n-type semiconductor - A semiconductor compound formed by doping an intrinsic semiconductor with a pentavalent element. An n-type material contains an excess of conduction band electrons.
negative - Terminal that has an excess of electrons.
negative charge - A charge that has more electrons than protons
negative feedback - A feedback signal 180° out of phase with an amplifier input signal. Used to increase amplifier stability, bandwidth and input impedance. Also reduces distortion.
negative ground - A system where the negative terminal of the source is connected to the system's metal chassis.
negative ion - An atom having a greater number of electrons in orbit than there are protons in the nucleus.
negative resistance - A resistance such that when the current through it increases the voltage drop across the resistance decreases.
negative temperature coefficient - A term used to describe a component whose resistance or capacitance decreases when temperature increases.
neon bulb - Glass envelope filled with neon gas which when ionized by an applied voltage will glow red.
network - Combination of interconnected components, circuits or systems.
neutral - A terminal, point or object with balanced charges. Neither positive or negative.
neutral atom - An atom in which the number of negative charges (electrons in orbit) is equal to the number of positive charges (protons in the nucleus).
neutral wire - The conductor of a polyphase circuit or a single-phase three wire circuit that is intended to have a ground potential. The potential difference between the neutral and each of the other conductors are approximately equal in magnitude and equally spaced in phase.
neutron - Subatomic particle in the nucleus of an atom and having no electrical charge.
nickel-cadmium cell - A secondary cell that uses a nickel oxide positive electrode and a cadmium negative electrode.
node - Junction or branch point in a circuit.
noise - Unwanted electromagnetic radiation within an electrical or mechanical system.
An operational amplifier circuit having no phase inversion between the input and output.
non-inverting input - The terminal on an operational amplifier that is identified by a plus sign.
non-linear scale - A scale in which the divisions are not equally spaced.
normal closed - Designation which states that the contacts of a switch or relay are closed or connected when at rest. When activated, the contacts open or separated.
normally open - Designation which states that the contacts of a switch or relay are normally open or not connected. When activated the contacts close or become connected.
north pole - Pole of a magnet out of which magnetic lines of force are assumed to originate.
Norton's theorem - Any network of voltage sources and resistors can be replace by a single current source in parallel with a single resistor.
notch filter - A filter which blocks a narrow band of frequencies and passes all frequencies above and below the band.
npn transistor - A bipolar junction transistor in which a p-type base element is sandwiched between an n-type emitter and an n-type collector.
nucleus - Core of an atom. The nucleus contains both positive (protons) and neutral (neutrons) subatomic particles.