Q:I have a 2000 Monte Carlo SS that is stock, as in no aftermarket radio/electrical equipment and the fuse for the a/c and cruise. I noticed it popped when I bought the car and each time i put the same size fuse in or a bigger one, it automatically pops. I pulled the dash apart and all of the connections are good so I'm not sure of where to go.

Go to an auto electric specialist. You've apparently got a dead short somewhere in the wiring for this circuit, and you're not going to fix it by replacing the fuse a dozen times.

Q:Curiosity just got the best of me. To be electrocuted one should make a complete circuit, right? What if you just touch the live wire and nothing else, you're not standing on anything, no ground. you're in mid air. Any thoughts? Thanks

No. Your comment about a complete circuit is correct. Under the conditions you state you will not be electrocuted. One exception would be if the line frequency and voltage was high and you had substantial capacitance to ground you might be electrocuted.

Q:I need to know what object or whatever uses light energy that then leads onto electrical energy that then leads onto kinetic energy in order to work, what equipment does that? I said a Solar powered calculator but it was wrong so i'm really confused, could anyone help?:/

I think the simple example is: When Light incidence to the photo cells(Viz: photo transistor or diode biased by this incidence of light), photo electric effect occurs-----Due to photo electric effect, photo transistor or diode produces eclectic current(i.e electrical energy) -----This photo transistor/diode acts like a driver of the audio oscillator and triggers the power audio oscillator------then produces audio frequency of specific or variable frequency according to the design----this audio oscillator frequency/ies signal hooked (interfaced) to the matched loudspeaker------Now we hear the sound which is a mechanical energy. I think this is one simple example for your question. Thank you. [You will find above:the conversion like this: Light energy--Electrical energy ----mechanical energy].

Q:Hi we are going on holiday to Brazil and staying at the Super Club Breezes Hotel in Costa De Sauipe where they have 220 v AC but while we are in Brazil we are planning on also visiting Rio and Iguassu Falls where we understand they have 110 v AC. What exactly will we have to buy and take with us so that we can use UK hair dryers, phone chargers and other assorted electrics. Thanks AJ

The usual in most of the country is 110v. The only catch is the outlet plug,even though they use both, the 2 round ones or flat, the flat ones over there are exactly the same width, so it won' t fit US equipments which have one side wider than the other. Another problem is laptop computers, if yours has that third plug you will need an adapter. The best thing to do is buy an universal outlet adapter. I bought mine at a duty free shop for about ten bucks and I can use it world wide. But if your problem is also the voltage, you will need to buy an electric adapter to convert from 110 to 220v or vice versa(depends of what kind is usual in UK), which is pretty big and heavy to be carrying around.

Q:If I bring my laptop (North America 60Hz) and use it in Europe (50Hz), would it work properly?If so, does that mean my laptop/power cord has a frequency converter?

When traveling between countries, there are 3 considerations for electronic/electrical equipment. The plug The voltage The frequency Adapter plugs and voltage converters are easily available, either separately or as part of a kit. There are no frequency adapters. But that's not a problem. Frequency is only a consideration if you're operating motor-driven equipment, such as fans, compressors, vacuum cleaners, etc. Motor speed is dependent upon frquency and lower frequency causes them to run slower and build up more heat, eventually burning out. Your hair dryer, shaver, electric toothbrush, etc, is not so subject to damage because the motor is small and you only use it for short periods on occasional durations. Back to your computer; most electronic equipment must be supplied with AC power, but that power is converted inside the device by its power supply to a DC voltage. Such is the case with your computer. Even the motors, such as fans and drives, inside your computer are DC driven. Power supplies don't care about the difference between 50 - 60 hz and simply converts either one to 0 hz. Bottom line is that you do not have to worry about frequency for your computer in Europe. It's quite likely, though, that must make sure that you have the voltage converter OR that your computer is switchable for different countries.

Q:I want to use scientific equipment that will measure the electrical conductivity of water. I only want to electrocute the water and measure the current as a last resort.

water has no conductivity I tested it in science yesterday

Q:i am going to ship my furniture including my electronics( refrigerator, recorder, laptop, dishwasher, drier, etc) i want to now if the voltage in USA is 240v as in Dubai or 110v and i case of difference i want your advice i`ll ship them or not

Kaed59, The usual problems of shipping GCC electonic and electrical equipment to the USA (NOT applicable to Saudi Arabia) is that the main power supply in USA is 110VAC as compared to the UAE - which is predominantly 220VAC (so you will be needing lots of transformer or a big transformer with a bigger wattage rating. But the biggest problem is actually the frequency (Hz). The US utilize a 60Hz frequency as opposed to the UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait's 50Hz frequency (KSA use 60Hz). Hence, you will find in SOME of the electrical appliances and equipment as rated 90-230VAC 50-60Hz. These are universal appliances which can be used both in European (50Hz) and American (60Hz) power supply. Unless specified by the manufacturer to operate on either 50 or 60 Hz, appliances may not operate efficiently or even safely if used on other than the intended supply frequency. I would suggest you check before shipping them and dispose locally before you shipp to US. Good luck and have a safe journey !!!

Q:I mean for SF6 (gas) containers used to refill electrical quipment such as circuit breakers, must the container be discharged completely, or is it possible to retain a partial amount of SF6 gas in the container for future refilling activities? Any electrical experts out there, would really appreciate your assistance with this. Thanks!

Check the MSDS sheet for safe transport. Is a seal broken before use? Do the containers get returned after use or are they discarded (how?). Your local power company must have info because they use this stuff at switching stations.

Q:I am gonna graduate in may with a 2 year degree which would make me a Electronics tech. I already was offered a job with Intell and i plan to work there while i get my bachlor. Is there i difference in the 2? and also Intell offered me 52k to start as a tech, is that good? and how much can i expect to make once i get my 4 year degree? thx

There really isn't a great deal of difference. In common usage 'Electrical Engineering' tends to imply high power systems while 'Electronics Engineering' implies lower power (signal processing) levels. But they're really about the same. And 52K is a fairly good salary. The average young engineer out of college makes about 50K to 60K. I believe the median for EE's today is around 70K to 90K. Doug

Q:Any tips for a rock band that will be playing shows in the next month or so? Set-up, breakdown of equipment, working the crowd, preperation, etc?

Learn to put up and break down your equipment quickly. I've seen a drummer take 30 minutes to set up the most basic of drum sets when the set was brought in. Have backups for your guitars and electrical equipment. A broken string on a guitar is a 15 minute pause on your set (experienced that from the same band that took that long on the drum set) to fix it. Ignore the crowd if you think they are bored (in music videos those crowds are paid to be all festive, but they are no where near that in real life). If they aren't paying attention to you, you can forget the onstage talk and sing alongs. Ignore the drunks (talk with the manager before hand on having the manager remove the noisy drunks). Have your merchandise (same band above forgot their stuff and I wanted a CD)!