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Re: The "typical" high school physics teacher



At 08:28 11/30/00 -0500, Herb wrote:
On Wed, 29 Nov 2000 18:59:57 -0500 Michael Edmiston writes:
............. My [...] teacher kicked me out of class one
day because I argued with him about transformers. He said they
converted AC to DC. When he wouldn't budge I eventually told him he
didn't know what he was talking about.

On the other hand, your teacher might have been correct. Don't some
transformers, such as those that operate toy trains, convert 120 Vac into
a low voltage dc that is connected to the tracks and accessories ?
[]
Herb Gottlieb from New York City
(Where people used to give low-voltage DC toy electric train sets
to children for Christmas)

There are several popular senses for the word transformer
e.g
* an articulated model robot that morphs (transforms) to a different shape
* A wall-wart ('wall transformer'), actually a compact transformer-rectifier
that transforms 120 VAC to low voltage and rectifies and smooths it to DC
This one is like the train transformer to which Herb refers.

...then there is the engineering and physics sense of an electrical
transformer (as distinct from 'converter' hehe.)

brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net> Altus OK
Eureka!