LADWP Electric Station Operator Practice Test

In the context of electrical transformers and windings, the relationship between the power output of the secondary winding and the input from the primary winding can typically be described by the principle of conservation of energy. Transformers operate under the principle that the energy transferred from the primary coil to the secondary coil does not create energy, but rather transforms it.

When a transformer steps down voltage through its windings, the power output of the secondary winding is indeed less than the power input into the primary winding. This reduced output is due to the inherent losses that occur during the energy transfer, such as copper losses (due to resistance in the windings) and iron losses (due to hysteresis and eddy currents in the core). These factors mean that it is impossible for the secondary output to exceed the primary input under normal operating conditions. Therefore, the characteristic that the output is less than the input reflects the efficiency and operational limits of typical transformers.

Overall, this principle underlines a fundamental aspect of how transformers are designed to operate safely and effectively, adhering to energy conservation principles.