Number of windings for 120-V household circuit?

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a transformer problem involving a model train that requires 6 V to operate, with a primary coil connected to a 120-V household circuit. The subject area includes electrical circuits and transformer theory.

Discussion Character

  • Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to understand the relationship between the primary and secondary windings of a transformer, referencing a formula involving voltage and windings. Some participants confirm the correctness of the teacher's explanation and provide a rationale for the turns ratio.

Discussion Status

The discussion has seen some clarification, with participants acknowledging the teacher's explanation and expressing understanding. However, the original poster still seeks deeper comprehension of the reasoning behind the calculations.

Contextual Notes

There is a mention of a specific voltage requirement for the model train and the context of household voltage, which may influence the understanding of transformer operation. The original poster's confusion suggests a need for further exploration of the concepts involved.

a1densmom
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A model train requires 6 V to operate. If the primary coil of its transformer has 240 windings, how many windings should the secondary have if the primary is connected to a 120-V household circuit?


V1/V2 = N1/N2



my teacher went over this with the class, and said that N2= 6V/120V(240), so it equals 12. I don't get how he got that answer. Can someone help me to understand please?
 
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He is correct. This type of transformer is sometimes called a stepdown transformer because it transforms a big voltage to a smaller one. The turns ratio equals the desired voltage ratio, so
n2/240 = 6/120
and n2=12 as claimed.
 
I see. Thank you. For some reason, how you wrote it, it clicked in my head.
 
You're welcome!
 

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