Back To Transformer Basics

Here is a simple tutorial:

Transformer is an electrical device that can transform electricity from high to low voltage and the other way around.

A simple transformer consists essentially of two coils of insulated wire. In most transformers, the wires are wound around an iron-containing structure called the core. One coil, called primary, is connected to a source of alternating current that produces a constantly varying magnetic field around the coil. The other supplies the power to a load and is called the secondary coil.

The ratio of the number of turns in the primary coil to the numbers of turns in the secondary coil- the turns ratio-determines the ratio of the voltages in two coils. For example, if there is one turn in the primary and ten turns in the secondary coil, the voltage in the secondary coil will be 10 times that in the primary. Such transformer is called a step-up transformer.

If there are ten turns in the primary coil and one turn in the secondary the voltage in the secondary will be one- tenth that in the primary. This kind of transformer is called a step-down transformer.

Application of transformer:

The most important uses and application of transformers are:

It can increase or decrease the value of capacitor, an inductor or resistance In an AC circuit. It can thus act as an impedance transferring device.

It can be used to prevent DC from passing from one circuit to the other

It can isolate two circuits electrically.

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