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- lag
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Difference in time between two waveforms of the same frequency expressed in degrees. Example: One waveform lags another waveform by a certain number of degrees.
- laminated core
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Core made up of sheets of magnetic material insulated from one another by an oxide or varnish.
- lamp
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Device that produces light.
- laser
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Device that produces a very narrow intense beam of light. The name is an axcronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.
- lead
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The angle by which one alternating signal leads another in time. Opposite of lag. Also a wire that connects two points in a circuit.
- lead-acid cell
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Cell made up of lead plates immersed in a sulphuric acid electrolyte. An automobile battery usually consists of six lead-acid cells.
- leakage
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Small undesirable flow of current through an insulator or dielectric.
- LED
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Abbreviation for "light emitting diode."
- left-hand-rule
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If fingers of the left hand are placed around a wire so that the thumb points in the direction of electron flow, the fingers will be pointing in the direction of the magnetic field being produced by the conductor.
- Lenz's law
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The current induced in a circuit due to a change in the magnetic field is so directed as to oppose the flux, or to exert a mechanical force to oppose the motion.
- level detector
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An op-amp circuit that compares two inputs and provides a DC output indicating the polarity relationship between the inputs. A comparator.
- lie detector
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Piece of electronic equipment also called a polygraph used to determine whether a person is telling the truth by looking for dramatic changes in blood pressure, body temperature, breathing rate, heart rate and skin moisture in response to questions.
- light
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Electromagnetic radiation in a band of frequencies that can be received by the human eye.
- lifetime
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The time from the creation of an electron hole pair until recombination occurs.
- light-emitting diode
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A semiconductor diode that converts electric energy into electromagnetic radiation at a visible and near infrared frequencies when its pn junction is forward biased.
- limiter
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Circuit or device that prevents some portion of its input from reaching the output. A clipper.
- linear
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Relationship between input and output in which the output varies in direct proportion to the input.
- linear scale
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A scale in which the divisions are uniformly spaced.
- line regulation
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The ability of a voltage regulator to maintain a constant voltage when the regulator input voltage varies.
- live
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Term used to describe a circuit or piece of equipment that is on and has current flow within it.
- load
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A source drives a load. Whatever component or piece of equipment is connected to a source and draws current from a source is a load on that source.
- load current
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Current drawn from a source by a load.
- load impedance
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Vector sum of reactance and resistance in a load.
- loading effect
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Large load impedance will draw a small load current and so loading of the source is small. (light load). A small load impedance will draw a large load current from the source. (heavy load).
- load regulation
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The ability of a voltage regulator to maintain a constant output voltage under varying load currents.
- load resistance
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Resistance of a load.
- logic
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Science of dealing with the principle and applications of gates, relays and switches.
- loss
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Term used to describe a decrease in power.
- low pass filter
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A tuned circuit designed to pass all frequencies below a designated cut-off frequency.