Chapter 4 Electrical Systems

Question 1

Load meter needle deflections less than the summed amperage of active and properly working electrical equipment imply that the ___ will eventually be ___.

Answer 1

Battery, drained

Question 2

The load meter shows the ___ pulled from the alternator by the airplane’s electrical system.

Answer 2

current

Question 3

Between the positive terminal of the battery and the primary bus is an ammeter, called a ___ ammeter.

Answer 3

Charge-discharge

Question 4

Amps are a measure of ___ flow.

Answer 4

current

Question 5

What part of the airplane is generally used as a ground?

Answer 5

metal frame

Question 6

How long will a typical C-172’s battery last if the alternator fails (with all unnecessary equipment turned off)?

Answer 6

30 minutes

Question 7

A negative needle deflection on the charge-discharge ammeter usually implies that the [battery/alternator] is supplying the primary bus with electrical current.

Answer 7

battery

Question 8

While airplane batteries are rated at 12 or 24 volts, airplane electrical systems (their alternators) are rated for ___ or ___ volts.

Answer 8

14,28

Question 9

Voltage regulators help alternators maintain a ___ voltage output under varying RPM conditions

Answer 9

Constant

Question 10

The greater the ___ in a line, the greater the amount of ___ that flows.

Answer 10

voltage, current

Question 11

Your high-voltage warning light may be a sign that your _____ is putting out excessive voltage or your voltage regulator is malfunctioning.

Answer 11

alternator

Question 12

A load meter is located between the ___ and the ___ of the electrical system.

Answer 12

alternator, primary bus

Question 13

Load meters with a zero or full-left deflection indicate the alternator [is/isn’t] providing current to the primary bus

Answer 13

isn’t

Question 14

If the battery is dead, the ___ isn’t going to work.

Answer 14

alternator

Question 15

Suppose the load meter’s needle deflection is greater than the needs of the electrical equipment. This can lead to…

Answer 15

Evaporating battery fluid or battery and electrical fires

Question 16

As the name implies, the charge-discharge ammeter tells you if electrical current is flowing into or out of the ___

Answer 16

battery

Question 17

If you need the equipment that was disable by the popped circuit breaker, a good recommendation is to never reset the circuit breaker ___

Answer 17

more than one time

Question 18

If faced with an errant voltage regulator in flight which forces you to deactivate the alternator, what should you do?

Answer 18

Turn off all nonessential electrical equipment

Question 19

A zero reading on the load meter (a full left deflection) means that the alternator [is/isn’t] providing current to the electrical equipment.

Answer 19

isn’t

Question 20

Most airplane operation manuals suggest that after approximately ___ of cruising flight, the ammeter needle should return to within a two-needle-width deflection from center on the positive (+) or charging side.

Answer 20

30 minutes

Question 21

If the voltage regulator goes bad and the alternator produces too much voltage, how do you deactivate the alternator?

Answer 21

Turn off the alternator switch or pull the Main Alternator fuse.

Question 22

A needle deflection on the ___ side means current is flowing out of the battery onto the primary bus

Answer 22

negative (-)

Question 23

With two radios, two nav radios, one electric gyro, a transponder and an autopilot in use, a 16 amp deflection should be shown on the load meter. A needle deflection less than 16 amps implies that the ___ isn’t providing enough current to run the equipment

Answer 23

alternator

Question 24

During flight with the electrical equipment in use, a full left deflection of the load meter needle is similar to a charge-discharge ammeter reading pointing to the ___ side of its scale.

Answer 24

negative (-)

Question 25

If your airplane has a low-voltage light, it can illuminate…

Answer 25

During low engine idle, and When the alternator has been taken offline

Question 26

Normally, the needle of the charge-discharge ammeter should be resting near the ___ or ___ mark. This implies that the battery is neither being charged nor discharged (a good sign)

Answer 26

zero, center

Question 27

If the alternator fails in flight, the _____ must power all of your electrical equipment.

Answer 27

battery

Question 28

Electrons flow from the ___ to the ___ side

Answer 28

Negative, positive

Question 29

Alternators need a little bit of electricity running through them before they’ll start producing electricity. This small amount of electrical prime is called the ___

Answer 29

Alternator field current

Question 30

A positive deflection of the charge-discharge ammeter usually implied that the battery is being…

Answer 30

charged

Question 31

Radios typically consume ___ amp(s) of current while receiving about ___ amp(s) while transmitting

Answer 31

one-half, 5

Question 32

After startup, the battery is sure to be slightly drained. You can expect to see a ___ needle deflection of 5-7 needle widths on the ammeter right after engine start

Answer 32

Positive (+)

Question 33

Circuit breakers protect electrical equipment and wires from receiving more ___ than they can safely handle

Answer 33

current

Question 34

a 35 amp hour battery should (in theory) provide ___ amps of continuous current to the electrical system for one hour

Answer 34

35