electro-, electr-, electri-

(Greek > Latin: electric, electricity; from amber, resembling amber, generated from amber which when rubbed vigorously [as by friction], produced the effect of static electricity)

Electronics in our lives consists of numerous tools

Equipment which we use everyday relies on electronics to function including calculators, car controls, cameras, washing machines, medical scanners, mobile telephones, radar systems, computers; as well as many other applications or devices which are listed in this unit.

electric hare
An electrically driven, artificial hare or rabbit, which is run on a track, that the dogs chase in a race.
electric heat, electric heating
Any method or process in which electric energy becomes heat energy by resisting the free flow of electric current; such as, radiant heating.
electric hygrometer
1. An electrical instrument that measures the humidity of the atmosphere.
2. A tool for indicating by electrical means the humidity of the ambient atmosphere.

It is usually based on the relation between the electric conductance of a film of hygroscopic material and its moisture content.

electric hysteresis, ferroelectric hysteresis, dielectric hysteresis
The dependence of the polarization of ferroelectric materials not only on the applied electric field but also on their previous history.

It is similar to magnetic hysteresis in ferromagnetic materials.

Hysteresis is the lag between making a change; such as, increasing or decreasing electric power, and the response or effect of that change.

It usually refers to turn-on and turn-off points in electrical, electronic, and mechanical systems.

electric ignition
1. The ignition system in an automobile or internal-combustion engine that ignites the combustible mixture in the engine cylinders with a high-voltage, high-tension spark produced between metal points in a spark plug.
2. Ignition of a charge of fuel vapor and air in an internal-combustion engine by passing a high-voltage electric current between two electrodes in a combustion chamber.
electric image
1. An array of electric charges, either stationary or moving, in which the density of charge is proportional at each point to the light values of corresponding points in an optical image to be reproduced.
2. An electric charge measured from an arbitrary reference line which is used in finding the electric field set up by fixed electric charges in the area of a conductor.

The electric conductor, with its distribution of induced surface charges, is replaced by one or more of these fictitious charges.

electric impedance
The opposition to electron flow in a conducting material.
electric instrument
An electricity-measuring tool which indicates an ammeter or voltmeter, in contrast to an electric meter that records.
electric intensity, electric field intensity, electric field strength
The magnitude of an electric field at a point in the field that is equal to the force that would be exerted on a small unit charge placed at that point.

The electric field is the set of all values of the electric field strength, but electric field and electric field intensity (as well as electric field strength and electric vector) are used more or less interchangeably.

The trend is to use an electric field both for the field taken as a whole and for its value at any point with a context being sufficient to determine the precise meaning.

electric knife
A surgical instrument that uses electrical current to produce heat, that incises (cuts into) tissue by cauterization (use of heat to destroy abnormal tissue).
electric lamp, electric lamps
An electric lamp in which light is produced; such as, an incandescent lamp, arc lamp, glow lamp, or fluorescent lamp, all of which produces and projects light when voltage is applied across the terminals.
electric length
The physical length of a transmission line or its equivalent, corrected for any inhomogeneities (not uniform in structure or composition) which may effect the speed of propagation, and that is expressed in wavelength, radians, or degrees.
electric light baker
A device for warming a part of the body, as with arthritis.

A baker consists of two or more electric lamps mounted in semicircular containers used for applying heat to various parts of the body.

electric light, electric lighting
1. An incandescent lamp, or the light produced by this instrument.
2. Any form of lighting produced by an electric current in any one of several devices; for example, a fluorescent lamp, an arc lamp, an incandescent lamp, etc.
electric line of force, electric flux line, electric flux, electrostatic flux
1. An imaginary line in which each segment of the line is parallel to the direction of the electric field or the direction of the electric displacement at that point, and the density of the collection of the line is relative to the electric field or the electrical displacement.
2. The electric lines of force that make up an electric field or region.
3. The integral over a surface of the component of the electric displacement perpendicular to the surface and equal to the number of electric lines of forces crossing the surface.

The references or sources of information for compiling the words and definitions in this unit are listed at this Electronic Bibliography page or specific sources are indicated when they are appropriate.


A cross reference of word units that are related, directly and/or indirectly, with "electricity": galvano-; hodo-; ion-; piezo-; -tron; volt; biomechatronics, info; mechatronics, info.