The Advanced Physics Series: Transducers and Measuring Devices

The Advanced Physics Series: Transducers and Measuring Devices

Alana Monet-Telfer

Sensors and Transducers

What are Sensors?

Sensors are devices that covert physical stimulus such as blood pressure, temperature, and even the speed of wind into a signal that can be shown electronically on a transducer device. Basically a sensor is device that detects physical stimulus changes around it; before converting it to a signal; which can be measured or documented. An example of a sensor is a RFID; therefore, its role is to detect items using radio waves. It’s able to detect this by the microscopic chip tags that are located in the device

What are Transducers?

Transducers are electrical devices which convert one type of energy to another type of energy. There are many transducers located in our environment and houses, for example, televisions, radios, kettles, etc.

Passive and Active Transducers

Mina types of Transducer Table

Transducer type

Information and Examples

Electromagnetic

Antenna, fans, computers, heaters, fridges, and motors.

Electrochemical

Converts electrical energy to chemical energy. An example is a Carbon monoxide sensor.

Electromechanical

Converts electrical energy to mechanical energy. Examples of these are cars, bulldozers, digging trucks, loud speakers; and factory machines.

Electro Acoustic

Converts electrical energy to acoustic energy. For example, speakers, microphone, and earphones.

Photoelectric

Photoelectric cells. These are photo resistors (which are light dependant and lower if resistance if exposed to light) and photodiode (converts light energy to voltage or current).

Electrostatic

The transducer has a fixed electrode and movable electrode which are charged electro statically. Therefore, the movable electrode changes the capacitance between the electrodes; which causes applied voltage to be created; as well as to change.

Thermoelectric

Converts temperature (heat energy) into current. Examples of these are thermisters and thermocouples.

Radio acoustic

This type of device can be used to monitor creates living on the ocean.

What are Passive Transducers?

Passive transducers are transducers that create energy and covert it from one type of energy to another type of energy, without using any of its own energy at all.

What are Active Transducers?

Active transducers are self-generating devices which require some type of external energy from the outside. The energy, which is supplied

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: Alana Monet-Telfer
Bildmaterialien: Alana Monet-Telfer
Lektorat: Alana Monet-Telfer
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 27.10.2013
ISBN: 978-3-7309-5793-6

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