Applications of the Generator Effect Flashcards
All 6 cards in this deck
What type of current does an alternator generate, and which component allows this?
Alternating current (ac), using slip rings.
What type of current does a dynamo generate, and which component allows this?
Direct current (dc), using a split-ring commutator.
What is the purpose of the slip rings in an alternator?
They provide a continuous, moveable contact between the rotating coil and the external circuit, so the wires do not twist.
What is the purpose of the split-ring commutator in a dynamo?
It swaps the connections between the coil and the circuit every half turn, so the output current is always in the same direction.
What are the steps by which an alternator generates an alternating current?
e.g. turning the handle of a hand-cranked alternator
- The rotating coil cuts magnetic field lines, so a potential difference is induced across it.
- The coil is part of a complete circuit, so a current is induced.
- Every half turn the induced potential difference reverses, so the current changes direction — ac.
True or false? Both an alternator and a dynamo work by the generator effect.
True. Both induce a potential difference by rotating a coil in a magnetic field; they differ only in how the coil connects to the circuit.