electrician/Electrical Glossary and Terms

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100BaseT - A synonym for the Fast Ethernet network standard. The "100" refers to a maximum data-transfer rate of 100 megabits per second over twisted pair, copper wire. 10BaseT - A synonym for the Fast Ethernet network
10K - A grade level Box or Cover rating. See "Incidental Light Traffic".
1A - 1 Normally Open
1B - 1 Normally Closed
20K - A grade level Box or Cover rating. See "Occasional Traffic".
2S1W - Two Speed, 1 Winding (motor).
2S2W - Two Speed, 2 Winding (motor).
3 Phase - See "Three Phase" and "Polyphase"
600 Volt - Electrical systems, cables or service designed to be operated under 1000 Volts. 600V-UD - 600 Volt Underground Distribution Cable.
802.11a - A specification for a wireless LAN that operates in the 5GHz frequency range and provides a data transmission rate of 54Mbps using spread spectrum technology. 802.11b - A specification for a wireless LAN that operates in the 2.4GHz range and provides a data transmission rate of 11Mbps using spread spectrum technology. This specification was known as Wi-Fi but the term now applies to 802a and 802g as well. 802.11g - A specification for a wireless LAN that operates in the 2.4GHz frequency range and provides a data transmission rate, over short distances, of 54Mbps using orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) technology.
802.1x - A security standard for wired and wireless LANs.

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a

A - 1) Amperes; Amps. 2) Area. For cables Area is expressed in Circular Mils
A-H - Ampere-Hour
A/D Conversion - The process of converting an analogue signal into an equivalent digital one utilizing an A/D converter.
AC - See "Alternating Current"
ACB - Air Circuit Breaker
Access Point - A wireless networked device usually connected to a wireless LAN used to access the wired LAN.
Active Power - A term used for power when it is necessary to distinguish among Apparent Power, Complex Power and its components, and Active and Reactive Power.
Ampacity - The current in amperes that a conductor can carry continuously under given conditions of use without exceeding its temperature rating.
Ampere - The unit expressing the rate of flow of an electric current. One ampere is the current produced by a difference in potential of one volt across a resistance of one ohm; An electric current flowing at the rate of one coulomb per second.
Anode - 1) The positive electrode that emits positive ions and attracts negative ions, within a voltaic cell or other such device. 2) The positive pole of a battery.
ANSI - American National Standards Institute. ANSI is located at 1430 Broadway, New York, NY 10018.
Arc - A discharge of electricity through air or a gas.
ATC - Available Transfer Capacity

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b

Balanced Load - Refers to an equal loading of the phases in a polyhphase system (current and phase angle).
Bandwidth - The data carrying capacity of a transmission path, measured in bits or bytes per second.
Battery - A combination of two or more chemical cells connected together electronically to produce electrical energy.
Bay-O-Net - A fusing device frequently used to protect transformers and downstream devices. A Bay-O-Net fuse may include a Partial Range Current Limiting Fuse in series with n under oil fuse link.
Beacon - In wireless networking, a beacon is a packet sent by a connected device to inform other devices of its presence and readiness.
Beam Spread - With regard to outdoor light, the angle between the two directions in a plane in which the intensity is equal to a stated percentage of the maximum beam intensity. The percentage is typically 10% for floodlights and 50% for roadway luminaries. Blackout - The complete interrupting of load to an electric utility customer or group of customers to reduce overall load on the system.
Bluetooth - A wireless computing and telecommunications specification that defines how mobile personal computing devices work with each other and with regular computers and phone systems within a close range.
Breakdown Voltage - The voltage at which a dielectric material fails.
Breaker - See "Circuit breaker".
Building Wire - Conductors and cables used in commercial building construction.
Bulb - The outer enclosure of a light source; usually glass or quartz.

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c

C - Centigrade or Celsius
Cable - A term generally applied to the larger sizes of bare or weatherproofed (covered) and insulated conductors. It is also applied to describe a number of insulated conductors twisted or grouped together.
Capacitor - An electrical device having Capacitance.
Capacity (Battery) - The quantity of electricity delivered by a battery under specific conditions, usually expressed in ampere-hours.
Category 5 Cable - Also known as "Cat 5", this cable is used for fast ethernet and telephone communications. The cable is constructed of 4 twisted pair of copper wire. Cathode - 1) The negative electrode, that emits electrons or gives off negative ions and toward which positive ions move or collect in a voltaic cell or other such device. 2) The negative pole of a battery.
CB - Circuit breakers/fuses. These devices are installed in the service panel of your home to limit the flow of current through a circuit. The rating of the breaker will determine its maximum flow. Circuit extensions: This is when you extend or add on to an existing circuit to provide an additional source of power.
Circuit - A conductive path over which an electric charge may flow.
Circuit Breaker - A device that can be used to manually open or close a circuit, and to automatically open a circuit at a predetermined level of over current without damage to itself. Code Corrections: The Code that states what wiring standards and requirements are required to meet safety standards.
CO - Carbon Monoxide.
Conduct - The ability of two conductors separated by a dielectric to store electricity when a potential difference exists between the conductors.
Conductivity - The capability of a conductor to carry electricity, usually expressed as a percent of the conductivity of a same sized conductor of soft copper
Connector - A conductive coupling device used to connect conductors together.
Current - 1) The movement of electrons in a conductor measured in Amperes. 2) Also see Ampere.
Cycle - In Alternating current, the change of the poles from negative to positive and back.

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d

dB - See "decibel".
DC - See "Direct Current".
decibel - A logarithmic mathematical ratio that indicates a devices electric or acoustic signal to that of another.
Delta - A three phase connection where each phase is connected in series with the next, separated by a phase rotation of 120 degrees.
Demand - This is the size of any electrical load that is expressed in kilowatts that is averaged over a specified period of time.
Direct Current - Electric current in which electrons flow in one direction only. Opposite of alternating current.
Direct current (DC) - Electric current that flows only in one direction. Distribution system - This refers to the system that delivers electricity to customers. This system transforms high voltages to lower, more usable levels.
DNS - Domain Name System. The DNS is an international network of Internet domain name servers, names, and addresses that enables locating computers on the internet. Domain Host Control Protocol - See "DHCP". Domain Name System - See "DNS".
DSL - Digital Subscriber Line. A method to Lines carry data at high speeds over standard telephone lines.
Dual Voltage Switch - A switch used to select primary windings of a transformer. Dynamic DNS - This is a system by which Internet Service Providers temporarily assign IP addresses. This allows the reassignment of the address when no longer in use.

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e

Effective Power (Watts) - See "Watt" EHV - See "Extra High Voltage".
Electric current - Charged particles (electrons) flowing through a conductor (for electricity, a cable).
Electrical Hazard - A dangerous condition such that contact or equipment failure can result in electric shock, arc flash burn, thermal burn, or blast.
Electrical Relay - A device designed to produce sudden predetermined changes in one or more electrical circuits after the appearance of certain conditions in the controlling circuit. Electrical Safety - Recognizing hazards associated with the use of electrical energy and taking precautions so that hazards do not cause injury or death.
Electricity - The flow of electrons through a conducting medium.
Electrolyte (Battery) - In a lead-acid battery, the electrolyte is sulfuric acid diluted with water. It is a conductor and also a supplier of hydrogen and sulfate ions for the reaction.
Energy - That which does work or is capable of doing work. Electricity is energy that is measured in kilowatt hours.
Energy Saving Devices - Devices that make more efficient use of energy sources while providing heating, cold air or light.
Exciting Current - The magnetizing current of a device such as a transformer. Also known a field current.
Export load - Energy that is produced beyond the needs of the area is sold to other areas.

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f

F - Fahrenheit
Fault Current - The current that flows as a result of a short-circuit condition.
Fault Indicator - A device installed on a conductor to determine if current exceeded the indicator's current rating. Fault indicators sense using use the magnetic field induced by load current.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) - FERC is an independent regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Energy that approves rates for wholesale electricity transactions and transmission of electricity in interstate commerce for utilities, power marketers, power pools, power exchanges.
Fixed Capacitor Bank - A capacitor bank installed with no automatic switching device. The bank is manually switched on and off. Also see "Capacitor Bank".
Firm power - This is electricity that must be provided as agreed in a contract.
Flame Resistance - The ability of insulation or jacketing material to resist the support and conveyance of fire.
Flash Hazard - A dangerous condition associated with the release of energy caused by an electric arc.
Flash Hazard Analysis - A study investigating a worker's potential exposure to arc-flash energy, conducted for the purpose of injury prevention, the determination of safe work practices, and the appropriate levels of PPE.
Frequency - In ac systems, the rate at which the current changes direction, expressed in hertz (cycles per second); A measure of the number of complete cycles of a wave-form per unit of time.
Fuse - A device installed in the conductive path with a predetermined melting point coordinated to load current. Fuses are used to protect equipment from over current conditions and damage.
Fuse Melt Time - The time needed for a fuse element to melt, thereby initiating operation of the fuse. Also known as Melt Time.
Fused Cutout - A device, normally installed overhead, that is used to fuse a line or electrical apparatus.

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g

Gateway - The Gateway is a computer which provides interfaces between the local computer system and one or several SCADA (or RCC) systems.
Generator - This is a machine that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy.
GF - Ground Fault
Gigawatt (GW) - The unit of electrical power which is equivalent to one billion watts or one million kilowatts.
Grease - 1) Slang for Cable Pulling Lubricant, a chemical compound used to reduce pulling tension by lubricating a cable when pulled into a duct or conduit. 2) Slang for Dielectric Grease, a silicone based chemical compound used to seal and lubricate connections
Ground - 1. An electrical term meaning to connect to the earth. 2. A conducting connection, whether intentional or accidental by which an electric circuit, or equipment, is connected to the earth or some conducting body that serves in place of the earth.
Ground Fault - An undesired current path between ground and an electrical potential.

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h

H - Henry.
H2 - Hydrogen.
Hard Line - A Steel Pulling line. Also see Bull Line.
Heater - The heat source can be powered by gas or electricity.
Henry - The meter-kilogram-second unit of inductance, equal to the inductance of a circuit in which an electromotive force of one volt is produced by a current in the circuit which varies at the rate of one ampere per second.
Hertz - 1) A unit of frequency equal to one cycle per second. 2) In alternating current, the changing of the negative and positive poles.
HID - High Intensity Discharge High Intensity Discharge
(HID) Lamp - An electric discharge lamp in which the light producing arc is stabilized by wall temperature and the arc tube has a bulb wall loading in excess of 3 watts per square centimeter. Examples of HID lamps include High Pressure Sodium, Metal Halide and Mercury.
High Tech Troubleshooting - This is a procedure performed by a qualified electrician to detect any problems within an electrical system.
High Voltage - An electrical system or cable designed to operate between 46kv and 230kv.
High Voltage System - An electric power system having a maximum roo-mean-square ac voltage above 72.5 kilovolts (kv).
Horsepower - A unit of work. When used to show power usage, one horsepower is equivalent to 746 watts.
HV - High Voltage.
Hydrometer - A float type instrument used to determine the state-of-charge of a battery by measuring the specific gravity of the battery electrolyte (i.e., the amount of sulfuric acid in the electrolyte).

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i

I - Current
I/O - Input/Output
ICEA - Insulated Cable Engineers Association. ICEA is located at P.O. Box P, Southe Yarmouth, MA 02664.
IEEE - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Pronounced "eye-triple-E", this non-profit U.S. engineering organization develops, promotes, and reviews standards within the electronics, computer and electric power industries. [www.ieee.org]
Impedance - 1) The total opposing force to the flow of current in an ac circuit. 2) The total resistance to flow of an alternating current generally expressed in ohms. It is a combination of resistance and reactance.
Impulse - A current surge Incidental Light Traffic - Refers to a grade level Reinforced Polymer Concrete or Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic box or Cover load rating of 10,400lbs. This rating is derived from incidental single vehicle tire contact estimated at a maximum of 8000lbs with an impact factor of 30%
Induced Current - Current in a conductor resulting from the application of a time varying electromagnetic field.
Induced Voltage - A voltage produced around a closed path or circuit by a change of magnetic flux linking that path.
Interconnections - These are systems that interconnect one utility’s power system with another.
Input Quantity - The quantity, or one of the quantities, which constitute the signals received by the transducer form the measured system.
Insulation - Sunlight, direct of diffuse, from incident solar radiation. It is equal to approximately 1000 watts per square meter at high noon. Not to be confused with insulation.
Insulator - A device that is used to electrically isolate a conductor or electrical device from ground or a different electrical potential. Electrical insulators are manufactured by Porcelain Products Company and W.H. Salisbury & Company.
Interruption - The loss of electric service to one or more customers or other facilities. It is the result of one or more component outages.
Intranet - A restricted access network that works like the internet but is not. Usually owned and managed by a corporation, an Intranet enables a company to share its resources with its employees without confidential information being made available to everyone.
IP Address - Internet Protocol address. This address is a 32 bit, unique string of numbers that identifies a computer, a printer, or another device on the internet. The IP address consists of a quartet of numbers separated by periods.
Isolation - To be electrically separate. A measure of the strength of the dielectric providing the electrical division or separation.

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j

Joule - 1) Work done by the force of one neutron when its point of application moves through the distance of one meter in the direction of the force. 2) One watt-second.

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k

Kilo - A prefix indicating one (1) thousand.
Kilovolt (kV) - The unit of electrical pressure, or force, equivalent to 1,000 volts (V). Kilowatt - 1000 watts of real power. Expressed at kW.
Kilowatt Hour - The use of one thousand watts for one hour.
kW - See "Kilowatt".
kWh - See "Kilowatt Hour"

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l

Lamp - A complete light source unit, usually consisting of a light generating element (arc tube or filament), support hardware, enclosing envelope and base.
LAN - Local Area Network which is a short-distance network used to link a group of computers or intelligent devices together, usually within a building.
LCD - Liquid Crystal Display
LDC - A Line Drop Compensator is utilized to provide constant voltage at the load.
LED - Light Emitting Diode
Lightning - Lightning is a powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced during a thunderstorm. Lightning's abrupt electric discharge is accompanied by the emission of light.
Load - 1) The amount of electrical power required by connected electrical equipment. 2) The total impedance of all the items in the output circuit.
Load Center - This is the central distribution for your home, which is the source of power for your home. All your circuits will originate from this load centre or service panel. The circuit breakers are also located within this panel.
Low Voltage - This refers to a wiring system that provides a lower voltage to an electrical system or appliance, which is lower than the standard 100 volts. Examples of such devices are door bells or thermostats.
LV - see "Low Voltage".

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m

MAC address - Media Access Control address is a unique numeric identifier assigned to each device connected to an Ethernet network. It is used for data transmission and security functions.
Main Protection - The protection system which is normally expected to operate in response to a fault in the protected zone.
Megawatt (MW) - The unit of electrical power which is equal to one million watts or 1,000 kilowatts (kW).
Mbps - Megabits per second. A megabit is roughly a million bits of data. This abbreviation is used to describe data transmission speeds, such as the rate at which information travels over the internet.
Medium Voltage - An electrical system or cable designed to operate between 1kv and 38kv.
MW - Mega Watt, one million watts. MWH - Mega Watt Hour, the use of one million watts for one hour.

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n

N/C - Normally Closed
N/O - Normally Open
NEMA - National Electrical Manufacturers Association. NEMA provides a forum for the standardization of electrical equipment and is located at 2101 L Street N.W., Washington, DC, 20037. [http://www.nema.org/]
Neutral Conductor - In multiphase circuits, the conductor used to carry unbalanced current. In single-phase systems, the conductor used for a return current path.
NIC - Network Interface Card is a device utilized by a computer to connect to a wired or wireless network.
Nominal Voltage - A nominal value assigned to a circuit or system for the purpose of conveniently designating its voltage class. The actual voltage at which a circuit operates can vary from the nominal within a range that permits satisfactory operation of equipment.

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o

Off Peak Power - Power supplied during designated periods of low power system demand.
Off-Load Tap Changer - A tap changer that is not designed for operation while the transformer is supplying load.
Ohm - A unit of electrical resistance defined as the resistance of a circuit with a voltage of one volt and a current flow of one ampere.
Ohm's Law - E=IR; I=E/R; R=E/I; Where E = Voltage impressed on a circuit, I = current flowing in a circuit and R = circuit resistance. Ohm's Law is used for calculating voltage drop, fault current and other characteristics of an electrical circuit.
Oil Breakers - A type of high voltage circuit breaker using mineral oil as both an insulator and an interrupting medium. Typically, these units were produced for use at voltages from 35 kV to as much as 345 kV. Generally, these are older types and no longer produced for Open Link - A fuse used on overhead electrical distribution systems that is held in place by two springs. This device and its holder have generally been replaced by Fused Cutouts where the fuse element in an arc tube.
Open-Circuit Voltage (Battery) - The voltage of a cell or battery when it is not delivering or receiving power.
Operating Current - The current used by a lamp and ballast combination during normal operation.
Operating Value - The limiting value of the characteristic quantity at which the relay actually operates.
Outage - The state of a component or part of a power system that is not available for service because of some event associated with the component of power system. These are the longer term events (several seconds to hours) caused by external factors such as trees.
Overload - The specified maximum magnitude of the input quantity that can be applied for a specified period of time without causing damage.

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p

Packet - When data is ready to be transmitted it is divided into pieces called packets. These packets contain information about which computer sent the data and where the data is going.
Parallel Connection - In the case of DC circuits, a way of joining two or more electrical devices or wires by connecting positive leads and negative leads together.
Peak load - This is the record of the maximum amount of electricity used in a given time period.
PCI - Peripheral Component Interconnect. Self-configuring PC local bus.
PCMCIA - Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. Trade association founded in 1989 to establish standards for expansion cards for portable computers (See PC Card).
PF - Power Factor. Power - Rate at which energy is released or consumed, expressed in watts.
Power grid - This is a collection of interconnecting electrical power systems which link together electrical utilities covering a large geographical area.
Power Electronics Device - An electronic device (e.g. thyristor or IGBT) or assembly of such devices (e.g. inverter). Typically used in a power transmission system to provide smooth control of output of an item of plant.
Power Transformer - A large transformer, generally larger than 1,000 kVA in capacity. PPP - Point-to-Point Protocol. PPP is the internet standard for serial communications. PPP defines how modem connection exchanges data packets with other systems on the internet.
PPTP - Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol. PPTP is a protocol that allows secure transmission of data in TCP/IP packets. PPTP protocols are used to carry secure communications over Virtual Private Networks that use public phone lines.
Protection System - A combination of protection equipment designed to secure, under pre-determined conditions, usually abnormal, the disconnection of an element of a power system, or to give an alarm signal, or both.
Protocol - Protocols are communication standards set to facilitate the many connections made by computers via modems and other digital connections. Some protocols are PPP, TCP/IP, SLIP, and FTP.
Proxy Server - A system that caches items from other servers to speed up access. On the web, a proxy first attempts to find data locally, and if it is not available, obtains it from the remote server where the data resides permanently. PS (Lighting) - Pole Spacing

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r

RAM - Random Access Memory. When an application is run it is called from the permanent storage area such as hard drive, floppy disk, or CD-ROM, and moved into the RAM where, it sends requests to the CPU. Using faster memory can speed up information process time.
Range - Nominal operating limits, specified by the lowest calibration point to the highest calibration point.
Rating - The nominal value of an energizing quantity that appears in the designation of a relay. The nominal value usually corresponding to the CT and VT secondary ratings. Receptacles - These are power sources located throughout your home.
Real Power - The average value of the instantaneous product of volts and amps over a fixed period of time in an AC circuit.
Reel - A cylinder device used to hold wire and cable until installed. There are standard reel sizes that are used in the electrical industry that are either wood (non-returnable) or steel (returnable).
Relays - Distance - Relays used on transmission lines that use a variety of sensors and measurements to determine when an unusual condition exists at some distance, out on the transmission circuit.
Remote Control Point - The remote control point is a SCADA interface. Several RCP's may be managed with connections are done at a gateway or at substation computers. Residential (Lighting) - A residential development, or a mixture of residential and small commercial establishments, characterized by few pedestrians during nighttime hours. This definition includes area with single-family homes, townhouses, and/or small apartment buildings.
Residual Current - The algebraic sum, in a multi-phase system, of all the line currents. Response Time - The time for a measurement device's output signal to reach 99% of its final value after a step change in the applied input.
RJ-11 - Registered Jack 11. Standard telephone connector which has a tab that snaps into the socket and must be pressed to be removed from telephone or socket. Usually houses two wires but is capable of housing up to four.
RJ-45 - Registered Jack 45. Connectors used to connect computers to LANs or phones with many lines. It is able to house up 8 wires that is twice as many wires as the RJ-11. Router - Device utilized to route data from one local-area network to another or to a phone line's long-distance line.
RTU - Remote Terminal Unit. An IED used specifically for interfacing between a computer and other devices. Sometimes may include control, monitoring, or storage functions.

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s

SAT - Site Acceptance Test. Validation procedures for equipment executed with the customer on site.
Separator (Battery) - A porous, insulating material placed between plates of opposed polarities, to prevent internal short circuits.
Series Connection - For DC circuits, a way of joining batteries, electrical devices and wires in such a way that positive leads are connected to negative leads. This is generally done to increase voltage.
Short Circuit - 1. A load that occurs when at ungrounded conductor comes int
Short Distribution (Lighting) - A luminary is classified as having a short light distribution when its max candlepower point falls between 1.0MH - 2.25MH TRL. The maximum luminaire spacing-to-mounting height ratio is generally 4.5 or less. o contact with another conductor or grounded object. 2. An abnorman connection of relatively low impedance, whether made intentionally or by accident, between two points of different potential.
Silicon - A chemical element (Si), atomic number 14, semi-metallic in nature, dark gray, that is an excellent semiconducting material and is the most common semiconducting material used in making photovoltaic devices.
Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors - These are sensors used to detect any deadly gases or smoke that might be in the air stream in your home. They are generally mounted on the ceiling or on the wall.
Span - 1) Refers to the distance between two poles of a transmission or distribution line. 2) The algebraic difference between the upper and lower values of a range.
Spark Test - A high-voltage test performed on certain types of conductor during manufacture to ensure the insulation is free from defects.
Switch, Network - A Switch connects Client systems and servers together to create a network. It selects the path that the data packet will take to its destination by opening and closing an electrical circuit.

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t

Tamper Resistant Outlets - These are standard wall outlets that have a shutter mechanism to protect children from getting electrocuted in case they try to put their fingers or any foreign object into a power outlet. These devices are spring loaded so electricity will only flow when there is equal pressure on both shutters, which happens when a plug is inserted.
Thermostat - This is a low voltage electronic device that monitors temperatures inside the home.
TCP/IP - Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. TCP/IP is the method by which data is sent across the internet. These two protocols were developed by the U.S. military to allow computers to talk to each other over long distance networks.
Tension - The force in pounds of kilograms on a conductor installed overhead. Too much tension on an overhead line can contribute to mechanical failure.
Track And Accent Lighting - This allows you to change the lighting to create ambiance. The light can be distributed in different directions.
Transformer - An electro-magnetic device used to change the voltage in an alternating current electrical circuit. Transmission system: These are mainly towers and conductors that transport electricity in bulk form from a source of supply to local distribution centers. Electricity is usually transported via transmission lines in amounts ranging from 66 kV to 500 kV.

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u

UF - A thermoplastic insulated, underground feeder conductor or cable designed for use in wet locations, including direct burial.
Ultra High Voltage (UFV) - Electric systems in which the Root-Mean-Square ac voltage exceeds 800,000 volts.
Underground Residential Distribution - Refers to the system of electric utility equipment that is installed below grade.
Unidirectional Unit - Allows inputs to be measured in one direction only. The stated output range indicates the minimum and maximum input levels.
Unit Electrical Relay - A single relay that can be used alone or in combinations with others.
UPS - Uninterruptable Power Supply

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v

V - Voltage; Volt.
VA - 1) Electrical capacity or electrical load, expressed as Volts x Amps. 2) Volt Ampere rating designates the output which a transformer can deliver at rated voltage and frequency without exceeding a specified temperature rise.
Volt - A unit of electromotive force. The electrical potential needed to produce one ampere of current with a resistance of one ohm.
Voltage Class - The general strength of electrical insulation on a device, determining the maximum continuous voltage that can be applied between the conducting parts and ground potential, without damaging the insulation.
Voltage Transducer - A transducer used for the measurement of a.c. voltage.
VR Cable - AAC or ACSR with Vibration Resistant Twisted Pair Construction.

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w

WAN - Wide-Area Network. Composed of two or more local-area networks (LANs). Can be made up of interconnected smaller networks spread throughout a building, a state, or the entire globe.
Watt - 1) With ac measurements, effective power (measured in Watts) equals the product of voltage, current, and power factor (the cosine of the phase angle between the current and the voltage).
Watt-Hour - 1) A unit of work equal to the power of one watt operating for one hour. 2) 3600 Joules.
Wi-Fi - Wireless Fidelity. Wi-Fi originally referred to the 802.11b specification for wireless LANs, but it is now used to describe any of the 802.11 wireless networking specifications. Wireless Bridging - A networking bridge is used to connect two or more separate networks. A wireless bridge functions similar to a wireless network but can be used in situations in which running a cable would be impractical or expensive.
WLAN - Wireless Local Area Network. A wirelessly connected Local Area Network (See LAN).
WPAN - Wireless Personal-Area Network. WPAN is a PAN that uses wireless means of connecting, however since all PAN technologies, such as Bluetooth, are wireless, you can consider the terms synonymous.

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