Spark Acronyms & Definitions
How do you find resistance in a parallel circuit?
1/Resistance Total = 1/R-1 + 1/R-2 + 1/R-3 + etc...
What is the Phase offset for Three Phase?
120-Degrees.
What is the Phase Offset for Single Phase?
180-Degrees.
What is the term "Baby" used for?
A 1K fresnel light.
What is Delta?
A 240 Volt three phase configuration of coils in transformers and generators resembling a triangle using three hots and a grounded conductor to produce single phase 240/120-Volt and single phase 120-Volt systems. Has a 208-Volt Ghost Leg.
What is a Parallel Circuit?
A circuit in which electricity has multiple paths to flow from negative to positive. Each lamp receives full voltage so that the current flows through each branch independently.
What is a Series Circuit?
A circuit in which electricity only has one path to complete the circuit.
What is a Shock Block?
A class A, in-line, G.F.C.I. Device.
What is a Short Circuit?
A connection that allows current to take an unintended path.
What is a Dead Short?
A current flows along an unintended path with no resistance or impedance.
What is Forward Phase Dimming?
A dimming technology that uses an S.C.R. Or triac circuit to control the duty cycle by choking the A.C. Wave before beginning it's rising to the peak. Limiting the units access to voltage for fractions of a second and making it appear dim.
What is a baby pin?
A five-and-eighth inch mounting pin or receptacle
What is a Ghost Load?
A load not used to light the set and placed on a circuit to balance the various legs of power.
What is a baby stand?
A stand with a five-and-eighth inch pin.
What is an Ammeter?
A test meter for measuring amperage.
What is W.Y.E?
A three phase configuration of coils in transformers and generators resembling a "Y" using three hots, a neutral, and a ground to produced single phase 120-Volt, single phase 208-Volt, single phase 208/120-Volt, three phase 208-Volt, and three phase 208-Y/120-Volt
What is Alternating Current?
A type of electrical current, in which the direction of the flow of electrons switches back and forth at regular intervals.
What is Reverse Phase Dimming?
A type of electronic dimmer which employs an I.G.B.T. Circuit to chop the back half of the sinewave, while also reducing the high inrush current that causes lamps and dimmers to vibrate.
What is MOSTFET?
A type of transistor that can be employed for reverse phase dimming usually for dimmer of 200-Watts or less.
What does A.C. stand for?
Alternating Current
What does A.M.P.T.P stand for?
American Motion Picture and Television Producers
What does A.N.S.I stand for?
American National Standards Institute
What does A.S.A stand for?
American Standards Association
What does A.S.A. Stand for?
American Standards Association
What does A.W.G stand for?
American Wire Gauge
What does A.W.G. Stand for?
American Wire Gauge
How do you find amperage in a parallel circuit?
Amperage Total = Amp-1 + Amp-2 + Amp-3 + etc...
How do you find amperage in a series circuit?
Amperage is the same across the circuit
What does "I" stand for?
Amperage.
What does "A" stand for?
Ampere.
What is Three-Phase?
An alternated current source of power with three phase wires, in which each phase leads a third of a cycle apart from the last.
What is a Continuous Load?
An electrical load that is to be delivered continuously for more than three hours.
What does C.R.I stand for?
Color Rendering Index
What is a Rectifer?
Converts A.C. Into D.C..
What is an Inverter?
Converts D.C. into A.C..
What does C.C.T stand for?
Correlated Color Temperature
What does D.M.X stand for?
Digital Multiplex
What does D.C. stand for?
Direct Current.
What is Polarity?
Direction of flow.
What is Direct Current?
Electrons flow from the power source's negative terminal through the circuit to the positive terminal. The polarity never changes.
What does E.S.R stand for?
Ellipsoidal Reflector Spotlight
What is a G.F.C.I?
Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. A special type of circuit protection required around water, pools, and in wet locations that detects current leakage.
What does H.M.I. stand for?
Hydrargyrum Mercury Medium-Arc Iodide
What does I.G.B.T stand for?
Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor
What does I.A.T.S.E stand for?
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees
What does I.B.E.W stand for?
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
What is k.V.A?
Kilo Volt-Amperes. One thousand Volt-Ampere
What is k.W.h?
Kilo Watt-Hour. The measurement of the total amount of electrical power consumed over a given time.
What is k.W?
Kilo Watts. One Thousand Watts.
What does L.E.D. stand for?
Light Emitting Diode
What is a Volt?
Measurement of electrical pressure
What is Hertz?
Measurement of frequency
What is True R.M.S.?
Much more accurate reading of voltage and current because of the meter's microprocessor.
What does N.E.C stand for?
National Electrical Code.
What is Frequency?
Number of cycles per second of alternating current.
What does O.S.H.A stand for?
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
What does P.A.R stand for?
Parabolic Aluminum Reflector.
What is the Line Loss equation?
Power = Amperage-Squared TIMES Resistance P=I^2R
What is the Power Factor equation?
Power Factor = True Power (Watts) OVER Apparent Power (V.A.) PF=W/VA
How do you find resistance in a series circuit?
Resistance Total = Ohms-1 + Ohms-2 + Ohms-3 + etc...
What is R.M.S.?
Root Mean Square. The value of A.C. Voltage and current.
What is Effective Voltage?
The R.M.S. of the sinewave.
What is Ampacity?
The amperage capacity that the cable can carry continuously.
What is Mired Shift?
The color shift of a given gel when used with any source.
What is Induction?
The components that builds a magnetic field.
What is Capacitance?
The components that store a charge.
What is Inverse Square Law?
The distance of separation is proportional by the inverse square to intensity. The further the throw, the weaker the intensity.
What is Single Phase?
The distribution of alternating current electrical power using one phase wire and the neutral, or two phase wires, in which the voltage on both lines varies in unison.
What is a Joule?
The energy power applied over time.
What is Voltage Drop?
The erosion of the voltage in a conductor.
What is Inrush Current?
The maximal instantaneous input of current drawn by an electrical device when first turned on.
What is a Watt?
The measurement of electrical power.
What is an Ohm?
The measurement of electrical resistance.
What is Amperage?
The measurement of the number of electrons moving through a conductor.
What is Resistance?
The opposition to the flow of current.
What is Voltage?
The potential difference of electromotive force between two points out a conducting wire.
What is Line Loss?
The power dropped due to the resistance of the conductor.
What is an Ampere-hour?
The quantity of electricity equal to the number of amperes times the number of hours of charge that a battery can deliver.
What is Power?
The rate at which electrical work is being done.
What is Current?
The rate of flow of electrons.
What is Power Factor?
The ratio of actual power in Watts to the apparent power in volt-amperes.
What is Reactance?
The results from induction and capactiance.
What is the Voltage Drop formula for Three Phase?
The square root of three TIMES Copper TIMES Length TIME Amps DIVIDED by Circular Mills 1.732(KIL)/Cm
What is Wattage?
The total power output.
What is Continuity?
The unbroken flow of electricity through a conductor.
What is the Primary Side?
The unusable line side of power coming in to the transformer.
What is the Secondary Side?
The usable load side of power coming in from the transformer.
What is the most common type of power system in our industry?
Three-phase 208-Y/120-Volt
What is the Voltage Drop formula for Single Phase?
Two TIMES Copper TIMES Length TIMES Amps DIVIDED by Circular Mills 2KIL/Cm
What is Paper Amps?
Using the power formula, instead of dividing the wattage by the full voltage, the wattage is divided by the nearest hundredth to find a safety amperage above the operating amperage. I.e: 1,000 Watts DIVIDED 100 Volts = 10 Amps.
What is V.A?
Volt-Ampere;. V.A = Volts TIMES Amps
How do you calculate for Power Factor?
Volt-Power Factor = Power Factor TIMES Volts VPF=(PF%)V
How do you find voltage in a series circuit?
Voltage Total = Volt-1 + Volt-2 + Volt-3 + etc....
How do you find voltage in a parallel circuit?
Voltage is the same across the circuit
What is Ohm's Law?
Volts = Amps TIMES Ohms
What is the Power Formula?
Watts = Volts TIMES Amps
What is Impedance?
When resistance and reactance together result in the total opposition to the current.
What is a Closed Circuit?
When the electrical current can complete a complete loop of the circuit.
What is an Overload?
When too large of a load is placed on a circuit.