What characterizes a step-down transformer?

A step-down transformer is specifically designed to reduce voltage while increasing current. It accomplishes this by having more turns of wire in the primary coil compared to the secondary coil. This configuration is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, where the ratio of the number of turns in the coils determines the voltage transformation.

In a step-down transformer, the primary coil is connected to the input voltage source, and due to its greater number of turns, it generates a higher magnetic field. The secondary coil, having fewer turns, thus produces a lower output voltage. Consequently, since energy must be conserved (neglecting losses), a decrease in voltage is accompanied by an increase in current. This relationship is mathematically described by the transformer equation:

[

\frac{V_p}{V_s} = \frac{N_p}{N_s}

]

where ( V_p ) and ( V_s ) are the primary and secondary voltages, and ( N_p ) and ( N_s ) are the number of turns in the primary and secondary coils, respectively. In the case of a step-down transformer, ( N_p ) is greater than ( N_s ), leading to a lower output voltage (V_s).

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