Electricians conduct routine measurements and calculations at work by using elementary arithmetic such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
You’d be calculating room measurements, wiring lengths, converting watts to kilowatts, and calculating loads using fractions, percentages, and decimals.
The electrician would then multiply that number by the amount of the load to determine what size circuit breaker or fuse is required.
Hundreds of these simple calculations will be required of you during your foundation’s electrician training and apprenticeship.
When you apply arithmetic to real-world electrical work, it becomes much easier to understand than standard high school math issues. It’ll be second nature before you realize it.
What Math Skills Do You Need to Become an Electrician?
Ohm’s Law
If you want to be an electrician, you’ll need to understand Ohm’s Law, which is an equation used to examine electrical circuits and calculate voltage, current, and resistance.
E = I.R is the fundamental equation. Voltage Equals Current x Resistance or vice versa. Here’s an example of an issue you may encounter in electrician training where you’d need to apply Ohm’s law to discover the solution:
A light with a resistance of 192 ohms is powered by 120V. What is the circuit’s current flow?
In this case, you know the voltage and resistance but not the current. So you’d use Ohm’s Law as follows: (Current = 120V/192 ohms) I = E/R I = 0.625A is your solution.
Ohm’s Law is used by electricians.
Trigonometry for electricians
Trigonometry is a field of mathematics that deals with triangle sides and angles. What does this have to do with electricians, you might ask?
One example is determining the proper angle to bend a length of pipe. When wiring a building or structure, electricians utilize conduits to protect and guide electrical cable.
Conduits are made from several materials such as metal, plastic, and fiber. Conduits must frequently be twisted around curves or impediments, such as a stair.
Electricians use trigonometry to calculate the exact angle at which the conduit should be bent around the item and connected to the circuit.
An example of an electrical-related trig issue would be the requirement to bend a conduit around a 4 inch high and 15-inch broad stair.
In this scenario, you would use the “tangent function” to compute the precise angle of the bend, which would be 15 degrees.
During electrician training, students learn how to solve these types of equations and get comfortable using geometric concepts to everyday electrical issues.
Math is a crucial component of the electrician’s skill set, from fundamental addition and subtraction through algebra and geometry.
3 Ways Electricians Apply Math on the Job
While electricians do some vital physical labor, all of their professional judgments are guided by their understanding of building codes, electricity-related physics, and mathematics.
Some electrical experts, such as electrical engineers who investigate the effects of earthquakes on building electrical systems, employ the contentious math notion of imaginary numbers.
We describe three methods that electricians utilize math on a typical workday and the precise mathematical field that each technique comes under.
Measurement
Measurement is perhaps the simplest and most typical use of math on an electrical job site. Wiring in a finished construction must link seamlessly and in the proper areas. Electricians may need to assess room measurements, wiring lengths, and other variables to identify the optimal location for certain components.
Electricians may utilize basic arithmetic procedures such as addition and subtraction and simple algebraic linear functions to make these measurements. This mathematical technique is the starting point for all electrical undertakings.
Mathematical precision guarantees safety and conformity with regulations. While many fundamental worksite math issues may be solved in an electrician’s head or with the use of a calculator, many equations need a genuine practical understanding of the applicable mathematical field. Electricians must be able to confidently utilize arithmetic to guide their job while also adhering to all industry rules.
Throughout the electrical installation or maintenance procedure, algebra may be employed. This mathematical discipline is one of the most important areas of study for aspiring electricians, and we’ll go over it in further detail in part three, which is about power and voltage calculation.
Calculating currents and voltages
Voltage, current, and resistance must all be considered by electricians at all times. Voltage is the force that causes electric charges to move. The ‘push’ is what moves charges in an electric circuit. Current may be defined as the rate at which charges travel, or the rate of charge flow, measured in amps. Resistance is exactly what it sounds like: the resistive force provided by the wire against the passage of charge.
A wire conducts electricity in the same way as a pipe transports water. If you force too much water through a pipe, it will explode. When the current is too high, the wire, like the pipe, may fail, overheating, melting, and even igniting a fire.
Electricians must expand the size of the wire to allow larger currents. The greater the diameter of the wire, the more current it can carry; nevertheless, larger wire is more expensive, therefore an electrician must decide the proper wire gauge for every work.
Calculating the proper wires, currents, and voltages will yield safe and dependable circuits.
Piping Configuration
After taking initial measurements on the project, electricians may need to apply more complicated arithmetic to calculate the right angle of pipes and circuits. An electrician may utilize geometry or trigonometry concepts to calculate the right component angles.
To limit the possibility of stray electrical charges, these pipelines hold cables and other electrical components. For example, the pipe may be utilized to shield electrical cables from water exposure in a residential property’s bathrooms.
Geometry principles can also be utilized to guarantee proper wire design if the wires need to be parallel or at a certain angle with each other.
Geometry is often employed by electricians when creating drawings or constructing designs. Creating scale models of any structure necessitates a grasp of geometry concepts and applications. Because these drawings may be used by a complete electrical team as well as other contractors, accuracy is critical.
In Conclusion
Finally, electrician math is critical to your job, and maybe your life. When creating a long-lasting structure, you must begin with a solid foundation. When the building is done, no one notices the foundation, yet it is an important element of the construction. Electrical formulae and ideas lay the groundwork for a good electrician.
