Electrical Engineering Glossary

Hello, my name is Eric Lopez, I am 19 years old, and I am studying natural sciences at Montmorency College. Next year I will be going to university to study electrical engineering, so I have created this glossary related to our field of study to help new students like me to know some of the basic words.

ampere

noun

The ampere is the unit of electric current in the International System of Units. One ampere is equal to 6.241509074×1018 electrons worth of charge moving past a point in a second.

Example: The ampere is named for a French physicist and mathematician André-Marie Ampère.

fr: ampère

electric field

noun

A region around a charged particle or object within which a force would be exerted on other charged particles or objects.

Example: Electric fields are important in many areas of physics, and are exploited in electrical technology.

fr: champ électrique

magnetism

noun

A physical phenomenon produced by the motion of electric charge, resulting in attractive and repulsive forces between objects.

Example: The most familiar example of magnetism is a bar magnet.

fr: magnétisme

electrical circuits

noun

An electrical circuit is a complete route that an electric current can flow around.

Example: The main types of electrical circuits are Close Circuit, Open Circuit, Short Circuit, Series Circuit, and Parallel Circuit.

fr: circuits électriques

electrical conductor

noun

A conductor, or electrical conductor, is a substance or material that allows electricity to flow through it.

Example: There are four types of electrical conductors, namely, good conductors, semiconductors, resistors and non-conductors. Non-conductors are also termed as insulators.

fr: conducteur électrique

voltage

noun

Voltage is the difference in electric potential between two points.

Example: A common voltage for flashlight batteries is 1.5 volts (DC). A common voltage for automobile batteries is 12 volts (DC).

fr: tension

magnet

noun

A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field.

Example: Most permanent magnets contain iron, nickel, or cobalt.

fr: aimant

electron

noun

A stable subatomic particle with a charge of negative electricity, found in all atoms and acting as the primary carrier of electricity in solids.

Example: Electrons play an essential role in numerous physical phenomena, such as electricity, magnetism, chemistry and thermal conductivity.

fr: électron

engine

noun

An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy.

Example: The cost to replace a car engine is between $3,000 and $5,000 for most cars.

fr: moteur

vector

noun

In mathematics and physics, a vector is a term that refers colloquially to some quantities that cannot be expressed by a single number, or to elements of some vector spaces.

Example: A vector has magnitude (size) and direction.

fr: vecteur

atomic nucleus

noun

The atomic nucleus is the small, dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom.

Example: The nucleus (plural, nuclei) is a positively charged region at the center of the atom.

fr: noyau nucléaire

quantum

noun

A quantum is the minimum amount of any physical entity involved in an interaction.

Example: Quantum theory is the theoretical basis of modern physics that explains the nature and behavior of matter and energy on the atomic and subatomic level.

fr: quantique

ultraviolet

noun

Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength from 10 nm to 400 nm.

Example: Ultraviolet radiation is present in sunlight.

fr: ultraviolet

kilowatt-hour

noun

A kilowatt-hour is a unit of energy: one kilowatt of power for one hour.

Example: Kilowatt-hours are a common billing unit for electrical energy delivered to consumers by electric utilities.

fr: kilowattheure

oxidation

noun

Oxidation is the loss of electrons during a reaction by a molecule, atom or ion.

Example: The term oxidation was originally used to describe reactions in which an element combines with oxygen.

fr: Oxydation

robotics

noun

Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots.

Example: Robotics engineers are professionals who work on the conception, design, testing, analysis, and maintenance of robots and their frameworks.

fr: robotique

turbine

noun

A turbine is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it into useful work.

Example: Turbines are used in wind power, hydro power, in heat engines, and for propulsion.

fr: turbine

sensor

noun

A sensor is a device that produces an output signal for the purpose of sensing a physical phenomenon.

Example: Most sensors are electronic, but some are simple, such as a glass thermometer, which presents visual data.

fr: détecteur

corrosion

noun

Corrosion is the deterioration of a material as a result of its interaction with its surroundings and can occur at any point or at any time during petroleum and natural gas processing.

Example: Corrosion is often a slow change and can be observed over a period.

steel

noun

Steel is an alloy made up of iron with typically a few tenths of a percent of carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron.

Example: Steel is the second strongest and the most widely used metal in the world.

fr: acier

This glossary was made with the Virtual Writing Tutor glossary maker and grammar checker.