Why transformer is needed and how it works? ~ EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Why transformer is needed and how it works?

You have surely watched a transformer in your locality and might have thought that why we need these transformers and how it works. If you have these questions in your mind then this article belongs to you.

Why transformer is needed and how it works?

Let's first understand what is the job of the transformer and why we need it. A transformer is a device that converts high voltage at low current to low voltage at high current and vice versa. Thus transformers are used to convert electricity at high voltage to lower voltage. It is because from the power station the electricity is transmitted at high voltage to different areas. But at home, we need low voltage and high current. Thus we require a device that can convert this electricity at high voltage and low current to low voltage and high current. Thus this job is done by the transformer. So the transformer are installed near the houses where electricity has to be provided. Now you may ask that if at home we use electricity with high current supply at low voltage then why shouldn't at first place the power station should transmit it at high current and low voltage. But it is due to the reason that on doing so there would be a lot of power loss. For more clarity about this point, you may read an article about it in my this blog titled - "why electricity is transmitted at high voltage?".
Now I hope you may have understood why we need a transformer. So let's now understand its working.

Why transformer is needed and how it works?

The transformer works on the principle of induced emf. Now let's first learn about this induced emf thing. When a charging current is passed through a coil, this changing current produces a changing magnetic field. And when changing magnetic field runs around any coil, it produces current in that coil. So changing electric and magnetic field produces changing magnetic and electric field respectively. Now suppose you have a wire and you pass changing the electric current through it. Then this changing electric current will produce changing magnetic field around it. Now take this near another wire which is connected to a LED bulb. Now the changing magnetic field of the first coil will generate changing the current in the second coil and the bulb will glow. This induction of current in the second coil is called induced emf.

Why transformer is needed and how it works?

The same thing happens in the transformer too but at just a huge level. The transformer has two coils wrapped around the iron core. One wire that is connected to the power station or main supply is called the primary coil. And another coil that is connected to load or for distribution is called the secondary coil. Now the purpose of wrapping it around iron core is to increase the magnetic field produced in the process. Now as the changing current, with high voltage is passed through the primary coil of the transformer, it produces changing magnetic field. And this changing magnetic field produces changing the current in the secondary coil but at low voltage. Thus the transformer converts low current at high voltage to high current at low voltage, and these transformers are called step down transitions. Another type of transformers are setup transformers which just do its opposite i.e. convert high current at low voltage to low current at high voltage.

Do you know that even fire flames can conduct electricity?

Thanks for reading our post Why transformer is needed and how it works? Hope you gain your knowledge about this topic and you learn an interesting topic about Science Knowledge.

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