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.
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!
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 Quantity | Definition | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Voltage | The electric potential difference between two points | Volt (V) |
| Current | The flow of electric charge in a circuit | Ampere (A) |
| Resistance | Opposition to the flow of electric current | Ohm (Ω) |
| Power | The rate at which work is done or energy is transferred in an electric circuit | Watt (W) |
| Capacitance | The ability of a system to store electric charge | Farad (F) |
| Inductance | The property of an electrical conductor by which a change in current induces an electromotive force | Henry (H) |
| Electric Charge | The fundamental property of matter that gives rise to electric force | Coulomb (C) |
| Electric Field | A region around a charged object where an electric force is exerted on other charged objects | Newton per Coulomb (N/C) |
| Electric Potential | The electric potential energy per unit charge in an electric field | Volt (V) |
| Current Density | The electric current per unit area in a material | Ampere per square meter (A/m²) |
| Conductance | The measure of a material’s ability to conduct electric current | Siemens (S) |
| Magnetic Field | A region around a magnet or current-carrying conductor where a magnetic force is exerted on other magnets or conductors | Tesla (T) |
| Magnetic Flux | The total magnetic field passing through a surface | Weber (Wb) |
| Inductive Reactance | Opposition to the change of electric current in an inductive circuit | Ohm (Ω) |
| Capacitive Reactance | Opposition to the change of electric current in a capacitive circuit | Ohm (Ω) |
| Impedance | The total opposition that a circuit presents to alternating current | Ohm (Ω) |
| Frequency | The number of cycles of a periodic wave in one second | Hertz (Hz) |
| Ohm’s Law | Describes the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance in an electrical circuit | V = I * R |
| Electrical Law/Concept | Definition | Equation/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 |
| Hyperloop | A proposed mode of passenger and freight transportation that uses pressurized capsules in low-pressure tubes | N/A |
| Hypermesh | A finite element pre-processor for generating complex meshes for various physics simulations | N/A |
| Equivalent Resistance | The single resistance value that can replace a network of resistors while preserving the same current-voltage relationship | Req = R1 + R2 + … |
| Capacitance | The ability of a system to store electric charge | Q = C * V |
| Inductance | The property of an electrical conductor by which a change in current induces an electromotive force | V = L * di/dt |
| Thévenin Equivalent | A method of simplifying an electrical circuit to a single voltage source and series resistance | V_th = V_open, R_th = R_eq |
| Norton Equivalent | A method of simplifying an electrical circuit to a single current source and parallel resistance | I_N = I_short, R_N = R_eq^-1 |
Deep dive into one of the following topics:
Circuits
- Understanding a Supercapacitor
- What is a Diode?
- Cracking the Code of Impedance in an AC circuit
- Why AC circuits are cooler than DC circuits: A beginner’s guide
- Second-Order Electrical Circuits
- Unlocking the Power of Inductors
- Capacitors Basics
- Circuit Simplification: Norton Equivalent and Source Transformations
- Supernode and Supermesh
- Voltage and Current Division
Controls
- The Automotive Ignition System
- X-By-Wire Systems
- Off-Road Vehicle Engineering 101: Understanding Off-Road Vehicle Electrical Architectures
- Levitating Magnet Project
Electricity and magnetism
- What is a Diode?
- Understanding Solar Energy
- Energy Management of a Hybrid Car
- The Power of a AC Motor
- DC Motor Design
- Understanding DC Motor Basics
- The Magic of Cascade and Bandpass Filters
- A Journey into Frequency Response, Filters and Resonance
- Cracking the Code of Impedance in an AC circuit
- Phasors in AC Circuits
Eletrical Arcitectures
- Understanding a Supercapacitor
- What is a Diode?
- What is a Fuel Cell?
- The Hydrogen Car
- Thermodynamics- Gibbs free energy
- Understanding Solar Energy
- Car Assembly Process 101
- Understanding Car Design
- Understanding Car Wind Noise
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
Hybrid Systems
- The Hydrogen Car
- Hybrid Electric Vehicles
- Automotive Sustainability
- The Green Revolution on Rails: The Rise of Hybrid Electrical Systems in Train Design
- Electrifying the Waves: A Deep Dive into Hybrid Electrical System Architecture for Ships
- The Future of Transportation: Exploring Hybrid Hydraulic Vehicles
- Off-Road Vehicle Engineering 101: Understanding Off-Road Vehicle Electrical Architectures