What term describes a commutator that has become out of round due to excessive heat?

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Multiple Choice

What term describes a commutator that has become out of round due to excessive heat?

Explanation:
Excessive heat causes uneven expansion of the commutator and its mounting, so the rotating surface no longer stays centered on the shaft. That off-center condition is called eccentric. When a commutator becomes eccentric, brushes can ride unevenly and contact arcs increase, leading to wear and reliability issues. Why the others don’t fit as cleanly: staying round describes a true circle, which isn’t the issue here. Oblate would mean flattening like a sphere, not an off-center rotation. Warped implies bending or twisting, which is a different deformation than simply being off-center. Eccentricity specifically captures the off-center axis characteristic of a hot, out-of-round condition.

Excessive heat causes uneven expansion of the commutator and its mounting, so the rotating surface no longer stays centered on the shaft. That off-center condition is called eccentric. When a commutator becomes eccentric, brushes can ride unevenly and contact arcs increase, leading to wear and reliability issues.

Why the others don’t fit as cleanly: staying round describes a true circle, which isn’t the issue here. Oblate would mean flattening like a sphere, not an off-center rotation. Warped implies bending or twisting, which is a different deformation than simply being off-center. Eccentricity specifically captures the off-center axis characteristic of a hot, out-of-round condition.

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