Electricity Demystified

Table of contents

PART ONE: DC ELECTRICITY
1. Atoms and Charge Carriers
2. Current, Voltage, and Resistance
3. Power and Energy
4. Series and Parallel Circuits
5. Cells and Batteries
Test: Part One -- 50 questions
PART TWO: AC ELECTRICITY
6. Basics of AC
7. Power Conversion
8. Wire and Cable
9. The Utility Grid
10. Alternative Electricity
Test: Part Two -- 50 questions
PART THREE: MAGNETISM
11. What is Magnetism?
12. Types of Magnets
13. Motors and Generators
14. Electromagnetic Waves
15. Universal Magnetism
Test: Part Three -- 50 questions
Final Exam -- 100 questions
Answers to Quiz and Test Questions
Symbols Used in Circuit Diagrams
Suggested Additional References

Biographical note

Stan Gibilisco is one of McGraw-Hill's most prolific and popular authors. His clear, reader-friendly writing style makes his science books accessible to a wide audience, and his background in mathematics, electronics, and scientific research has given him a worldwide reputation as an editor of professional handbooks and textbooks. He is the author of Physics Demystified; Teach Yourself Electricity and Electronics; and The Illustrated Dictionary of Electronics. Booklist named his McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Personal Computing a "Best Reference" of 1996.

Back cover copy

POWER UP YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF ELECTRICITY
Now anyone with an interest in electricity can master it -- without getting their wires crossed. In Electricity Demystified, best-selling science and math writer Stan Gibilisco provides an effective and painless way to improve your understanding of the electricity that powers so much of modern life.

With Electricity Demystified, you master the subject one simple step at a time -- at your own speed. This unique self-teaching guide offers quizzes and tests at the end of each chapter and section to pinpoint weaknesses, and a 70-question final exam to reinforce the entire book.

If you want to build or refresh your understanding of electricity, here's a fast, entertaining self-teaching course that's really electrifying! Get ready to:

Understand what gives electricity its power
Solve problems involving current, voltage, power, and resistance
Grasp the connection between electricity and magnetism
Discover how magnetic levitation works
Learn about alternative electricity sources, such as solar energy and fuel cells
Take a "final exam" and grade it yourself!

A fast, effective, and fun way to learn about electricity, Electricity Demystified is the perfect shortcut to a deeper understanding of one of the most powerful forces in our lives.