Question

1.Check your car and find some electric/magnetic components, explain their working principle from physics. Such as battery, generator, alternator, starter, speed sensor, etc. Must list more than 4 components.

Answer 1

SOLUTION

(1) Automotive Battery.

Is a device composed by electro-chemical cell which consists of a deposit of sulfuric acid and inside it a set of lead plates, parallel to each other and arranged alternately in terms of their polarity positive (+) and negative (-). The function of this device is convert chemical reactions to electrical current.

(2) Starter

It is an electric motor powered by direct current with small magnets and used to facilitate the ignition of internal combustion engines, to overcome the initial resistance of the kinematic components of the engine when starting. They can be for two or four stroke engines.

(3) Alternator

Is an electrical device, capable of transforming mechanical energy into electrical energy, generating an alternating current by means of electromagnetic induction. The alternators are created, following the principle that in a conductor subjected to a variable magnetic field, during a given time it will induce an electrical voltage or electromotive force, whose polarity depends on the direction of the field and the value of the flow that passes through it. (Faraday's law).

(4) Spark plug

Convert the electrical energy generated by the ignition coil into an electric arc, which in turn allows the air and fuel mixture to expand rapidly generating mechanical work that is transmitted to the piston or rotary piston (Wankel). For this, it is necessary to supply a sufficiently high voltage to the spark plug, by the engine ignition system to produce the spark, at least 5,000 V. This function of raising the voltage is done by self-induction in the high voltage coil .

(5) Speed sensor

It is an emitting device used to read the rotation speed of a vehicle's wheel. It usually consists of a jagged and collected ring.