A coil, also called a solenoid, is a metallic wire wound on itself that acts as a conductor of electricity.
Regarding its structure, it is made up of the following components:
1) the winding in which each part of the thread that forms is known as a turn or loop,
2) the terminals or terminals that allow the coil to be connected to an electrical device and
3) the core or interior, in which there may be air or a ferromagnetic material.
The coil has its own characteristic value, which is the inductance, which consists of the ability to adapt to changes in current. Thus, a coil with a lot of inductance is usually made with a long metal wire with many turns and a coil with a low inductance has a small number of turns. With respect to its unit of measurement, it is the henry, which is represented by the letter H, but its multiples are normally used in millihenries or Mh.
What happens in a coil?
Various phenomena take place in this type of utensil. On the one hand, in its coiled form, electricity is transformed into a magnetic field, just as it happens with magnets. Second, it allows you to oppose current changes (for example, when an electrical device is connected or disconnected). Another of its functions is to transform a magnetic field into electricity.
There are coils of many kinds
There are them with a single winding or with several, with two terminals or with intermediate taps. They can also be classified according to the nucleus, since some have it of air and others of some solid material or depending on the electrical frequency. However, the fundamental difference between them depends on their inductance value. Thus, fixed coils do not allow the change of inductance, while variable coils have a changing inductance.
Tesla coil
It is a high-voltage generator that was designed by Nicolas Tesla in the late 19th century. In other words, it is an electromagnetic generator that allows a high voltage to be produced without the need for any conductor.
The Tesla transformer coil was a revolutionary contraption, since thanks to it the invention of the radio, alternating current motors or the electron microscope was possible.
Photos: Fotolia - Sonulkaster / Dezay
