ELECTRICAL SYMBOLS

SPLICES AND JOINTS

⬤ Rat Tail or Pig Tail - commonly use to join two or more conductors inside the junction box.

⬤ Y - Splice - generally used on small cables because the strands are flexible.

⬤ Duplex Wire Splice - two tap conductors need to extend away from the branch conductor.

⬤ Knotted Tap - under heavy tensile stress.

⬤ Plain Tap Joint - under considerable tensile stress circuit.

⬤ Aerial Tap - temporary tap.

⬤ Double Cross Joint - two tap wire

⬤ Western Union Short - Tie Splice - most widely used splice or joint.
⬤ Cross Joint - consists of two joints fitted together in the shape of a cross.

⬤ Wrapped Tap or Tee Joint - used on large solid conductors.

FUNDAMENTALS OF ELECTRICITY

⬤ Electricity - is a form of energy resulting from the existence of charges particles (such as protons or
electrons).

⬤ Dynamic Electricity - flow of electricity charges through conductors in one direction.

⬤ Electric Charges - defined as the quantity of electricity transported in one second by a current of an
ampere.

1 coulomb = 6.24 x 10^18 electrons

Definition of Terms

⬤ Voltage or Volt - electrical pressure

1 v = joules/coulomb

⬤ Ampere - measuring the strength of an electric current.

1 c = couloumb/second

⬤ Resistance - friction or opposition to the flow of current.

⬤ Watt - rate or measure of power used or consumed.

⬤ Electric Current - flow or rate of flow of electric force in a conductor.

1. Direct Current (DC)

2. Alternating Current (AC)

⬤ Circuit

1. Source of Voltage

2. A closed loop of wiring

3. An electric load

4. A means of opening and closing the circuit.

OHM's Law - current is directly proportional to the voltage and indirectly proportional to the resistance.

I = V/R P = VI

Where:
I = current

V = voltage

R = resistance or DC Electricity

P = power

3 Types of Electrical Diagram

1. Schematic Diagram - is a representation of the elements of a system using abstract graphic symbols
rather than realistic pictures.

2. Wiring Diagram - is a simple visual representation of the physical connections and physical layout of
an electrical system or circuit. It shows how the electrical wires are interconnected and can also show
where fixtures and components may be connected to the system.

3. Pictorial Diagram - shows a picturevor sketch of the various components of a specific system and the
wiring between these components.

Schematic Symbol (Single Pole Switch) Wiring Diagram:

L₁ L₂

Schematic Symbol (Two-Gang Switch) Wiring

Diagram:

L₁ L₂

Schematic Symbol (Three-Gang Switch) Wiring Diagram:

 L₁ L₂

Schematic Symbol (Three-Way Switch)

L₁ L₂

Wiring Diagram:

Series Circuit is one that has more than resistor but only one path through which the electricity
(electrons) flow from one each of the battery the electrons move along one path with no branches
through the resistor to the other end of the cell.

Parallel Circuit has two or more paths for current to flow through. Voltage is the same across each
component of the parallel circuit the sum of the circuit through each. Path is equal to this total current
that flows from the source.

Gustav Robert Kirchoff was a German physicist. He is the best known for developing “kirchoff's Laws”,
which quantity the correct and voltage in electrical circuits.

Kirchoff's Voltage Law (KVL) is Kirchoff's second law that deals with the conversation of energy around a
close circuit path. The Law states that for a closed lopp series path the algebraic sum of all voltages with
in the loop must be equal to zero.

ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

 The branch of engineering concerned with the practical applications of electricity in all its forms,
including those of the field of electronics. Electronics engineering is that branch of electrical engineering
concerned with the uses of the electromagnetic spectrum and with the application of such electronic
devices as integrated circuits and transistors.

In engineering practice, the distinction between electrical engineering and electronics is usually based
on the comparative strength of the electric currents used. In this sense, electrical engineering is the
branch dealing with “heavy current”—that is, electric light and power systems and apparatuses—
whereas electronics engineering deals with such “light current” applications as telephone and radio
communication, computers, radar, and automatic control systems.

The distinction between the fields has become less sharp with technical progress. For example, in the
high-voltage transmission of electric power, large arrays of electronic devices are used to convert
transmission-line current at power levels in the tens of megawatts. Moreover, in the regulation and
control of interconnected power systems, electronic computers are used to compute requirements
much more rapidly and accurately than is possible by manual methods.

THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ELECTRICITY

ELECTRICITY

Electricity, simply put, is the flow of electric current along a conductor. This electric current takes the
form of free electrons that transfer from one atom to the next. Thus, the more free electrons a material
has, the better it conducts. There are three primary electrical parameters: the volt, the ampere and the
ohm.

1. The Volt the pressure that is put on free electrons that causes them to flow is known as electromotive
force (EMF). The volt is the unit of pressure, i.e., the volt is the amount of electromotive force required
to push a current of one ampere through a conductor with a resistance of one ohm.

2. The Ampere defines the flow rate of electric current. For instance, when one coulomb (or 6 x 1018
electrons) flows past a given point on a conductor in one second, it is defined as a current of one
ampere.

3. The Ohm is the unit of resistance in a conductor. Three things determine the amount of resistance in
a conductor: its size, its material, e.g., copper or aluminum, and its temperature. A conductor’s
resistance increases as its length increases or diameter decreases. The more conductive the materials
used, the lower the conductor resistance becomes. Conversely, a rise in temperature will generally
increase resistance in a conductor.

OHM’S LAW defines the correlation between electric current (I), voltage (V), and resistance (R) in a
conductor.

Ohm’s Law can be expressed as: V = I × R

Where: V = volts, I = amps, R = ohms

AMPACITY is the amount of current a conductor can handle before its temperature exceeds accepted
limits. These limits are given in the National Electrical Code (NEC), the Canadian Electrical Code and in
other engineering documents such as those published by the Insulated Cable Engineers Association
(ICEA). It is important to know that many external factors affect the ampacity of an electrical conductor
and these factors should be taken into consideration before selecting the conductor size.