity of R11. There doesn't seem to be much info on the subject and I'm stuck. Does anybody know its conductivity and/or where I could find it out?
  48. M

    Electrical Resistance between 2 points in homogeneous plane?

    Hi there! Just say I have large square piece of some homogeneous resistive material like graphite. How would I go about determining the resistance between any two given points? Further, just say I supply a voltage across two arbitrary points, can I determine the voltage difference between any...
  49. X

    Is electrical engineering just rote memorization? Or am I

    For instance, I was introduced to thevenin and norton theorems about 1-2 weeks ago and it seems like we're expected to rote memorize the algorithms on solving problems. There is no proof/logic explained in different circumstances. For instance, we're told what these theorems are and how they...
  50. S

    M&E Engineer Needs Electrical Basics | Learn Here

    Im a recently graduated mechanical engineer and i just joined a construction company as an M & E engineer. i want to know the basics of electrical knowledge that a mechanical engineer should know. please advise me on this topic. i am willing to learn and expand my knowledge.
Back
Top