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Whatisthemaindifferencebetweenelectricalandelectronics?Quora

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Whatisthemaindifferencebetweenelectricaland
electronics?

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electronicappliances?

100+Answers

Whatisthemaindifferencesbetweenelectronic
deviceandelectricdevice?

LoringChien,electricalengineerfor40years,Sr.MemberIEEE
18.5kViewsMostViewedWriterinElectronicswith1980+answers

ElectricalEngineeringisthemajorfieldofstudythatencompassesElectronics
Engineering.

What'sthedifferenceinmeaningbetween"electric"
and"electronic"?

ElectricalEngineeringcouldbethoughtoftonotonlyincludeElectronicsbutpower
generationanddistribution,motors,electromechanicaldevices,computerengineering,
certaincomputerprogrammingdisciplines,communication,optics,MEMs,magnetics,
transformers,bioelectronics,radioandlighting.

Howdoyousimplyexplainthedifferencebetween
electricalandelectronics?

ElectronicsisoftenthoughtofasencompassinganaloganddigitalandRFdesignand
optoelectricandcomponents,aswellascomputerengineeringandcomputerarchitecture.
Byassociationandapplicationofelectronicscritcaltothetechnologies,itisalsowell
involvedinsomewaywiththemostoftheitemsontheElectricalEngineeringlistabove.
WrittenSep6,2014ViewUpvotes

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MoreAnswersBelow

Whatisthedifferencebetweenelectronicandelectricals?
Whatisdiffferencebetweenelectronicsandelectrical?
What'sthedifferencebetweenelectricalgoodsandelectronicappliances?
Whatisthemaindifferencesbetweenelectronicdeviceandelectricdevice?
What'sthedifferenceinmeaningbetween"electric"and"electronic"?
GuidoMller,StudiedElectricalEngineering,changedtoPhysics,workinginIT
business
23.4kViews

"Electrical"asin"electricalengineering"describeseverythinginvolvingelectricity(EE
spreadsovertopicslikehighvoltageandlowvoltage,highfrequencycircuits,digitaland
analogcircuits,medicaltechnology,audio/videoelectronics,measurementandcontrol
technology,powergenerators,electricmotors,batterymanagement,communications
engineering,tonameafew).Sobasicallyeverythingwhereanelectriccircuitoranelectric
fieldisinvolved,electricalenergyis"generated"(transformed)ortransported.

Orthis:

"Electronics"isasubsetofthis:everytechnology,whereyouinfluenceandcontrolthe
behaviorofelectronsinacircuitbyanothercurrent,withoutmechanicalparts(switches,
relays)orelectromagnetism(coils,oscillationcircuit).SothisisaboutDiodes,Transistors

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Whatisthemaindifferencebetweenelectricalandelectronics?Quora

andalike,arrangedandminiaturizedinIntegratedCircuitsandalike(electrontubeswere
thestartofit).Everythingyoufindinacomputerorinthecontrolunitofacar(the
electricmotors,whichledyouadjustyourseatorloweryourwindow,wouldbeelectrical
again).Everythingyoufindinasmartphone.Thevoltageisinmostcaseslimitedto5V,
withlowcurrent.Usuallytheelectroniccircuitsaresolderedonacircuitboard:

Searchforquestions,people,andtopics

SignIn

WrittenMar15ViewUpvotes

BalajeeSeshadri,DidB.E.EEEintheyear1984.
29.7kViewsMostViewedWriterinElectronicswith120+answers

ElectricalisallaboutGeneration(V),Transmission(I),Utilization(R),Measurement
(V=IR&P=VI)andManualControl(Switch/Regulator).
ElectronicsisallaboutAutomaticControl(y=f(x)).Toimplementtheautomaticcontrol,
intheinitialdaysVacuumTubeswereused,thenTransistorswereused.NowadaysICs
areusedinElectronics

Therelationbetweenx(X1,X2,X3)andy(Y1,Y2,Y3)iscalledElectronics.Youcould
usevariouscomponentsinbetweenx&y.Butallthecomponentsmustbecontrolling
electronsbyelectrons.Ifyouinvolvemagneticcomponents,thenthissystemiscalled
Electromagnetics.Ifyouinvolvemechanicalcomponentsitiscalledelectromechanical.
Theinputxiselectricalinputandtheoutputyiselectricaloutput.Iftheinputxandthe
outputyvariesfrom0VnVcontinuouslythenthiselectronicsiscalledAnalog
Electronics.Iftheinputxandtheoutputyhaddiscretesteps(normally2)thenthis
electronicsiscalledDigitalElectronics.
SoElectronicsisallaboutcontrollingElectrons.
InterestinglytherearethreetypesofICsASIC,FPGAandMicroprocessor.Afterthe
inventionofMicroprocessor,Electronicsisslowlymovingtowardssoftware.Todaymajority
ElectronicsisSoftware.MostoftheECEstudentsstillthinkselectronicsmeanscircuits.
InICstherearetwomajortypes.FixedICandflexibleICs.
FixedICsarecalledASIC(ApplicationSpecificIC)whichoncemanufacturedcannotbe
altered.Therelationbetweeninputandoutputisfixed.
InFlexibleICstherearetwotypes.ConfigurableICsandProgrammableICs.
ConfigurableICsarecalledPLD,CPLDandFPGA.TheseICscanbeconfiguredany
numberoftimes.ButwhileICisinuse,reconfigurationisnotpossible.Butbeforeusing
theICConfigurationmustbedone.UnfortunatelytheseICswerecalledPLD
(ProgrammableLogicDevices),buttheseareactually"ConfigurableLogicDevices"(CLD).
ProgrammablelogicdevicesarecalledMicroprocessor.Theinternalcircuitsare
reconfiguredeverystepbasedontheinstruction(Opcode).Sincetheseopcodesare
executedsequentiallytheseICsarecalledprogrammableICs.
UpdatedDec6,2015ViewUpvotes

MarkLEvans,35yearsaselectronicstechnicianandhobbyist.

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24.8kViewsMarkhas90+answersinElectronics

UsuallywhentherearealreadyseveralanswersIupvoteoneortwoandmoveon.Ican't
seedoingthistoday.
MyanswerwilldealwithcommonusageintheUSAandmayvaryinothercultures.
Electricaldealswithgeneration,distribution,anduseofelectricpower.Thisincludes
generators,motors,transformers,andseveralother"brute"devices.
Searchforquestions,people,andtopics
Electronicsistheutilizingofelectricityforaplethoraofusesbothanaloganddigital.
Prettymucheverythingthatisnotelectrical.Themanipulationofthiselectricity.

SignIn

NowwegettotherealworldanddrawtheVenndiagramandtheoverlapishuge.Theten
toncraneoverheadiselectricalbutthereiselectronicsinsideforcontrolcircuitry.Goesfor
abouteverythingnowdays.
UpdatedJan30,2015ViewUpvotes

HirdeshChaturvedi,DEPT.OFMASTERS(POWERELECTRONICS)
6.1kViewsHirdeshhas30+answersinEngineering

Electrical andelectronicengineering maysoundsimilar,buttheyarevery

different.Bothinvolvemovingelectricityaroundacircuittopowerusefulproductsand
machines,butthatiswherethesimilarityends!
Howdotheywork?
Themaindifferencebetweenelectricalandelectroniccircuitsisthatelectricalcircuits
havenodecisionmaking(processing)capability,whilstelectroniccircuitsdo.Anelectric
circuitsimplypowersmachineswithelectricity.However,anelectroniccircuitcaninterpret
asignaloraninstruction,andperformatasktosuitthecircumstance.Forexample,a
microwaveovenoftenbleepswhenithasfinishedcooking,toinformtheuserthathisor
hermealisready.
Mostmodernappliancesuseacombinationofelectronicandelectricalcircuitry.A
washingmachinehasanelectricalcircuitcomprisingaplugsocket,fuse,on/offswitch,
heaterandmotor,whichrotatesthedrum.Thedesiredwashcycleandtemperatureare
inputtedbytheuserviathecontrolpanel.Theseinstructionsareinterpretedbyelectronic
circuits,whichhavebeendesignedandprogrammedtounderstandwhattheuserwould
likebasedonwhatbuttonshavebeenpressed.Whentheelectroniccircuithasinterpreted
thesecommands,itsendssignalstotheelectricalcircuittooperatetheheaterandmotor,
toheatandrotatethedrum,forthetimerequired.
Adifferenceofscale
Mostelectroniccomponentsareverysmall,andrequiresmalldirectcurrent(DC)voltages.
Asinglemicroprocessor ,whichwillfitontheendofyourfinger,maycontain
hundredsorthousandsoftinycomponents,someofwhichareonlyafewatomswide!
Electricalcomponentstendtobelarger,andusealternatingcurrent(AC)voltages.Whilst
mostelectroniccomponentsoperateon312voltsDC,electricalappliancesrequire230
voltsAC.Infactoriesandpowerstations,however,componentsmayrequireupto11,000
volts,andmostelectricitytravelsaroundtheUKat400,000volts!
Someproducts,suchascomputers,havefarmoreelectroniccomponentsthanelectrical
components.Largeindustrialsitessuchasfactoriesorpowerstations,however,havefar
moreelectricalcomponents.
Howdotheyworktogether?
Thelinkbetweenelectronicandelectricalcircuitsistypicallyprovidedbyrelaysor
transistors.Theseareessentiallyswitchesbut,ratherthanbeingpushedmanuallylikea
lightswitch,areoperatedbyasmallcurrentfromanelectroniccircuit.Therefore,asmall
circuitoftenwithmanytinycomponentscanbeusedtooperatemuchlargerelectrical
equipment.Thismakesusinghouseholdandindustrialproductssafer,andmeanstheyare
smallerandmoreenergyefficient.
Relaysaremechanicaldeviceswhich,whenasmallcurrentisappliedfromanelectronic
circuit,ametalcontactorclosestheelectricalcircuit,allowingamuchlargercurrentto
pass.Relayswerehoweverlargeandunreliable,andtendedtorequirealotofcurrent.
Afterrepeateduse,themovingpartsbecomewornandstopfunctioningcorrectly.
Transistors,however,canbemademuchsmallerandrequiretinyamountsofcurrent,and
havenomovingparts.Thetransistorwasinventedin1948,andisarguablythemost
importantinventionofthelast100years.
Ithinkyougotansinphotobelow.

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