Beginner's Guide to The List of Electricity Terms

Electricity is an important aspect of modern life. It plays a major role in everything from charging household appliances to powering industries. Understanding electricity terms like circuit breaker, kilowatt-hour (kWh), surge, etc., would help beginners make informed decisions about energy usage, safety, and efficiency.

Glossary List of Electricity Terms

There are hundreds of different electricity terms that help people understand how electricity is transferred and their electricity charges. The following glossary covers essential electricity terms to aid in understanding various aspects of the electrical system and related technologies.

A

Active Power : Active Power refers to the real power consumed by any given electric circuit, which distinguishes it from reactive power.

Admittance (Ω Ohms) : Admittance indicates the ease with which the current flows through a device or an electric circuit.

Alternator : Alternators are devices that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Alternating Current (A.C.) : An alternating current is an electric current that cyclically changes direction.

Aerial cable : These are insulated conductors installed on overhead structures.

Air Blast Breakers : These are commonly used in transmission-level applications, where high-voltage circuit breakers are used.

B

Battery : A battery is an energy storage device with one or more connected electric cells.

Battery Cell : Battery cells are electrochemical units that consist of positive and negative plates, a separator, and an electrolyte, which are used to store electrical energy.

Blackout : Blackout is the electricity term that denotes the complete loss of electric power from the power distributor.

Breakdown Voltage : Breakdown voltage is the voltage level at which a dielectric material experiences failure or complete breakdown.

C

Circuit : Circuit is an important term in electricity, providing a pathway through which electrical signal flows.

Circuit Breaker : A circuit breaker is a device designed to manually open or close an electrical circuit and automatically disconnect it if necessary.

Circuit Voltage : Circuit voltages are the highest effective potential difference between any two conductors in any given electrical circuit.

Current : Current is the flow of electric charge along a conductor.

Capacitor : A capacitor is an electronic component that stores electric energy.

Charge : Charge is an electric term that denotes the process of replenishing the active materials in a storage battery.

Circuit Switchers : These are the switching and protection devices used in different applications.

Current Flow : Current flow denotes the movement of electrons from atom to atom within a conductor.

Current Transformer : This is a type of transformer used to measure circuit current by transmitting a smaller, proportional current to any measuring device.

D

Deep Discharge (Battery) : Deep discharge happens when more than half of a battery's rated capacity is used up.

Design Load : Design load is the expected amount of usage that a device is designed to handle.

Digital : This electricity term is used in computer science to describe something created electronically.

E

Electric Current : Any movement of electric charges, typically carried by negatively charged particles through a conductor, is deemed an electric current.

Electric Field : An electric field is an area that surrounds a charged object where the force of electricity has an effect.

Electricity : Electricity is the flow of electrons from one atom to another within a conductor, generating an electric current.

F

Fault Current : Fault current is the current that occurs when a short-circuit condition arises.

Fault Indicators : These are the devices installed on a conductor to detect when the current exceeds a specified rating.

G

Gate : Gates are logical circuit devices that produce a binary output based on the input from other circuits.

Generator : Generators are machines that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

Grid : The grid is the interconnected network of power stations and multiple transmission and distribution lines.

H

Hertz : It is a process of alternating between the negative and positive poles.

High Voltage System : It is an electric power system with a maximum root-mean-square A.C. voltage exceeding 72.5 kV.

I

Insulator : It is a material that prevents the flow of electric current through it.

Integrated Circuit (I.C.) : It is a miniaturized electronic circuit used to perform various electric functions.

K

Kilowatt (kW) : It is a unit of measurement for electric power.

Kilowatt Hour (kWh) : It is the amount of electric energy equivalent to one kilowatt of power consumed in one hour.

Kilowatt-hour Meter : It is a device that is used to measure the amount of electrical energy consumed by any system.

L

Light Emitting Diode (LED) : LEDs are semiconductors that emit light when a current flows through them.

Lightning : A powerful flash of light caused by an atmospheric electrical discharge between clouds and the earth's surface.

Limit Switch : These are protective devices that are commonly used in applications related to safety and control purposes.

Lines of Force : These invisible lines illustrate the characteristics of a magnetic flux around a magnet.

M

Magnet : It is an object that can attract iron or other magnets.

Meter : It is an instrument used to measure the quantity of something passing through it.

Microprocessors : These are integrated circuits that combine logic, amplification, and memory functions.

N

Neutral Ground Reactor : These are used to connect the neutral point of a three-phase electrical system to the ground.

Neutrons : These are uncharged elementary particles found in the nucleus of atoms.

Nickel Cadmium Battery : These are rechargeable batteries consisting of one or more cells with an alkaline electrolyte.

O

Off-Peak Hours : That period of time when the power supply demand on the power system is low.

Off-Load Tap Changer : This device is designed to adjust the transformer's voltage ratio when it is not supplying any load.

P

Parallel Circuit : This type of circuit configuration involves connecting the components in branches and providing multiple paths for the electrical components to flow.

Photovoltaic Cell : It comes under a photovoltaic module that converts light into electrical energy.

Protection Relay : It is designed to detect and respond to abnormal conditions in any electrical system.

R

Regulating Transformer : It is utilized to adjust the voltage of an output circuit.

Regulator : It regulates the current or voltage flow in a circuit to achieve a desired level.

Relay : This is an electrical switch operated by a small current to control a larger current flow.

Reluctance : Reluctance is a resistance offered by a magnetic circuit to the flow of magnetic lines of forces.

S

Semiconductor : They are used to make electronic components as they have properties between those of conductors and insulators.

Service Life (Battery) : The total duration for which a batter is useful.

Short Circuit : It is referred to as the fault that occurs when an underground conductor contacts another conductor.

Solar Energy : Solar energy is derived from the sun's heat or light. It is harnessed by solar panels and solar thermal systems.

T

Three-Phase : It is a power supply that utilizes at least three wires, where each wire carries a different voltage phase from a common generator.

Transformer : It is an electromagnetic device that is employed to alter the voltage in an A.C. electrical circuit.

U

Ultra High Voltage : These are the transmission systems where the A.C. voltage exceeds 800,000 volts.

Unbalanced Loads : These are unequal loading of the phases in a three-phase electrical system.

V

V : Typically, in electricity terms, V is the representation of Voltage.

Volt-Ampere : It is a unit of measurement for apparent power, which is calculated as the product of the root mean square voltage and current.

Voltage Class : These are the levels of electrical insulation strength on a device, which determines the maximum continuous voltage.

W

Watt : Watt is the effective power calculated by multiplying voltage, current, and power factor.

Watt-Hour : Watt-hours are used to measure energy usage in one hour.

Wattmeter : It is an instrument used to measure the electric power within a circuit.

Z

Zero Crossing : It is the point in a sinusoidal voltage waveform where it intersects the zero reference axis.

Basic Electricity Fundamental Laws

Since the electricity terms are extremely vast and complicated, it is always recommended to learn some of the basic fundamental laws of electricity. By understanding these laws, one can become more aware of different electricity terms.

Ohm's Law

Formula: V = I x R

Ohm's Law states that the Voltage (V) across a conductor is directly proportional to the Current (I) that flows through it, given the condition that the Resistance (R) remains constant.

Consider a circuit with a resistor of 15 Ω and a current of 2 A. By using Ohm's Law, the voltage drop across the resistor is V = I x R = 2A * 15 Ω = 30 V.

Watt's Law

Formula: P = V x I

Watt's Law relates Power (P) to Voltage (V) and Current (I). As per Watt's Law, the power consumed in an electric circuit is equal to the product of voltage and the current.

Consider a circuit that operates at 120 V and draws a current of 5 A. Then the power consumed by the circuit is P = V x I = 120 V x 5 A = 600 W

Joule's Law

Formula: Q = V x I x t

According to Joule's Law, the energy converted is proportional to the product of the voltage, current, and time.

Consider a resistor with a voltage of 10 V and a current of 2 A flowing through it for 10 s. Then, the energy dissipated as heat is Q = V x I x t = 10 V x 2 A x 10 s = 200 J.

Together, Ohm's Law, Watt's Law, and Joule's Law provide an extensive framework that is used by electrical engineers or students to analyze circuits and ensure efficient energy usage.

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What is the flow of electricity called?

The flow of electricity or the movement of electric charges through a conductor is called current.

Final Thoughts

There are hundreds of electricity terms, and if one wants to understand how electricity is transferred from their service provider to their household, then getting acquainted with the basic electric terms is highly recommended. Jackery Explorer Portable Power Stations provides an optimal solution for those who want to reduce their electricity bill using solar energy.