# Whats the hardest electrical question you can think of



## Stu424 (Jun 6, 2012)

Trying to stump a electrician that knows it all. Anyone have any theory or work related questions with a answer of course so I can stump this knuckle head lol!!!!


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## NacBooster29 (Oct 25, 2010)

It's easy black to black white to white, any home owner can do electrical. Plumbing is tough.


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## John (Jan 22, 2007)

Stu424 said:


> Trying to stump a electrician that knows it all. Anyone have any theory or work related questions with a answer of course so I can stump this knuckle head lol!!!!


Hand him a measuring tape, a compass and a pencil. Then tell him to explain 3 phase voltage using only what you gave him.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Why isn't single phase called two phase?


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Ask them how to make money being an electrician? I bet that'll stomp them.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Theriot said:


> Ask them how to make money being an electrician? I bet that'll stomp them.










​


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

*Whats the hardest electrical question you can think of *


why do i get up at the crack of dawn lookin' to kick the whole trade in the a*s every day....????.

~CS~


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Sh-t sign me up!!


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## Stu424 (Jun 6, 2012)

K wasn't expecting that many stupid responses. 
How's a electrician make money??? He works in Fort Mac Alberta and make 130 thousand a year. Next response to this can it be from a actual electrician and make some sense??? Ex: there's a room with 3 lights you are on the outside and you have to determine what light is on a certain cct how do you determine which light is on each switch??? This is a example of a simple question so I need ones more difficult then that. Theory questions, code questions etc


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## sparky970 (Mar 19, 2008)

What is a 1000 sided shape called?


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Stu424 said:


> K wasn't expecting that many stupid responses.


U must B new here.

Ask him why a 3way switch isn't called a 2way switch.

If that's not good enough, GFY :thumbup:


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

Stu424 said:


> K wasn't expecting that many stupid responses....


 :lol: :lol: Do you have any idea where you are?!

-John


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

Stu424 said:


> K wasn't expecting that many stupid responses.
> How's a electrician make money??? He works in Fort Mac Alberta and make 130 thousand a year. Next response to this can it be from a actual electrician and make some sense??? Ex: there's a room with 3 lights you are on the outside and you have to determine what light is on a certain cct how do you determine which light is on each switch??? This is a example of a simple question so I need ones more difficult then that. Theory questions, code questions etc


what battery cable is best to cut first @ a car accident? Black (negative) , or red (positive)

~CS~


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Stu424 said:


> Ex: there's a room with 3 lights you are on the outside and you have to determine what light is on a certain cct how do you determine which light is on each switch???


Talk about stupid . WTF?

You walk *inside* and turn on the damn switches one at a time.


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Ask them which DC current flows.


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## freeagnt54 (Aug 6, 2008)

What's the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

How do you wire up an icebox?


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Why are sheetrockers a holes?


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Why are GC LAZ
Y because they are born that way.


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Why we don't have direct current from the utility comp. ?


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Why isn't there plumbing theory?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black. 

And none of them are marked.

With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Why aren't plumbers called sh-tician?


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## pudge565 (Dec 8, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> what battery cable is best to cut first @ a car accident? Black (negative) , or red (positive)
> 
> ~CS~


Actually depends on which one is the ground. Typically is it the negative but there are some positive grounds out there. Cut the ground first that way if you hit the frame or other metal cutting the non ground you don't get a spark show.


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## I_get_shocked (Apr 6, 2009)

480sparky said:


> You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black.
> 
> And none of them are marked.
> 
> With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.



assuming they are de-energized, separate the one you want to identify while splicing the rest together. At the other end test for continuity and identify the one wire which doesnt ring out and mark it. Return back and remove splice. 

??????


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I_get_shocked said:


> assuming they are de-energized, separate the one you want to identify while splicing the rest together. At the other end test for continuity and identify the one wire which doesnt ring out and mark it. Return back and remove splice.
> 
> ??????



So now you've taken your one round trip, and marked............ how many?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Ask him to explain to you how to parallel two different sized gensets. He is not in an army install or is not using army gensets.


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## I_get_shocked (Apr 6, 2009)

480sparky said:


> So now you've taken your one round trip, and marked............ how many?


just one, lol.

How can you identify all of them?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

I_get_shocked said:


> just one, lol.
> 
> How can you identify all of them?



It can be done, regardless of how many conductors there are.


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

pudge565 said:


> Actually depends on which one is the ground. Typically is it the negative but there are some positive grounds out there. Cut the ground first that way if you hit the frame or other metal cutting the non ground you don't get a spark show.


I had to explain that to a young know-it-all kid that worked at Auto Zone.
I had to get a battery for my car one night and thought since they installed for free I would let them do it.

I told the kid to take the neg. cable loose first then the positive as he was doing it the opposite. He didn't listen. When he started to connect the new battery, I told him to put the positive on first then the negative. He stopped and looked at me and said "this ain't my first battery install." Well that was enough for me. I asked if he always removed/connected them this way. He said what does it matter as long as it gets done. I tried to explain why but he still wanted to do it his way. He had a ratchet with a 12" handle and I told him if he connected the ground first and if he hit something metal on the car while putting on the positive sparks would fly. I had this happen before at another place and it blew the main fuse. I wasn't going to let him do that so I asked him to either do as I ask or give me the tools and I would do it. He didn't much like that so I asked him if I should get his manager's opinion. He did it the right way after that.


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

480sparky said:


> It can be done, regardless of how many conductors there are.



Why don't you just tell us how?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Pull those conductors out all but one mark em and tie the rest to that one and walk to the other end and pull em back in.

Whoops that won't work


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## A Little Short (Nov 11, 2010)

Peter D said:


> Why don't you just tell us how?


You asked for it! This is a rerun.:whistling2:


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

Little-Lectric said:


> You asked for it! This is a rerun.:whistling2:



The trade school I attended actually had this very same setup in the lab as part of our coursework. The black wires were all landed on terminal strips at each end for ease of meter use but the principle was the same. I just wish I could remember how to solve it now. :whistling2:


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## kielarsp (Apr 9, 2009)

Explain ELI the ICE man? ALL electricians Know what I'm talking about.


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## I_get_shocked (Apr 6, 2009)




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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

Ohh myyyy


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

480sparky said:


> You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black.
> 
> And none of them are marked.
> 
> With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.



Well, damn. That's a good one. I'll stay tuned.

Give us a hint. 

Is it a trick question? Is the WHITE tape significant?

I think I'm on the right track. You need to tie sets of two wires together at one end, marking them with strips of white tape. At the other end, you need to identify the pairs then ti the pairs together to make a giant single s shaped run, back and forth. After reading the resistance you start taking them apart and noting the new readings.

But....you'd at least need strippers for that type of solution.


Maybe you could find an apprentice and tell him that, if he helped you ring out the wires, you would give him your meter.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

220/221 said:


> Well, damn. That's a good one. I'll stay tuned.
> 
> Give us a hint.
> 
> Is it a trick question? Is the WHITE tape significant?



Nothing special about white tape. Just makes the marking more visible. A pad of numbers and/or letters, or a hot dog, works just as well. If you're so inclined, use a label maker.


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

> Why isn't there plumbing theory?


Hot on the left, cold on the right and **** flows downhill.




> Nothing special about white tape. Just makes the marking more visible. A pad of numbers and/or letters, or a hot dog, works just as well. If you're so inclined, use a label maker.


Is my edit on the right track?


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## macmikeman (Jan 23, 2007)

I know, I know: What state is Cletis really from?..............


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## TattooMan (Feb 10, 2012)

Stu424 said:


> Trying to stump a electrician that knows it all. Anyone have any theory or work related questions with a answer of course so I can stump this knuckle head lol!!!!


Where is the G-Spot and is it really a myth?!


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Haw many trolls from Eee-Jay-Tee are going to spam the forum in the next week?


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## Bbsound (Dec 16, 2011)

480sparky said:


> You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black.
> 
> And none of them are marked.
> 
> With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.


connect one wire to ground label it #1
Connect two other wires together and label them #2 & #3
connect 2 more wires together and label them #4 & #5
continue this with the rest of the wires

take your one walk down to the other end and measure the resistance to ground to find #1

then measure the resistance through the next 2 conductors to find #2 and #3

The resistance of 2000' of wire will be more than 1000'

but wait, how do you know you have #2 and #3 but not #4 and #5?


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

Bbsound said:


> connect one wire to ground label it #1
> Connect two other wires together and label them #2 & #3
> connect 2 more wires together and label them #4 & #5
> continue this with the rest of the wires
> ...



I'm sure this is the right path but you are assuming there is a common ground point.. Skipping the ground part, you can identify pairs. Combining the pairs would increase the resistance. Hmmmm

If you had enough slack and properly sized conduit, you could pull each one an inch longer than the next. You wouldn't even need the tape.


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

freeagnt54 said:


> What's the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow?


 
African or European?

Hey 480, ask the one about the basement circuit with a tone and no tone at breakers.


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## subelect (Nov 25, 2007)

Go for the simple question.
What is electricity?


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## union347sparky (Feb 29, 2012)

LARMGUY said:


> African or European?
> 
> What!? I don't know that?
> 
> What's your favorite color?


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

union347sparky said:


> LARMGUY said:
> 
> 
> > African or European?
> ...


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

Bbsound said:


> connect one wire to ground label it #1
> Connect two other wires together and label them #2 & #3
> connect 2 more wires together and label them #4 & #5
> continue this with the rest of the wires
> ...


You're on the right track here. Ground #1. Measure resistance from ground, and find the lowest. This is the other end of #1. 

Now find the next highest resistance. this is #2. Splice #1 and #2 together. 

Now find the next highest resistance. This is #3. 

Find the next highest resistance. This is #4. Splice #3 and #4 together. 

And so on.


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

Ok, my hardest question (I don't have the answer), why is it that the waveform of two legs of a wye looks the same as the waveform of one leg to neutral.

If you look at a 3ø diagram, you'll see 3 symmetrical waveforms. If you remove one of them, it would seem as though the peak would be two bumps, not a single wave. 

But if you connect a scope to them, it's a single wave. 

Also, just exactly how is it that you can have a 3ø closed ∆ system, completely remove one of the transformers, and still have a valid 3ø system?


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## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

macmikeman said:


> I know, I know: What state is Cletis really from?..............



Right now he's Bionic Sparky from Indiana. *








*subject to change without notice.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

micromind said:


> You're on the right track here. Ground #1. Measure resistance from ground, and find the lowest. This is the other end of #1.
> 
> Now find the next highest resistance. this is #2. Splice #1 and #2 together.
> 
> ...



Is your meter that accurate? :001_huh:


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## bobelectric (Feb 24, 2007)

And the most debated question... 

Ground up or down?


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## azsly1 (Nov 12, 2008)

Backstab or side wire

Cover screws horizontal or verticle

Milwaukee or dewalt


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## darren79 (Dec 20, 2011)

220/221 said:


> Hot on the left, cold on the right and **** flows downhill.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The most important plumbing theroy is that you never eat the last bite of your sandwich.


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## JoeSparky (Mar 25, 2010)

How long is a short circuit?


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## acro (May 3, 2011)

220/221 said:


> Why isn't single phase called two phase?



I would like to know that also.


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## Geoff C (May 26, 2010)

Ask him if he's so smart, why did he become an electrician?


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## pudge565 (Dec 8, 2007)

acro said:


> I would like to know that also.


Single phase is derived from only one phase. You get 2 legs by center tapping the transformer and grounding it, causing a common point. There had been a 2 phase system but they are for the most part no longer used.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

pudge565 said:


> Single phase is derived from only one phase....


 You're forgetting single-phase 208.

-John


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## LARMGUY (Aug 22, 2010)

macmikeman said:


> I know, I know: What state is Cletis really from?..............


State of confusion.


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

Why is the line-neutral voltage squareroot(3) of the line-line voltage of a three phase wye system? (example 600volt line is 346volt line-neutral) Why is the line current squareroot(3) of the phase current on a delta system? These are some simple sounding, but somewhat deep questions for him.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

How far / fast do electrons move when current flows in a conductor?


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

480sparky said:


> How far / fast do electrons move when current flows in a conductor?


 That's a good one.

-John


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

Why are manholes round? seriously


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

480sparky said:


> How far / fast do electrons move when current flows in a conductor?


And then ask, "why does the light turn on instantly?"


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

why havn't I gone blind yet..I must of done that like 237,000 times by now?????:whistling2:


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## mdfriday (May 14, 2007)

I can answer everybody's questions with one answer;

"It depends."


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

triden said:


> Why are manholes round? seriously


So you can't drop it through the hole.


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## Theriot (Aug 27, 2011)

How do you wire up a 480 3 phase warp drive.


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## TattooMan (Feb 10, 2012)

How do you create 1.21 gigawatts for my flux capacitor?


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

TattooMan said:


> How do you create 1.21 gigawatts for my flux capacitor?


Northrop Grumman has a Terawatt laser that can sustain that level of strength for sixty seconds.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

nolabama said:


> Northrop Grumman has a Terawatt laser that can sustain that level of strength for sixty seconds.


I'm sorry they claim 100Kw sustained. Lol. With a range of "miles". Supposedly the Terawatt version has a range of "the horizion".


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## Sparky J (May 17, 2011)

TattooMan said:


> How do you create 1.21 gigawatts for my flux capacitor?


A bolt of lighting duh
Lol!


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

480sparky said:


> How far / fast do electrons move when current flows in a conductor?


How far? To the next molecule?

How fast? Speed of light, right? 186K MPS?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

How do you wire up a 2-pole, 4-wire clothes dryer? :laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

220/221 said:


> How far? To the next molecule?
> 
> How fast? Speed of light, right? 186K MPS?


Nope!


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

220/221 said:


> How far? To the next molecule?
> 
> How fast? Speed of light, right? 186K MPS?


Hint would be drift velocity. Proportional to the amount of current flowing


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

480sparky said:


> Nope!


Ahh, trick question, semantics. If you define flow as the flow of one electron, it is probably slow as hell. I define the flow as how quickly does the last electron jump out of the other end which is instantaneous, probably the speed of light.


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## Briancraig81 (May 25, 2007)

pudge565 said:


> Single phase is derived from only one phase. You get 2 legs by center tapping the transformer and grounding it, causing a common point. There had been a 2 phase system but they are for the most part no longer used.


And two phase systems used two hots per phase.


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## Dave L (Jul 6, 2011)

A generator is connected to a high voltage line through a Δ-Y step-up transformer T1. A Y-Δ step-down transformer T2 is connected at the receiving end of the line to supply a motor load. The rating details are as follows:

Generator: 30 MVA, 13.8 kV, XG = 0.10 p.u.
Motor: 20 MVA, 13.8 kV, XM = 0.08 p.u.
Transformer T1: 20 MVA, 13.2 -132 kV, XT1 = 0.10 p.u.
Transformer T2: 15 MVA, 13.8-138 kV, XT2 = 0.12 p.u.
Transmission Line: ZTL = j100 ohms (actual)

Use 30 MVA as the base and draw an equivalent circuit (impedance) diagram showing the individual per unit values. What is the magnitude of load current in the motor?


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## RGH (Sep 12, 2011)

Q: I just purchased a new cloths dryer and it says 240 volts....can you wire it up, my old dryer was only a 220:whistling2::blink:


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## jmsmith (Sep 10, 2011)

480sparky said:


> So you can't drop it through the hole.


AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH! There isn't nothing like the sick feeling you get when a 600-lb. plus hunk of steel falls into a vault of feeder cables! 
- Jim


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## 220/221 (Sep 25, 2007)

RGH said:


> Q: I just purchased a new cloths dryer and it says 240 volts....can you wire it up, my old dryer was only a 220:whistling2::blink:


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

Instead of trying to one-up this guy and being resentful of his knowledge, why not try to learn as much as you can from him?


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## Aussielec (Apr 1, 2012)

480sparky said:


> How far / fast do electrons move when current flows in a conductor?


You're asking two completely different questions here. Electrons will only move as far as the voltage applied alows them too. Electrons will move from one atom orbit to another colliding with the electrons in the neighbouring atom's orbit. this is like a dominos affect. When they do so energy is dissapated and used on collision. Once all that energy is used up that's it no more electron flow.

As for how fast they move. Electrons I do believe move at about 4.4 millimetres per hour. But When we define current flow it's seen as a wave affect, and that wave move's close to the speed of light.


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## crazyboy (Nov 8, 2008)

480sparky said:


> You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black.
> 
> And none of them are marked.
> 
> With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.


i do believe i remember you posting this before, but I don't remember the answer. :laughing:


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

crazyboy said:


> i do believe i remember you posting this before, but I don't remember the answer. :laughing:


Do tell, would it work on little blue wires? Haha.


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## nolabama (Oct 3, 2007)

Aussielec said:


> You're asking two completely different questions here. Electrons will only move as far as the voltage applied alows them too. Electrons will move from one atom orbit to another colliding with the electrons in the neighbouring atom's orbit. this is like a dominos affect. When they do so energy is dissapated and used on collision. Once all that energy is used up that's it no more electron flow.
> 
> As for how fast they move. Electrons I do believe move at about 4.4 millimetres per hour. But When we define current flow it's seen as a wave affect, and that wave move's close to the speed of light.


I thought current and electrons moved in opposite directions.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

The way I remember this question being answered (and I have no idea how accurate this is) is that the motion of the electrons from atom to atom is very slow, but the effects of the force are (obviously) very quick. 

Think of a tube full of ball-bearings: You push a ball bearing in one end and almost instantly another one emerges from the other, even though the balls themselves have moved only a very short distance.

-John


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## green light (Oct 12, 2011)

TattooMan said:


> How do you create 1.21 gigawatts for my flux capacitor?





Sparky J said:


> A bolt of lighting duh
> Lol!


Lighting? Thats soooo 1985.:laughing:


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## RePhase277 (Feb 5, 2008)

The motion of the electrons is pretty slow and irrelevent. Energy is transfered through the electric field. In that case, it is close to the speed of light.


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## green light (Oct 12, 2011)

*2 phase*



220/221 said:


> Why isn't single phase called two phase?


 I had a meeting last week with the EE thats in charge of a project Im working on. He called the 480v 3ph system 2 phase:laughing:


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

Is that a 4-way in your pocket?

Him- NO! I am just happy to see you.

YOU-


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## MrsElectric (Aug 12, 2011)

Theriot said:


> Why we don't have direct current from the utility comp. ?


Because Tesla was smarter than Edison
Alternating is more efficient and can travel longer distances


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

nolabama said:


> I thought current and electrons moved in opposite directions.


When a convention for the flow of current was devised, it was arbitrary. It was said that current flows from the positive terminal to the negative terminal. This idea came from water where water flows from high pressure to low pressure. It was a 50/50 chance. Once they learned a little bit more, they learned that the electrons actually flow from negative to positive.

If you get into it deeper, electrons flow from the negative side to the positive side and holes (the absence of electrons) flow from positive to negative.


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

This is the hardest thing I ever had to work on:


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## McClary’s Electrical (Feb 21, 2009)

220/221 said:


>


 
Ever since I first joined I always wondered if that was the meaning behind your screen name.


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

mcclary's electrical said:


> This is the hardest thing I ever had to work on:
> 
> 
> View attachment 14865



Pffffft. Rookie!


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## triden (Jun 13, 2012)

MrsElectric said:


> Because Tesla was smarter than Edison
> Alternating is more efficient and can travel longer distances


Sorta. At the time, AC current could easily be transformed via transformers. This means that voltage can be boosted for transmission and bucked before it gets to your house with a simple wire-wound tranny. We all know that power is I^2*R. If we increase the voltage, we decrease the current, thus less power is lost in the transmission lines due to heat. However, AC can easily couple to objects around it because it has a changing magnetic field which means lots of loss. There are also other harmonic effects that can make it nasty. Now that we have the ability to buck/boost DC with thyristors, you are starting to see more and more HVDC transmission systems.


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

480sparky said:


> You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black.
> 
> And none of them are marked.
> 
> With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.


This is another question for me.

Could tie them all together, and mark the clump 1, and walk to the other side, tie them all together, and mark the clump 1. The ends are corectly marked, and you don't even need the meter.


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

As for individually marking 37 black wires and no tricks, yes, I suppose you could tie them all together in pairs, leaving 1 pair undone as end-points, go to the other side, tie them all in pairs. Undo them 1 at a time, and find the pair with the most resistance. Those are your 2 ends on the other side. Disconnect, mark them, and move along.

Was this answered already?


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

kaboler said:


> ........Was this answered already?



Not yet.


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

Okay, side A, if it's an odd number, leave 1 alone and mark it #37, otherwise, pair them all up.

Go to the other side. Find the alone one by testing 1 against all the others. The one that doesn't have continuity is #37.

Tie the remaining 36 in pairs. They will have to be tied together so that you never get continuity. The goal is to have the wires all zigzagged. If there is continuity as you build your zigzag, that means you've tied a pair together. It should only be continuous when you connect your last pair. Last pair should not be connected. Mark the zigzagged pairs by resistance, starting with marking one of the free wires 1, and the other one 36. Then, tie 37 to 36. Mark 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 etc.

Then, pair them up 2to3, 4to5, 6to7 and 36to37.

Go back. Since you know the end of the zigzag is 37, test for resistance. OL is even numbers, a resistance number is odd numbered. Look for the highest resistance pair and that's your 1 and 2. When you open the pair, the odd will be infinite and the even will be the resistance from 2 to 37.

Whew. I think it works.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

480sparky said:


> You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black.
> 
> And none of them are marked.
> 
> With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.


Assuming you have plenty of conductor length hanging out of the conduit at each end... wrap a piece of tape around each conductor the same distance from where they come out of the conduit. Then go to the other end of the conduit and do the same thing, but label them as well, 1 - 37. Then pull each conductor 1/2" more than the number before it. So wire #2 sticks out 1/2" more than wire #1, and so forth. Then go back to the first end and they will all be staggered in 1/2" increments opposite the far end and you can reverse engineer yourself and label them.

I don't know where the meter comes in.


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## DeadHead Sparky (Jun 9, 2012)

I need to know the answer to this!


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

Me too! Or maybe he made the question up.


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

480sparky said:


> How far / fast do electrons move when current flows in a conductor?


1 nanosecond per foot. I was reading a surge protection manual and it said it reacts at 1 nanosecond per foot.


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## TattooMan (Feb 10, 2012)

Union or non union? Shine boots or boot covers? Ground up or ground down? Cover plate screws horizontal or vertical? 

To be or not to be? That, is the question.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

kaboler said:


> 1 nanosecond per foot. I was reading a surge protection manual and it said it reacts at 1 nanosecond per foot.


The speed of light is 300mm per .0000000001 seconds... 

I guess fibre optic cable is just a big scam!


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

chewy said:


> The speed of light is 300mm per .0000000001 seconds...
> 
> I guess fibre optic cable is just a big scam!


Is that in a vacuum?


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

kaboler said:


> Is that in a vacuum?


Yes.

A nano second is .0000000001 seconds. I dont believe the flow of electrons move at anywhere near that speed.


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

chewy said:


> Yes.
> 
> A nano second is .0000000001 seconds. I dont believe the flow of electrons move at anywhere near that speed.


Chewy that's intersting, that's intersting man!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanosecond

I'm too drunk to fit all the pieces together, but I think the answer might be in there somewhere!!!


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

TattooMan said:


> Cover plate screws horizontal or vertical?
> 
> To be or not to be? That, is the question.


 
I prefer horizontal but I install vertical. Outdoors, vertical is better because apparently horozontal can trap water drops. 

I prefer to be, rather than not to be. However, I'm the minority. There are millions and millons of gametes that are not to be rather than the 1 that is to be.


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## chicken steve (Mar 22, 2011)

*Whats the hardest electrical question you can think of *




what do afci's do?



~CS~


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## T Healy (Aug 27, 2011)

480sparky said:


> You have a 1000' long raceway with a bunch of wires in it. Let's say, 37. And they're all the same size, and they're all black.
> 
> And none of them are marked.
> 
> With nothing more than a roll of white tape, a marker and a meter, make ONE ROUND TRIP (from one end of the raceway to the other and back), and have both ends marked correctly.


 If all wires are equal in length. At one end pull all 37 wires out evenly, then pull one at a time approx. 1" and mark, 1st wire 1" and mark #1, 2nd wire 2" and mark #2, 3rd wire 3" and mark 3 and so on 'til 37. At the other end the longest wire will be #1 and the next longest 2 then 3 etc...


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## Fredman (Dec 2, 2008)

T Healy said:


> If all wires are equal in length. At one end pull all 37 wires out evenly, then pull one at a time approx. 1" and mark, 1st wire 1" and mark #1, 2nd wire 2" and mark #2, 3rd wire 3" and mark 3 and so on 'til 37. At the other end the longest wire will be #1 and the next longest 2 then 3 etc...


:no:I think this is the third time this answer failed...

so I cant use my assorted pack of resistors?


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

TattooMan said:


> Union or non union? Shine boots or boot covers? Ground up or ground down? Cover plate screws horizontal or vertical?
> 
> To be or not to be? That, is the question.



Are you my father?


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## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

chicken steve said:


> *Whats the hardest electrical question you can think of *
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This one is actually really easy....they do exactly what they were intended to do; generate profit for their manufacturers.


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

brian john said:


> Are you my father?


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

micromind said:


> This one is actually really easy....they do exactly what they were intended to do; generate profit for their manufacturers.


Even today I saw an AFCI do what they're supposed to do. Had a blackened conductor tripped by an AFCI.


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## TattooMan (Feb 10, 2012)

brian john said:


> Are you my father?


Brian John....I am your father!


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## erics37 (May 7, 2009)

TattooMan said:


> Brian John....I am your father!


Noooooooooo! That's not true! That's impossible!


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## T Healy (Aug 27, 2011)

Fredman said:


> :no:I think this is the third time this answer failed...
> 
> so I cant use my assorted pack of resistors?


Even or uneven failure is not an option :no:


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## TattooMan (Feb 10, 2012)

erics37 said:


> Noooooooooo! That's not true! That's impossible!
> 
> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZFCqS6B-wo">YouTube Link</a>


You...have a sista....a twin sista


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## T Healy (Aug 27, 2011)

erics37 said:


> Assuming you have plenty of conductor length hanging out of the conduit at each end... wrap a piece of tape around each conductor the same distance from where they come out of the conduit. Then go to the other end of the conduit and do the same thing, but label them as well, 1 - 37. Then pull each conductor 1/2" more than the number before it. So wire #2 sticks out 1/2" more than wire #1, and so forth. Then go back to the first end and they will all be staggered in 1/2" increments opposite the far end and you can reverse engineer yourself and label them.
> 
> I don't know where the meter comes in.


I did not see this answer when I posted but I believe you have the answer


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## GPM (Jun 17, 2012)

green light said:


> I had a meeting last week with the EE thats in charge of a project Im working on. He called the 480v 3ph system 2 phase:laughing:


I am an EE and I am doubtful this guy really went to school. Three phase motor stuff is taught in motors 101 and three phase motors run on three phase power that actually has three sine waves and they call it three phase..............


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## LBC Jesse (Apr 26, 2012)

How can a 3 pole Zinsco breaker stab on to only two buss bars be a 3 phase?


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## GPM (Jun 17, 2012)

LBC Jesse said:


> How can a 3 pole Zinsco breaker stab on to only two buss bars be a 3 phase?


It can't. 3 phase = 3 poles = 3 hots


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