| A | B |
|---|
| 1-10-100 rule | Rule that states that 1 mA of current can be felt, 10 mA is suffient to mae your muscles contract to the point you can't let go of the power source, and 100 mA can stop your heart. |
| AC | Current that is constantly changing directions at some frequency. |
| Amps | the measurement of current flowing in a circuit. |
| Berg | The small 4-pin connector on power supplies used to plug into newer 3 1/2 floppy drives. |
| Blackout | A complete loss of power. |
| Brownout | A lowering of AC voltage for some period of time. |
| Capacitor | Electrical component that holds a charge. |
| Circuit | A closed electrical pathway capable of allowing electrons to flow. |
| Closed circuit | An electrical pathway that will allow electrons to flow because there are no breaks or opens in the loop. |
| Current | Electrons flowing in a circuit. |
| DC | Crrent that flows in one direction. |
| Impedance | The opposition to current flow in a circuit. |
| Kilowatt-hour | Electricqal power delivered over time. |
| Molex | The 4-pin power connector that supplies power from the power supply to most storage devices except the floppy drive. |
| Multimeter | An electrical testing device that can measure voltage, current, and resistance. |
| Noise | Interference by other electrical equipment which causes unwanted current or voltage in a circuit. |
| Ohm's Law | Formula stating that voltage is equal to the product of resistance and current; E= I*R. |
| Open circuit | A condition where electricity cannot flow in a circuit because a switch is open or in the off position or a wire is broken. |
| P1 connector | The power connector on an ATX power supply having 20 pins on a single keyed connector. |
| P8 and P9 connectors | The power connectors on an AT power supply; connect beside each other with the black wires together in the middle. |
| Power Good Signal | Tells the computer that everything is alright with the power supply and can operate normally. |
| Power supply | The hardware component that converts AC to DC; has connectors to power the motherboard, fans, disk drives and certain other hardware components. |
| Resistance | Teh load in a circuit that causes opposition to the flow of current. |
| Spike | A high voltage condition that lasts for a very brief period of time, a few nanoseconds. |
| Surge | High voltage condition from the power company that can last up to 50 microseconds. |
| Voltage | Also known as electromotive force or potential difference; this is the push to get electrons to move in a circuit. |
| Wattage | The power rating of a power supply. |
| Watts | The measurement of power; equal to voltage times current. |
