Electromagnetism in the Function of Inductors and Transformers in Electronic Circuits

A magnetic field is always associated with an electric current. Therefore, the units of measure for the strength or
intensity of a magnetic field are based on the electric current that produces the field. For an electromagnet, the
strength and intensity of the magnetic field depend on the amount of current flow and the number of coils turning
in a given length. The electromagnet acts like a bar magnet with opposite magnetic poles at its ends. (Schultz
2011, 396)

The Relationship between Electricity and Magnetism

 Electricity and magnetism are separate, yet interconnected phenomena associated with electromagnetic
force. Together, they form the basis for electromagnetism, a key physics discipline.
 Except for behavior due to the force of gravity, nearly every occurrence in daily life stems from the
electromagnetic force. It is responsible for the interactions between atoms and the flow between matter
and energy. The other fundamental forces are the weak and strong nuclear forces, which govern
radioactive decay and the formation of atomic nuclei.

Basic Principles of Electricity

 Electricity is the phenomenon associated with either stationary or moving electric charges. The source of
the electric charge could be an elementary particle, an electron, a proton, an ion, or any larger body that
has an imbalance of positive and negative charge. Positive and negative charges attract each other, while
like charges repel each other.
 Familiar examples of electricity include lightning, electrical current from an outlet or battery, and static
electricity. Common SI units of electricity include the ampere (A) for current, coulomb (C) for electric
charge, volt (V) for potential difference, ohm (Ω) for resistance, and watt (W) for power. A stationary point
charge has an electric field, but if it is set in motion, it generates a magnetic field.

Basic Principles of Magnetism

 Magnetism is defined as the physical phenomenon produced by moving electric charge. Also, a magnetic
field can induce charged particles to move, producing an electric current. An electromagnetic wave
(such as light) has an electric and magnetic component. The two components of the wave travel in the
same direction but are oriented at a right angle to one another.
 Like electricity, magnetism produces attraction and repulsion between objects. While electricity is based
on positive and negative charges, there are no known magnetic monopoles. Any magnetic particle or
object has a "north" and "south" pole, with the directions based on the orientation of the Earth's magnetic
field. Like poles of a magnet repel each other, while opposite poles attract one another.
 Familiar examples of magnetism include a compass needle's reaction to Earth's magnetic field, the
attraction and repulsion of bar magnets, and the field surrounding electromagnets. Yet, every moving
electric charge has a magnetic field, so the orbiting electrons of atoms produce a magnetic field; there is a
magnetic field associated with power lines; and hard discs and speakers rely on magnetic fields to
function. Key SI units of magnetism include the tesla (T) for magnetic flux density, Weber (Wb) for
magnetic flux, ampere per meter (A/m) for magnetic field strength, and Henry (H) for inductance.

The Fundamental Principles of Electromagnetism

 The word electromagnetism comes from a combination of the Greek words elektron, meaning "amber" and
magnetis lithos, meaning "Magnesian stone," which is a magnetic iron ore. The ancient Greeks were
familiar with electricity and magnetism but considered them to be two separate phenomena.
 The relationship known as electromagnetism wasn't described until James Clerk Maxwell published A
Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism in 1873. Maxwell's work included twenty famous equations, which
have since been condensed into four partial differential equations. The basic concepts represented by the
equations are as follows:
 Like electric charges repel, and unlike electric charges attract. The force of attraction or repulsion is
inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.
 An electric current in a wire generates a magnetic field around the wire. The direction of the magnetic field
(clockwise or counterclockwise) depends on the direction of the current. This is the "right-hand rule,"
where the direction of the magnetic field follows the fingers of your right hand if your thumb is pointing in
the current direction.
 Moving a loop of wire toward or away from a magnetic field induces a current in the wire. The direction of
the current depends on the direction of the movement.

One of the most obscure of power electronics components is the inductor: the coil-like structures that you find in
most circuits. It’s down to these and their properties that transformers and other power electronics circuits work.

An inductor is a passive electronic component that can store electrical energy in the form of magnetic energy. It
uses a conductor that is wound into a coil, and when electricity flows into the coil from the left to the right, this will
generate a magnetic field in the clockwise direction.

(The inductor stores electrical energy in the form of magnetic energy. The inductor does not allow AC to flow
through it but does allow DC to flow through it.)

TRANSFORMER

An electric transformer is a device that uses electromagnetic induction to change the voltage of an electric
current. Electromagnetic induction is the process of generating current with a magnetic field. It occurs when a
magnetic field and an electric conductor, such as a coil of wire, move relative to one another. A transformer may
either increase or decrease voltage.
  A transformer is an electrical device designed to transfer electrical energy from one circuit to another at
the same frequency. It is also referred to as a static machine since it does not have any moving parts. It is
used to control the voltage levels between circuits. It has three main parts which consist of two windings
and a metallic core to which the windings are wound. These windings are in the form of coils made up of
good current conductor materials. The windings in a transformer play a main role in the machine as these
winding coils serve as inductors.

A Wired network is a common type of wired configuration. Most wired networks use Ethernet cables to transfer
data between connected PCs. In a small, wired network, a single router may be used to connect all the computers.
Larger networks often involve multiple routers or switches that connect.

Wireless networking is a great utility for mobile devices but should not be the primary choice for
computers. If utilizing a network connection for business, academic, or research purposes, use a wired port
instead of wireless whenever possible. The advantages of using wired connections include dedicated
bandwidth instead of having to share with other users, fewer attacks of network traffic interruptions, and
less susceptibility to interference and outages than wireless access points. Use wired ports for desktops
and computer labs instead of wireless.

1. Wired networks, also called Ethernet networks, are the most common type of local area network (LAN)
technology. A wired network is simply a collection of two or more computers, printers, and other devices linked by
Ethernet cables. Ethernet is the fastest wired network protocol, with connection speeds of 10 megabits per second
(Mbps) to 100 Mbps or higher. Wired networks can also be used as part of other wired and wireless networks. To
connect a computer to a network with an Ethernet cable, the computer must have an Ethernet adapter (sometimes
called a network interface card, or NIC). Ethernet adapters can be internal (installed in a computer) or external
(housed in a separate case). Some computers include a built-in Ethernet adapter port, which eliminates the need for
a separate adapter (Microsoft)

Three basic network topologies are most used today.

1. Star network - a generally more simplistic type of topology, has one central hub that connects to three or more
computers and the ability to network printers. This type can be used for small businesses and even home networks.
The star network is very useful for applications where some processing must be centralized, and some must be
performed locally. The major disadvantage is the star network is its vulnerability. All data must pass through one
central host computer and if that host fails the entire network will fail.

2. Bus network -has no central computer and all computers are linked on a single circuit. This type broadcasts
signals in all directions and it uses special software to identify which computer gets what signal. One disadvantage
with this type of network is that only one signal can be sent at one time, if two signals are sent at the same time
they will collide, and the signal will fail to reach its destination. One advantage is that there is no central computer
so if one computer goes down others will not be affected and will be able to send messages to one another.
(Laudon)

3. Ring network - Like the bus network, the ring network does not rely on a central host computer either. Each
computer in the network can communicate directly with any other computer, and each processes its applications
independently. A ring network forms a closed loop and data is sent in one direction only and if a computer in the
network fails the data is still able to be transmitted.

WIRELESS NETWORKS

A wireless network, which uses high-frequency radio waves rather than wires to communicate between nodes, is
another option for home or business networking. Individuals and organizations can use this option to expand their
existing wired network or to go completely wireless. Wireless allows for devices to be shared without networking
cable which increases mobility but decreases range.

There are two main types of wireless networking:

1. Peer-to-peer or ad-hoc An ad-hoc - consists of several computers each equipped with a wireless networking
interface card. Each computer can communicate directly with all the other wireless-enabled computers. They can
share files and printers this way but may not be able to access wired LAN resources unless one of the computers
acts as a bridge to the wired LAN using special software.

2. Infrastructure wireless network - consists of an access point or a base station. In this type of network, the
access point acts like a hub, providing connectivity for the wireless computers. It can connect the wireless LAN to a
wired LAN, allowing wireless computer access to LAN resources, such as file servers or existing Internet
Connectivity.

There are four basic types of transmission standards for wireless networking. These types are produced by the
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). These standards define all aspects of radio frequency wireless
networking. They have established four transmission standards; 802.11, 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g.

The basic differences between these four types are connection speed and radio frequency. 802.11 and 802.11b
are the slowest at 1 or 2 Mbps and 5.5 and 11Mbps respectively. They both operate off the 2.4 GHz radio frequency.
802.11a operates off a 5 GHz frequency and can transmit up to 54 Mbps and the 802.11g operates off the 2.4 GHz
frequency and can transmit up to 54 Mbps. Actual transmission speeds vary depending on such factors as the
number and size of the physical barriers within the network and any interference in the radio transmissions.

Stored-Program Concept

Storage of instructions in computer memory to enable it to perform a variety of tasks in sequence or intermittently.
The idea was introduced in the late 1940s by John von Neumann, who proposed that a program be electronically
stored in a binary-number format in a memory device so that instructions could be modified by the computer as
determined by intermediate computational results. Other engineers, notably John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert,
contributed to this idea, which enabled digital computers to become much more flexible and powerful.
Nevertheless, engineers in England built the first stored-program computer, the Manchester Mark, shortly before
the Americans built EDVAC, both operational in 1949.

SOLAR PANEL

It works by allowing photons to knock electrons free from atoms to generate the flow of electricity . To work,
photovoltaic cells need to create an electric Fled much like a magnetic field which occurs due to opposite
poles. To get this field, it should be "doped" silicon with other materials, giving each slice of the sandwich a
positive or negative electrical charge.
So, when a photon of sunlight knocks an electron free, the electric field will push that electron out of the
silicon junction A couple of other components of the cell turn these electrons into usable power. Metal
conductive plates on the sides of the cell collect the electrons and transfer them to wires. At that point, the
electrons can flow like any other source of electricity.

BENEFITS OF SOLAR PANEL

•Help reduce air pollution

•Renewable energy source

•Reduce electricity bill

•Off grid-living