​​What purpose does the small cylindrical module near the end of my laptop charger cable serve?

It is a passive electrical device that helps to isolate the laptop from electromagnetic noise, either from waves picked up by the wire (which acts like an unintentional antenna) or from existing noise in the upstream AC line or AC-DC converter. Although it probably is not necessary for everyday usage, it allows the laptop to pass FCC tests for being able to accept a certain amount of environmental EM noise.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

​​How does a Musical Water Fountain Works?

Image
A Musical Fountain, also known as a dancing fountain, is a type of animated fountain for entertainment purposes that creates an aesthetic design (including three-dimensional images). This is achieved by employing the effects of timed sound waves and timed light (including laser) against water particles.  Modern-day fountains employ a computer-controlled pneumatic arrangement, essentially a pressurized cylinder of water with the provision of an expulsion mechanism(like a piston) and a nozzle at the outlet that is programmed to squirt water with a specific force for a specific duration while the computer also manages the audio output. The circulation system is also modernized with the help of pressure sensors and pumps to maintain continuity.  Old school fountains used the principle of siphoning to maintain continuity where the water level was maintained slightly above the height of the canons that squirted water such that any drop in water level resulted in a siphoning suction ...
Read more

​​What is an Auxanometer? How does it Work?

Image
An auxanometer is an apparatus for measuring increase or rate of growth in plants.  In case of an arc-auxanometer, there is a wire fixed with the plant apex on one end and a dead-weight on the other. It passes over a pulley which has a pointer attached to it.   When the plant's height increases, the pulley rotates and the pointer moves on a circular scale to directly give the magnitude of growth. The "rate of growth" is a derived measurement obtained by dividing the length of growth measured by the auxanometer, by the time said measurement took. Sensitive auxanometers allow measurement of growth as small as a micrometer, which allows measurement of growth in response to short-term changes in atmospheric composition. Auxanometers are used in the laboratory, the field, and the classroom. Koningsberger invented the auxanometer.
Read more

​​Why do we Hiccup?

Image
Hiccups can be annoying but they’re usually short-lived. However, some people may experience recurrent episodes of persistent hiccups. At its most basic, a hiccup is a reflex. It happens when a sudden contraction of your diaphragm causes the muscles of your chest and abdomen to shake. Then, the glottis, or the part of your throat where your vocal cords are located, closes.  This creates the noise of air expelled from your lungs or the “hic” sound that feels involuntary with hiccups. If you find yourself getting hiccups often, eating smaller meals and minimizing carbonated beverages and gassy foods might be helpful.
Read more