Learn about this topic in these articles:

function in electric generators

In electric generator: Rotor
…is thus known as the field winding. The position of the field coils is such that the outwardly directed or radial component of the magnetic field produced in the air gap to the stator is approximately sinusoidally distributed around the periphery of the rotor. In Figure 2, the field density…
Read More

coil

Table of Contents

Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images

Discover

10 Legendary Creatures from Around the World

Planet Jupiter with its moon Io at left, photographed by the Cassini orbiter during the Cassini-Huygens mission, 2000. spacecraft

7 Important Dates in Jupiter History

The impeachment trial of Pres. Andrew Johnson, illustration from Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, March 28, 1868.

What If the President Is Impeached?

Illustration for Demystified "How Dangerous is Quicksand"

How Deadly Is Quicksand?

When Does Summer Start?

Milan Cathedral Against Sky During Sunset, Italy

19 Essential Italian Churches

Secret Service Agent Listens To Earpiece

Secret Service Code Names of 11 U.S. Presidents

coil

electronics

Also known as: winding

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Related Topics:: induction coil; squirrel-cage rotor winding; output winding; Helmholtz coil; stator coil

See all related content

coil, in an electric circuit, one or more turns, usually roughly circular or cylindrical, of current-carrying wire designed to produce a magnetic field or to provide electrical resistance or inductance; in the latter case, a coil is also called a choke coil (see also inductance). A soft iron core placed within a coil produces an electromagnet. A cylindrical coil that moves a plunger within it by variations in the current through the coil is known as a solenoid (q.v.).