What type of transformer produces a secondary voltage that is lower than the primary voltage?

A step-down transformer is designed to reduce the voltage from the primary winding to a lower voltage in the secondary winding. It achieves this by having more turns of wire on the primary coil compared to the secondary coil. When alternating current passes through the primary coil, it generates a magnetic field that induces a voltage in the secondary coil based on the ratio of the number of turns. Since the primary has more turns, the induced voltage in the secondary is correspondingly lower, resulting in a reduced secondary voltage. This mechanism is crucial in applications where lower voltage levels are required, such as in power distribution systems or to power devices that operate at lower voltage levels safely and efficiently.

In contrast, step-up transformers work the other way, increasing voltage by having fewer turns on the primary coil than on the secondary. High-frequency and low-frequency transformers refer to the type of alternating current they work with but do not directly determine whether the voltage is stepped up or down.