The concept of differential can be used as an adjective or as a noun. In the first case, the term refers to what is linked to the difference that exists between elements or to what allows a differentiation to be established.
For example: “This product has differential characteristics that allow it to stand out in the market”, “Tomorrow the biologist will present a differential analysis of the species that inhabit the coastal region”, “Club members will enjoy a differential pass to access events in a more agile way”.
In the field of mathematics, a very small difference of a variable is known as a differential. A differential, in this framework, is the tiny quantity that is known as an infinitesimal.
In a car, the differential is the piece that is responsible for transmitting the turning movement of the axle to the wheels, allowing the right wheel and the right wheel to turn at different speeds depending on the direction of the curve.
The concept in mechanics
For mechanics, the differential is the mechanism that is responsible for transporting the rotation made by the input shaft to two output shafts, allowing two simultaneous and different rotation speeds to be obtained. In the specific case of automobiles, it is the gear in charge of transmitting the movement carried out by the motor shaft to the wheels and which makes it possible for them to rotate at different speeds in a curve.
In cars, therefore, the differential is the part that transmits the turning movement of the axle to the wheels and that allows the left wheel and the right wheel to turn at different speeds, depending on the direction of the curve.
Differential amplifier
It is known by the name of differential amplifier to a device that serves to amplify the difference that exists between two given input voltages, while eliminating all voltage that common to the inputs. It is an analog circuit, that is to say a system whose variables have a continuous variation in time and can acquire infinite values, although only in theory.
The differential amplifier has two inputs, the inverting and the non-inverting, something that makes it proportional to the difference between the two input voltages, according to the following equation: Output voltage = Differential gain x ( Non-inverting input + Inverting input ).
Differential psychology studies the differences between individuals based on intelligence and personality.
Analytical psychology
There is, on the other hand, differential psychology, which is sometimes referred to as analytical psychology, a discipline that is aimed at studying the differences that individuals present in two fundamental aspects of our being: personality and intelligence. This expression was coined by William Lewis Stern, a psychologist and philosopher of German origin who made great contributions.
Differential psychology focuses on describing, predicting, and explaining interindividual, intraindividual, and intergroup variability in relevant areas of psychology, and takes its origin, its functioning, and the way it manifests as its point of reference. In general, it is opposed to general psychology, which is dedicated to studying the mental functions that all human beings share.
One of its great differences is that differential psychology especially uses the so- called correlational method, and is based on the Organism-Stimulus-Response ( OER ) paradigm, which was proposed by the American psychologist Louis Leon Thurstone in 1923, while the general it relies on the experimental method and is based on the Stimulus-Response or Stimulus-Organism-Response ( ER or EOR, respectively) paradigm.
Differential signal
A differential signal, finally, is a signal that travels through two conductors (which are called + and – ), and not just one. This causes the currents and voltages of these conductors to be symmetrical. By subtracting the signals of said conductors, the useful signal value is obtained.
The reason why this type of signals is used is that they offer greater robustness than interference.
