Terms-C

CAD

Abbreviation for "computer aided design"

Capacitance

The ability of a capacitor to store an electrical charge. The basic unit of capacitance is the Farad.

Capacitor

An electronic component having capacitive reactance.

Carbon resistor

Resistor of fixed value made by combining carbon granules

Cathode

The negative terminal electrode of a device. The "N" material in a junction diode.

 

Cathode ray tube

(CRT) Vacuum tube used to display data in a visual form. Picture tube of a television or computer terminal.

Cell

Unit used to convert chemical energy into a DC electrical voltage.

Ceramic capacitor

Capacitor in which the dielectric is ceramic

Charge

Quantity of electrical energy.

Charge current

Current that flows to charge a capacitor or battery when voltage is applied.

Chassis

A box of metal or frame into which components are mounted

 

Choke

Inductor used to block the flow of alternating current. 

Circuit

Interconnection of components to give an electrical path between two or more components so that transfer of current could take place.   

Class A amplifier

A linear amplifier biased so the active equipment conducts through 360 degrees of the i/p waveform. 

Class B amplifier

An amplifier with two active equipments. The active components are biased so that each conducts for about 180 degrees of the i/p waveform cycle. 

Class C amplifier

An amplifier in which the active euipment conducts for less than 180 degrees of the i/p waveform cycle. 

Clipper

A diode circuit used to throw some part of a waveform 

Clipping

Distortion caused by overdriving an amplifier. 

Clock

A square waveform used for synchroniziation and timing of several circuits. 

Closed circuit

Circuit having a full path for current flow. 

Coaxial cable

Transmission line in which the signal carrying conductor is coated by a dielectric & another conductor.    

Collector

The semiconductor region in a bipolar junction transistor through which a flow of charge carriers leaves the base region. The other two are Base and emitter.      

Coulomb

Unit of electric charge. A negative coulomb charge consists of 6.24 × 10¹⁸ electrons.  

Coupling

Combining two or more circuits. 

CRT

Abbreviation for cathode ray tube. 

Current

Measured in amperes, it is the flow of electrons through a conductor. Also called as electron flow. 

Current amplifier

Amplifier to increase signal current. 

Current divider

Parallel network designed to divide the total current of a circuit