introduction to electrical engineering comm 486 – multimedia literacy project benjamin s. garrett...

Introduction to Electrical Engineering

COMM 486 – Multimedia Literacy ProjectBenjamin S. Garrett

10 May 2015

Let’s Begin!

Main Menu

Build a CircuitFields within

Electrical Engineering

Where to Learn More

Click on the highlighted portion of the component in the circuit to

begin building your very own.

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Please click on the section of the circuit that is highlighted

This will be the second point of contact for the first conductor in the circuit. Usually after the

power source a switch is placed to safely control the flow of electricity in the circuit and

to the load.

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Please click on the section of the circuit that is highlighted

The first conductor, or wire, has be connected between the power supply and switch.

Continue by clicking on the first connection point of the second conductor.

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Please click on the section of the circuit that is highlighted

There are two electrically conductive parts of the light bulb, either one connected to one

side of the filament, select the first.

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Please click on the section of the circuit that is highlighted

The beginning of the final conductor, on the second terminal of the lightbulb.

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Please click on the section of the circuit that is highlighted

This circuit is almost assembled. Attach the final conductor to the negative terminal of the battery.

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Please click on the section of the circuit that is highlighted

Now that it is assembled, all that is left is to flip the switch from the open position to the closed position to make the

entire circuit live with electrical energy.

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Please click on the section of the circuit that is highlighted

Great! It seams to be working fine. All circuits are more or less like this one,

circuits may be customized to fit many purposes in an unlimited amount of ways.

Fields ofElectrical Engineering

• Power Engineering• Communications Engineering• Micro-Electronics Engineering• Computer Engineering

Click on the field of study to learn more.

Power Engineering

• Power engineers deal with the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity and design of power electronics. Engineers follow strict guide lines of the National Electrical Safety code and National Electric Codes to ensure safety and reliable power.

CommunicationsEngineering

• Communications engineers design the devices and medium for people all around the world to connect with each other, from the invention of the telephone in 1876 by Alexander Graham Bell to FM radio in 1890 by Edwin Armstrong. These engineers use complex theories to deliver all kinds of messages at high speeds around the world utilizing technologies such as fiber optics and 4G wireless data.

Computer Engineering

• Computer engineers deal with more of the computer system itself, the operating system and the software it takes to give the user interfaces we are all familiar with like Microsoft Windows or Apple’s Mac OS. Engineers design software for websites and for more recreational purposes like videogames.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/history#T1=era0

To left are the co-founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen and Bill Gates in 1975 when the company was founded.

Micro-ElectronicsEngineering

• Micro and nano-electronic fabrication engineers design and build devices that are microns wide, working at such a small scale poses new challenges that aren’t considered for larger builds. The circuits they build are usually on Silicon wafers layered with different components and geometries constructed through methods of growth, deposition, etching and more. Often the product is the processor chip, which small but powerful can run entire computer systems.

A micro-fabrication engineer working in a clean room. They have to extra caution not to bring dirt and other contaminants into the room to protect the nano-devices from possibly being ruined if a speck of dirt were to come in contact.

A silicon wafer is usually the base on which circuits are built on due to its ideal semiconductor properties

Where to Learn More

– Here is a short compiled of sites to spark some interest in electrical engineering. Feel free to explore them as you wish.

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering#Power

• https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/electricity-and-magnetism

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_engineering

• http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/electricity_timeline.htm

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/electricity.htm

Thank you for you interest in the field of electrical engineering, I hope that you have

been inspired to learn more.