Difference between Electrical and Electronics (With Table)

Since the invention of electricity, a lot of studies have been made in the field of electricity. For the appliances to function effectively, they have been a lot of adjustments.

This led to the coinage of the words electrical and electronics. The words are totally different but many people use them interchangeably.

Both words are interrelated and they both deal with electrons. Electrons are stable subatomic particles that have a negative charge.

So, what is the main difference between electrical and electronics? Electrical is where the device converts electrical energy into other forms of energy like heat, light, and sound while electronics is where the device controls the flow of electrons for performing the particular task.

For information about the difference between electrical and electronics in tabular form, continue reading the article. You will also get to learn of the similarities between the two.

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Comparison Table (Electrical vs Electronics)

Basic Terms	Electrical	Electronics
Definition	This is where the device converts electrical energy into other forms of energy.	This is where the device controls the flow of electrons for performing a particular task.
Safety	It is less safe.	It is safer.
Space required	It requires more space.	It requires less space.
Response time	It responds faster.	It responds slowly.
Manipulation	It does not manipulate data.	It manipulates data.
Power consumption	It consumes a lot of power.	It consumes less power.
Voltage	It works on high voltage.	It works on low voltage.
Current	It works on alternating current.	It works on direct current.
Operating principle	Converts electrical energy into other forms of energy.	Uses the electrical energy for performing a particular task.
Materials used	It uses metals.	It uses semiconductors like silicon.
Uses	It is used for doing mechanical work.	It is used for amplifying weak signals.

What is Electrical?

Electrical is where the device converts electrical energy into other forms of energy. It uses metals for conduction.

It works well on the high alternating current. It also consumes a lot of power. The devices that use electrical are more dangerous and less reliable as they cause electrical shocks.

The devices require more space as their sizes are large hence the user needs to have a lot of space to accommodate the device.

A fan is an example of an electrical device that converts electrical current in the form of rotational motions. Electric bulbs and lamps convert the current into light.

What are Electronics?

Electrons are used where the device controls the flow of electrons for performing a particular task. The devices used are known as electronic devices.

Electrons are used to mean the study of electrons under the effect of the electric field. The components are classified as either active or passive components.

The active component delivers the energy while the passive component receives the energy. The main active components include; resistor, capacitor, and inductor. The main passive components include; tube devices and semiconductors.

The transistor is an electronic device used to amplify weak signals while a photodiode converts light energy into electrical energy.

Main Difference between Electrical and Electronics

Electrical is where the device converts electrical energy into other forms of energy while electrons are where the device controls the flow of electrons for performing a particular task.
Electrical is less safe while electrons are safer.
Electrical devices require more space while electronic devices require less space.
Electrical devices respond faster while electronic devices respond slowly.
Electrical devices do not manipulate data while electronic devices manipulate data.
Electrical devices consume a lot of power while electronic devices consume less power.
Electrical devices work on high voltage while electronic devices work on low voltage.

Similarities between Electrical and Electronics

Both depend on the flow of electrons for performing the operations.
Both use transformers for transmitting voltage.
Both use instrumental transformer

Conclusion

Electrical and electronic devices both depend on the flow of electrons for performing operations and use transformers for transmitting voltage.

However, the two are different. The main difference between the two is that electrical devices convert electrical energy into other forms of energy while electronic devices control the flow of electrons for performing a particular task.

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