October 1960 Popular Electronics
Table
of Contents
Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles
from
Popular Electronics,
published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.
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Here is a different type of quiz from Popular
Electronics' master quiz-maker, Robert P. Balin. Rather than the typical format where you need
to match a word or another picture with a picture, this one requires you to consider each description
and decide whether it best describes an inductive, capacitive, or reactive circuit. I confess to messing
up on question 20, because I couldn't remember whether a lagging power factor referred to voltage lagging
current or current lagging voltage. Hint: It refers to current lagging voltage. Another hint: Remember
the ELI the ICE man mnemonic.
Resistive? Inductive? or Capacitive? Quiz
By Robert P. Balin
In all of electricity and electronics, there are only three basic properties: resistance, inductance,
and capacitance. These properties, or combinations of them, can give us complete control over current,
voltage, phase, and power in any electric circuit.
Since resistive, inductive, and capacitive circuits operate on entirely different principles, each
type of circuit has a distinctive character of its own. But regardless of where or how these three basic
properties are used, they retain their individual characteristics. From the descriptions of their behavior
given below, can you identify the type of circuit referred to?
Fill in the blank with R if you think the circuit is resistive; L, if inductive; and C, if capacitive.
1) Electrical energy can remain stored in this type of circuit even after the source of energy
is removed ___
2) The current in this type of circuit is always in phase with the source of voltage
___
3) Arcing is likely to occur between the contacts when this circuit is opened ___
4) Electrical energy is stored in the magnetic fields found in this type of circuit ___
5) This circuit tries to keep its voltages constant ___
6) The flywheel effect is characteristic of this type of circuit ___
7) Electrostatic fields are used in this circuit ___
8) This type of circuit always has unity power factor ___
9) This circuit acts almost like a short circuit to a.c. voltages ___
10) Voltage across this circuit builds up to a high potential instantaneously when the circuit
is opened ___
11) If the frequency of the source voltage for this circuit is increased, the current goes
down ___
12) The current in this circuit leads the source voltage ___
13) This type of circuit can act almost like an open circuit at the instant that power is applied
___
14) No electrical energy is stored in this type of circuit at any time ___
15) Because of the surge currents in this circuit, its fuse may blow when power is applied
___
16) Conductor or component insulation may be damaged when power is removed from this circuit
___
17) This type of circuit tries to keep its current constant ___
18) Current never actually flows through this type of circuit ___
19) In this circuit the current remains the same regardless of changes in the frequency of
the source voltage ___
20) This type of circuit has a lagging power factor ___
Answers to Circuit Quiz
1 C
2 R
3 L
4 L
5 C
6 L
7 C
8 R
9 C
10 L
11 L
12 C
13 L
14 R
15 C
16 L
17 L
18 C
19 R
20 L
Posted June 17, 2014
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