ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses state the main function of a transformer and explains the major difference between a 'mutual transformer' and an 'autotransformer'. A transformer is classified as an 'electrical machine' – one which transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another, through inductively coupled coils. A transformer differs from an induction coil in that it uses the continuously varying alternating current in the primary coil to induce a voltage into the secondary coil – doing away with the need for an interrupting mechanism in the primary circuit. Mutual transformers vary enormously in their physical size: from tiny transformers mounted on electronic circuit boards, measuring just a few cubic millimetres, right up to huge transformers used in high-voltage electricity transmission systems. The chapter explores the function and properties of a transformer's core and also explains transformer's a primary winding b secondary winding.
