How Do Relays Work?
Even though most people do not realize it, their bodies are always on guard. No matter what type of activity is being engaged in, the body’s senses are helping protect against any type of threat and reflexes are setting ready to act or react in a second’s notice. If the slightest danger threatens the body, reflexes kick in and send a signal to the brain which reacts and saves the body from harm. An example might be if a person is working with power tools and a little chip of wood flies off the saw and up toward the area of the eyes. In less than a second the eyelashes signal the brain and it signals the eyes to close tightly in order to protect the eyesight. Relays are an electrical component that works in much the same way. Relays are magnetic switches which are ready to switch things off or on in less than a second.
What are relays?
Relays are electromagnetic switches that are operated by a rather small electrical current. The current is able to turn off or on another, larger electrical current when signaled. A relay is sort of like a lever that operates using electricity. When it is switched on using a small current, then it in turn can switch on other appliances or applications by using a stronger current. These are very useful electronic parts. There are many types of sensors that are used in various types of electrical equipment but they are only capable of producing very small currents. Sometimes these smaller currents are necessary in order to operate a bigger apparatus that needs larger currents. Relays are used to fill in the gap so that a small current can be used to activate a larger one. What this means is that relays can be used as a switch which turns items off or on; or as an amplifier which converts a small current into a larger one.
How do relays work?
An electrical component of the relay is an electromagnet. This component is comprised of a small iron coil that becomes magnetic when an electrical current flows through it. The relay is basically used to link two different circuits together. There is typically an input circuit that is powered using a switch or a sensor on one side. Once the circuit is activated, it will send the current to the electromagnet which will pull a metal switch closed. This in turn activates a second circuit – the output. In essence, the small current produced by the input circuit is used to activate the larger current through the output circuit.
Relays in Real Life
Relays are used in many areas in real world applications. One example might be a cooling system. An electronically operated cooling system will need to be capable of switching a fan off or on depending on the temperature in the room. A thermometer is an electrical circuit containing a sensor. But it is only capable of producing small electrical currents. These are no where strong enough to provide power to the electrical motor that is used in the large fan. But if the thermometer is connected to the input circuit of a relay, the small current it produces can be used to trigger the output circuit thereby allowing for a larger current to flow which turns on the fan in the central heat or air conditioning unit.
Who invented the first relay?
Joseph Henry invented relays in 1835. He switched a larger electromagnet off and on using a smaller one. He also speculated at that time that it would be possible for relays to control electrical machines from a distance. He also used this idea to work with other inventors on another invention, the electric telegraph. Later on relays were used in telephones for switches and some of the earliest computers. They were very commonly used and extremely popular until transistors were invented in the 1940s. A transistor operates similarly to relays but they are much faster and use a lot less electricity. The transistor works only with very small currents so relays are still in use for many applications today. Relays were an important invention as without them, there would be no transistors today.
What are relays?
Relays are electromagnetic switches that are operated by a rather small electrical current. The current is able to turn off or on another, larger electrical current when signaled. A relay is sort of like a lever that operates using electricity. When it is switched on using a small current, then it in turn can switch on other appliances or applications by using a stronger current. These are very useful electronic parts. There are many types of sensors that are used in various types of electrical equipment but they are only capable of producing very small currents. Sometimes these smaller currents are necessary in order to operate a bigger apparatus that needs larger currents. Relays are used to fill in the gap so that a small current can be used to activate a larger one. What this means is that relays can be used as a switch which turns items off or on; or as an amplifier which converts a small current into a larger one.
How do relays work?
An electrical component of the relay is an electromagnet. This component is comprised of a small iron coil that becomes magnetic when an electrical current flows through it. The relay is basically used to link two different circuits together. There is typically an input circuit that is powered using a switch or a sensor on one side. Once the circuit is activated, it will send the current to the electromagnet which will pull a metal switch closed. This in turn activates a second circuit – the output. In essence, the small current produced by the input circuit is used to activate the larger current through the output circuit.
Relays in Real Life
Relays are used in many areas in real world applications. One example might be a cooling system. An electronically operated cooling system will need to be capable of switching a fan off or on depending on the temperature in the room. A thermometer is an electrical circuit containing a sensor. But it is only capable of producing small electrical currents. These are no where strong enough to provide power to the electrical motor that is used in the large fan. But if the thermometer is connected to the input circuit of a relay, the small current it produces can be used to trigger the output circuit thereby allowing for a larger current to flow which turns on the fan in the central heat or air conditioning unit.
Who invented the first relay?
Joseph Henry invented relays in 1835. He switched a larger electromagnet off and on using a smaller one. He also speculated at that time that it would be possible for relays to control electrical machines from a distance. He also used this idea to work with other inventors on another invention, the electric telegraph. Later on relays were used in telephones for switches and some of the earliest computers. They were very commonly used and extremely popular until transistors were invented in the 1940s. A transistor operates similarly to relays but they are much faster and use a lot less electricity. The transistor works only with very small currents so relays are still in use for many applications today. Relays were an important invention as without them, there would be no transistors today.