Some General Physics questions i need help with..

[Bumpin03 10+ year member]

alright since car audio has a lot to do with physics i figured thered be some physics know-it-alls in here. im too lazy to look all these up on the internet or go through the text book. so heres the question....What is the purpose of these devices in terms of energry changes?

electric heater

electric motor

generator

alternator //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

transformer

light bulb

What is the difference between DC and AC current?

Thanks guys.

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[BonusBobo 10+ year member]

The generator changes the engine's fuel power (the pistons firing) into power. It runs a metal rod (or wire cluster, not sure) inside a cylindric magnetic coil, generating electrical current, to be used in powering all the car's accessories.

As for the others, I probably couldn't give you as good of a definition.

 

[Jdg784 10+ year member]

electric heater-changes electrical engery to heat via heating coils

electric motor-turns electrical energy into motion

generator-opposite of a motor..or rather a motor run backwards, turns motion into electrical energy

alternator -similar to a generator-takes motion from the motor and turns it into electrical current

transformer

light bulb-Electrical energy into light energy via a filament that heats/lights up

What is the difference between DC and AC current?

 

[Bumpin03 10+ year member]

thanks for the help guys //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[Jdg784 10+ year member]

No prob

 

[RMKrider1 10+ year member]

DC= direct current

AC=alternating current

I can't really explain the differance in my own words but I will find an explanation for you

 

[B&R Innovations]

alternating current in us standards turns on and off 60 times a second

direct curren never turns off

Thats why your printer has a giant box where it plugs in because basically there is a cap in tere that hold a charge down to 12 volts so its always on and doesnt fluctuate as most electronics do

BTW lightbulbs are fillaments inside a vacumn that due to electric resistance heat up to tempeatures around 600degrees...and it makes the metal glow through all the visible light spectrum making the best white light it can.

A heating coil works in a similar way but is very closely regulated to turn off and only allow a certain level of power to reach the coil itself...basically they will burn hotter and hotter till they either melt or start a nice house fire.

Alternator was explained well enough, as well as the generator