18WuD2x

wire stripper • Wolf’s equation 755
wire stripper A hand tool or power machine for
cutting the insulating jacket on a wire and removing
it without cutting or nicking the wire.
wiretap 1. An instance of wiretapping. 2. A wiretapping
device.
wiretapper 1. A device for wiretapping. 2. A person
who practices wiretapping.
wiretapping The act of making direct or indirect
connections to a communications line to overhear
or record a conversation.
wire telegraphy Telegraphic communication carried
on by means of signals transmitted over wire
lines, as opposed to wireless (radio) telegraphy.
wire telephony Voice communication carried on
by means of signals transmitted over wire lines,
as opposed to wireless (radio) telephony.
wire tie See TIE.
wire wave communication See WIRED RADIO.
wireways Hinged-cover metal troughs for containing
and protecting wires and cables. Also see
WIRE DUCT.
wirewound potentiometer A potentiometer in
which the resistance element is a coil of resistance
wire wound on a cord bent into a cylinder,
or on a rigid, circular core.
wirewound resistor A resistor made from a coil of
wire that is a poor conductor. The wire is usually
wound around a cylindrical form; some components
use toroidal forms. The resistance is determined
by how well the wire metal conducts, by its
diameter (gauge), and by its length. This type of
resistor can be manufactured to precision tolerance.
If the wire gauge is heavy, it can dissipate
large amounts of power. The component has inductive
reactance, making it unsuitable for use at
radio frequencies. Compare CARBON-COMPOSI-
TION RESISTOR, FILM RESISTOR.
wirewound rheostat A rheostat in which the resistance
element is a coil of resistance wire wound
on a card bent into a cylinder, or on a rigid, circular
core.
wire wrap A method of circuit-board wiring in which
components are interconnected by individual wire
conductors, the ends of which are wrapped
around terminal posts using a special tool.
wire-wrap connection An electrical connection
made by tightly wrapping a bare wire around a
special terminal.
wire wrap
wire-wrapping tool A device used to make a wirewrap
connection.
wiring 1. The system of wires or similar conductors
connected between circuit components. 2.
Connecting and dressing such wires, as in wiring
a circuit. 3. Collectively, the connections (either
actual wire or printed metal lines or processed
semiconductor paths) between terminals and
components in an electronic circuit. 4. The process
of installing or making such connections.
wiring board The control panel of a computer (i.e.,
a plugboard).
wiring capacitance Unavoidable capacitance between
wires in a circuit, or between the wires and
nearby metal bodies.
wiring connector A small (usually metal) fitting
used to tie wires together.
wiring diagram See CIRCUIT DIAGRAM.
wiring impedance Unavoidable impedance in the
wires in a circuit, and in associated terminals
and hardware conducting alternating current.
This impedance is the vector sum of WIRING RE-
ACTANCE and WIRING RESISTANCE.
wiring inductance Unavoidable inductance in the
wires in a circuit, and in associated terminals
and other hardware, through which alternating
currents flow.
wiring reactance Unavoidable reactance in the
wires in a circuit, and in associated terminals
and other hardware, conducting alternating current.
This reactance is caused by WIRING CA-
PACITANCE and/or WIRING INDUCTANCE.
wiring resistance Unavoidable resistance in the
wires in a circuit and in associated terminals and
other hardware.
Witka circuit A voltage-tripler circuit using only
two diodes and two capacitors. Its no-load directcurrent
output voltage is approximately three
times the peak value of the alternating-current
input voltage. Also see VOLTAGE TRIPLER.
wk 1. Abbreviation of WORK. 2. Abbreviation of
week.
WL 1. Abbreviation of WAVELENGTH. 2. Abbreviation
of waterline.
WM Abbreviation of WATTMETER.
Wm 2 Symbol for watt square meter (unit of the first
radiation constant).
W/(MK) Symbol for watts per meter kelvin (unit of
thermal conductivity).
WMO Abbreviation of World Meteorological Organization.
wobbulator A device that sweeps the frequency
of an oscillator. There are several types, from a
motor-driven, rotating, tank capacitor to sophisticated,
fully electronic variable capacitors or
variable inductors.
wolfram See TUNGSTEN.
Wolf’s equation A sunspot-number equation used
to forecast maximum usable frequency: R =
k(10G + N), where R is relative sunspot number, k
is a constant for the telescope used, G is the