Electrical Engineering

Electrical engineering is all about using electricity to power devices, machines, and systems. It’s a really broad field with a lot of different specializations, but at its core, electrical engineers are responsible for designing, building, and testing electronic circuits and devices.

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Some of the areas of specialization within electrical engineering include power systems, electronics, control systems, and telecommunications. So, depending on what interests you most, there are a ton of different career paths to choose from. And the good news is, electrical engineering is a high-paying field! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for electrical engineers in the United States is around $100,000 per year. However, it’s important to remember that the pay will depend on where you live and what industry or company you work for.

As far as industries go, there are a lot of options for electrical engineers. Some of the most common industries that hire electrical engineers include technology, energy, aerospace, automotive, and telecommunications. You could work for a big tech company like Apple or Microsoft, designing the latest gadgets and devices. You could work for an energy company, helping to develop renewable energy sources. Or you could work for an automotive giant such as General Motors or Ford designing all their wiring harnesses which are integral in modern vehicles. The possibilities are endless!

Electrical engineers designing a wiring harness for a vehicle

So, if you’re someone who loves tinkering with electronics and wants to make a great salary doing it, electrical engineering might just be the perfect field for you. It’s a challenging and rewarding career that offers a lot of opportunities for growth and innovation.

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Electrical Engineering Cheat Sheet

Electrical QuantityDefinitionUnit
VoltageThe electric potential difference between two pointsVolt (V)
CurrentThe flow of electric charge in a circuitAmpere (A)
ResistanceOpposition to the flow of electric currentOhm (Ω)
PowerThe rate at which work is done or energy is transferred in an electric circuitWatt (W)
CapacitanceThe ability of a system to store electric chargeFarad (F)
InductanceThe property of an electrical conductor by which a change in current induces an electromotive forceHenry (H)
Electric ChargeThe fundamental property of matter that gives rise to electric forceCoulomb (C)
Electric FieldA region around a charged object where an electric force is exerted on other charged objectsNewton per Coulomb (N/C)
Electric PotentialThe electric potential energy per unit charge in an electric fieldVolt (V)
Current DensityThe electric current per unit area in a materialAmpere per square meter (A/m²)
ConductanceThe measure of a material’s ability to conduct electric currentSiemens (S)
Magnetic FieldA region around a magnet or current-carrying conductor where a magnetic force is exerted on other magnets or conductorsTesla (T)
Magnetic FluxThe total magnetic field passing through a surfaceWeber (Wb)
Inductive ReactanceOpposition to the change of electric current in an inductive circuitOhm (Ω)
Capacitive ReactanceOpposition to the change of electric current in a capacitive circuitOhm (Ω)
ImpedanceThe total opposition that a circuit presents to alternating currentOhm (Ω)
FrequencyThe number of cycles of a periodic wave in one secondHertz (Hz)
Ohm’s LawDescribes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance in an electrical circuitV = I * R
Electrical Quantity Definition and Units

Electrical Law/ConceptDefinitionEquation/Formulas
KCL (Kirchhoff’s Current Law)The total current entering a junction in a circuit is equal to the total current leaving the junction∑ I_in = ∑ I_out
KVL (Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law)The total voltage around any closed loop in a circuit is equal to the sum of the voltages across all the elements in the loop∑ V_loop = 0
HyperloopA proposed mode of passenger and freight transportation that uses pressurized capsules in low-pressure tubesN/A
HypermeshA finite element pre-processor for generating complex meshes for various physics simulationsN/A
Equivalent ResistanceThe single resistance value that can replace a network of resistors while preserving the same current-voltage relationshipReq = R1 + R2 + …
CapacitanceThe ability of a system to store electric chargeQ = C * V
InductanceThe property of an electrical conductor by which a change in current induces an electromotive forceV = L * di/dt
Thévenin EquivalentA method of simplifying an electrical circuit to a single voltage source and series resistanceV_th = V_open, R_th = R_eq
Norton EquivalentA method of simplifying an electrical circuit to a single current source and parallel resistanceI_N = I_short, R_N = R_eq^-1
Definition of electrical laws

Deep dive into one of the following topics:

Circuits

Controls

Electricity and magnetism

Eletrical Arcitectures

Electrochemistry

Hybrid Systems

Vehicle Electronics