What is the typical effect on amperage in a step-up transformer?

In a step-up transformer, the primary purpose is to increase the voltage from the primary coil to the secondary coil. This increase in voltage occurs according to the turns ratio, which determines how many turns of wire are present in the primary coil compared to the secondary coil.

Due to the principle of conservation of energy, when the voltage is increased in a step-up transformer, the current (amperage) in the secondary coil must decrease correspondingly. This is because the power input, which is the product of voltage and current (P = V × I), must equal the power output under ideal conditions (ignoring losses). Since the voltage increases, the current must decrease to keep the power constant.

This relationship can be expressed by the equation:

( V_1 \times I_1 = V_2 \times I_2 )

Here, the increase in secondary voltage (V2) leads to a decrease in secondary current (I2) if the input and output power are equal. Therefore, in a step-up transformer, as the voltage increases, the amperage decreases, reflecting the nature of this type of transformer.