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STEMStart! organized the Electrical Engineering workshop by partnering with Dr. Charles Neuhauser* and Dr. Scott Wakefield. On 12 November, 2022, students ranging from 7th to 9th grades participated in a hands-on 2-hour workshop where they learned about electricity, electrical engineering and circuitry. Through this workshop, participants learned about different circuits spanning parallel and series circuits, and resistors, among other relevant concepts. After this lecture, students designed different types of circuits based on a provided Circuit Puzzles worksheet. Moreover, they simulated advanced circuits online using laptops and software provided by Dr. Charles Neuhauser and Dr. Scott Wakefield. *You can contact Dr. Neuhauser for more information at [email protected] |
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Missed the event? See the event slides and circuit puzzles worksheet below to start learning about electrical engineering!
Note: View the slides here and the puzzles worksheet here in their original formats
Why did STEMStart! choose electrical engineering as the area of interest? |
Do you know why a cell phone must have a battery or why a computer must be plugged in to work? (Answer: Those devices need electricity to work.) Did you know that a battery or the power coming from the outlet in the wall is part of an electrical circuit? When a battery is placed in the cell phone or when a computer is plugged in, the circuit in the device is completed or "closed," allowing electric current to flow.
Circuits can be found all around us — in our homes, schools and businesses. Electrical engineers are most commonly associated with the development of circuits, but they are not the only engineers who work with and know about circuits. Most engineers must understand electricity and the physics behind circuits so they can design any devices that use electricity. Mechanical engineers, for example, use circuits when designing motors. Aerospace engineers use circuits when designing controls for spacecraft.
Circuits can be found all around us — in our homes, schools and businesses. Electrical engineers are most commonly associated with the development of circuits, but they are not the only engineers who work with and know about circuits. Most engineers must understand electricity and the physics behind circuits so they can design any devices that use electricity. Mechanical engineers, for example, use circuits when designing motors. Aerospace engineers use circuits when designing controls for spacecraft.
FAQs on Electrical Engineering
USEFUL EXTERNAL RESOURCES TO GET STARTED
1. Electrical Engineering Portal
Lots of different articles on electrical engineering, guides to using electrical software, explanations of various theorems and laws, and even research papers – a great public resource for both students and those already graduated.
If you need to download a program for electrical calculations, this is definitely a place you should visit. There is also a large amount of high-quality literature that is available for download.
2. Electronics
If there is something you didn’t understand in class – no worries, Electronics has got you covered! Choose your area and then a substantial list of various topics will fall out in front of you with audio presentations and simple, easy to understand explanations. Among others, you can read about industrial management, commercial application, customers, work safety, and protection.
3. Electrical 4 U
A study site created by experienced engineers in order to help their fellow colleagues. Whatever your question is, you would probably find an answer on this platform. The company provides lots of info regarding electric power, renewable energy (such as solar and wind energy), power distribution, and control as well as new technology.
4. All about circuits
As you have already guessed by the name, this site is all about circuits – there are lots of technical and industry content, video lectures, and worksheets for students and a forum where you can get social and discuss any problem encountered at your studies or work. Once you log in, you can apply for various giveaways. Another great feature is the tools section. Here you can perform various calculations, test equipment, check the library, and so on.
5. Virtual Labs
This site provides remote access to labs in different disciplines of science and engineering and caters mainly to undergrad and postgrad students. It is a full learning management system dedicated to any student regardless of his current education level.
Once you log in online, you will have free access to various data and tools including web resources, animated demonstrations, videos, electronic books, etc. The site is meant to provide resources to university students and researchers who are otherwise unable to get to them due to time and geographical distance constraints.
Lots of different articles on electrical engineering, guides to using electrical software, explanations of various theorems and laws, and even research papers – a great public resource for both students and those already graduated.
If you need to download a program for electrical calculations, this is definitely a place you should visit. There is also a large amount of high-quality literature that is available for download.
2. Electronics
If there is something you didn’t understand in class – no worries, Electronics has got you covered! Choose your area and then a substantial list of various topics will fall out in front of you with audio presentations and simple, easy to understand explanations. Among others, you can read about industrial management, commercial application, customers, work safety, and protection.
3. Electrical 4 U
A study site created by experienced engineers in order to help their fellow colleagues. Whatever your question is, you would probably find an answer on this platform. The company provides lots of info regarding electric power, renewable energy (such as solar and wind energy), power distribution, and control as well as new technology.
4. All about circuits
As you have already guessed by the name, this site is all about circuits – there are lots of technical and industry content, video lectures, and worksheets for students and a forum where you can get social and discuss any problem encountered at your studies or work. Once you log in, you can apply for various giveaways. Another great feature is the tools section. Here you can perform various calculations, test equipment, check the library, and so on.
5. Virtual Labs
This site provides remote access to labs in different disciplines of science and engineering and caters mainly to undergrad and postgrad students. It is a full learning management system dedicated to any student regardless of his current education level.
Once you log in online, you will have free access to various data and tools including web resources, animated demonstrations, videos, electronic books, etc. The site is meant to provide resources to university students and researchers who are otherwise unable to get to them due to time and geographical distance constraints.
INTERESTING CAREERS TO PURSUE RELATED TO ELECTRICITY
Controls Engineer: A controls engineer is responsible for developing equipment that is efficient in creating products. They also plan for maintenance and implement processes that reveal problems with their systems. Controls engineers research solutions, test their design and produce efficacy reports that show them how effective their system is.
Project Engineer: A project engineer oversees and manages engineering projects, which may include electrical engineering projects. They adhere to a budget and timeline and may need to hire additional staff, including contract workers, to make sure they can ensure project completion following certain specifications. Project engineers monitor the work of each member of the team, encourage everyone involved to meet deadlines and make sure that the project meets compliance.
Test Engineer: A test engineer is responsible for conducting tests on electrical systems. They speak with stakeholders to better understand business needs, formulate test plans and analyze usage cases. Test engineers fix the problems they find or offer guidance in implementing solutions.
Design Engineer: A design engineer uses computer-aided design (CAD) software to develop systems and new products. They create designs according to provided specifications, test their designs, document their process and ask for feedback on the designs. Design engineers may need to create modifications to make sure the equipment meets requirements.
Electrical Engineer: An electrical engineer is responsible for designing and developing electrical equipment, which may include manufacturing equipment, navigation systems, the electrical system in different vehicles and smartphones. They also test this equipment and provide solutions for any problems they encounter with the design or functionality.
Communications Engineer: A communications engineer is responsible for designing and developing communications systems like satellites and fiber optics. They may also assist with installing the equipment to make sure it's functioning properly and that the communication the device or equipment receives and transmits is high quality.
Systems Engineer: A systems engineer is responsible for making sure certain systems they're in charge of are fully functional and optimized. They may install new software and electronics, monitor its usage and update systems as needed. Systems engineers may form a feedback process to identify any issues and offer solutions to stakeholders.
Aeronautical Engineer: An aeronautical engineer constructs systems for aircrafts and associated systems like satellites. They may design mechanical, communications, electrical or environmental systems. Aeronautical engineers perform extensive testing on their designs to make sure that all systems, like navigation and propulsion, are operating together. They also find ways to improve performance, evaluate their designs and perform research.
Electronics Engineer: An electronics engineer is responsible for designing, developing and implementing electronics equipment like GPS devices, kitchen appliances and electric motors. They research designs, test components of their design and meet specifications for their work. Electronics engineers write documentation that includes the equipment they've used and associated costs, inspect current equipment and make sure the electronics they create are compatible with other systems.
Project Engineer: A project engineer oversees and manages engineering projects, which may include electrical engineering projects. They adhere to a budget and timeline and may need to hire additional staff, including contract workers, to make sure they can ensure project completion following certain specifications. Project engineers monitor the work of each member of the team, encourage everyone involved to meet deadlines and make sure that the project meets compliance.
Test Engineer: A test engineer is responsible for conducting tests on electrical systems. They speak with stakeholders to better understand business needs, formulate test plans and analyze usage cases. Test engineers fix the problems they find or offer guidance in implementing solutions.
Design Engineer: A design engineer uses computer-aided design (CAD) software to develop systems and new products. They create designs according to provided specifications, test their designs, document their process and ask for feedback on the designs. Design engineers may need to create modifications to make sure the equipment meets requirements.
Electrical Engineer: An electrical engineer is responsible for designing and developing electrical equipment, which may include manufacturing equipment, navigation systems, the electrical system in different vehicles and smartphones. They also test this equipment and provide solutions for any problems they encounter with the design or functionality.
Communications Engineer: A communications engineer is responsible for designing and developing communications systems like satellites and fiber optics. They may also assist with installing the equipment to make sure it's functioning properly and that the communication the device or equipment receives and transmits is high quality.
Systems Engineer: A systems engineer is responsible for making sure certain systems they're in charge of are fully functional and optimized. They may install new software and electronics, monitor its usage and update systems as needed. Systems engineers may form a feedback process to identify any issues and offer solutions to stakeholders.
Aeronautical Engineer: An aeronautical engineer constructs systems for aircrafts and associated systems like satellites. They may design mechanical, communications, electrical or environmental systems. Aeronautical engineers perform extensive testing on their designs to make sure that all systems, like navigation and propulsion, are operating together. They also find ways to improve performance, evaluate their designs and perform research.
Electronics Engineer: An electronics engineer is responsible for designing, developing and implementing electronics equipment like GPS devices, kitchen appliances and electric motors. They research designs, test components of their design and meet specifications for their work. Electronics engineers write documentation that includes the equipment they've used and associated costs, inspect current equipment and make sure the electronics they create are compatible with other systems.
HOW TO STAY INTERESTED AND INVOLVED
- Take a Physics course
- Take a Calculus and Trigonometry Course
- Take a Circuits course
- Build your own circuits
- Take on different DIY electrical engineering projects (see external resources tab)
- Join a Robotics team
- Study a related major in university: most relevant major is electrical engineering
- Join electrical engineering interest communities in your area to learn about relevant news and research
- Apply your knowledge of electrical engineering in fixing phones, laptops, watches and other electronic devices
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