Thus far, discussions about the rate at which heat is transferred to a system has been ignored. We know from experience that materials that are removed from a hot oven will retain heat energy differentially in accordance with their subatomic structure. Fortunately, such observations have been used to construct a very modest yet useful expressionContinue reading “HEAT AND THERMAL ENERGY: Rate of Heat Transfer Within Various Materials”
Tag Archives: watts
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONICS: The Maximum Power Transfer Theorem
Within the field of electronics, a delicate balance between energy transfer and efficiency must be maintained; however, in some circumstances, maximum power ( P ) must be delivered to a load without regard to how inefficient the process may be. Herein lies the concept of maximum power transfer. The mathematical derivations relevant to this processContinue reading “INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONICS: The Maximum Power Transfer Theorem“
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONICS: Power in Parallel Circuits
Power is the rate at which energy is deposited within ( or liberated from ) some medium. As pertains to electronics, the watt is a measure of how many joules ( J ) of energy are deposited per second within the resistive elements of a circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt (Continue reading “INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONICS: Power in Parallel Circuits“
INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONICS: Energy and Power ( Part 1 )
Although, energy and power are interrelated concepts, they possess distinct identities of their own. Consider the relatively simple task of inflating a balloon. Blowing a small puff of air into a balloon over a short time-interval will cause the balloon to expand slightly before recoiling to its previous state. Breathing more forcefully into a balloonContinue reading “INTRODUCTION TO ELECTRONICS: Energy and Power ( Part 1 )”
ELECTRONICS: Kirchhoff’s Laws
Q: What are the values of the currents ( I ) and unknown voltage drops ( V ) across the resistors ( R ) pictured below? A: The first problem-solving step involves assigning labels to the junctions ( j ) in the circuit: We must now sketch the currents flowing in the circuit: The currentContinue reading “ELECTRONICS: Kirchhoff’s Laws”
ELECTRICITY: Wattage
Q: A parallel electrical circuit connects the electrical outlets located within a room. A 20-A fuse is put into place to protect the circuit from unexpected surges of current ( I ). The voltage drop across each circuit element is V = 120 V. What is the maximum power ( W ) output that canContinue reading “ELECTRICITY: Wattage”
SOUND: What is the Sound-Intensity and Perceived Increase in Loudness at 1/4th the Distance?
Mr. Titus Tulay recently purchased a home four blocks from a busy tollway. On a typical evening, the decibel level resulting from tollway traffic is 62 dB at the location of his house. Determine the decibel level of a house 1 block from the tollway (four times closer). Essentially, a decibel reading tells us howContinue reading “SOUND: What is the Sound-Intensity and Perceived Increase in Loudness at 1/4th the Distance?”
SOUND: Intensity As a Function of Distance From a Point Source
The First Law of Thermodynamics states that ” energy cannot be created or destroyed. ” Thus, the Wattage ( W ) in units of Joules per second ( J/s ), whether it be generated by an electric circuit, laser beam, ocean wave, falling skydiver ( drag force times drag velocity in W = Fv ),Continue reading “SOUND: Intensity As a Function of Distance From a Point Source”
ELECTRICITY: Kirchhoff’s Rules and Negative Current Values
Voltage, where V = IR, is the product of the current ( I ) of Amperes in an electrical circuit in units of coulombs per second ( q/s ), and resistance ( R ) in Ohms. Likewise, voltage is defined as the amount of energy in Joules ( J ) a coulomb of charge carriesContinue reading “ELECTRICITY: Kirchhoff’s Rules and Negative Current Values”
RENAISSANCE PHYSICS 