Course: Basic Electrical Engineering
Topic: Basic Introduction
By
Arunima Mahapatra
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical Engineering
Swami Vivekananda University
Email: arunimam@[Link]
BASIC INTRODUCTION
Introduction to Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering is a field of engineering that deals with the study and
application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It covers a range of topics
including power systems, electrical machines, control systems, signal processing, and
telecommunications and more.
Q. Why do we need Electricity?
We need electricity for the following:
• Lighting- Bulb, Tube light, lamp etc
• Heating – Oven, Iron etc.
• Cooling- AC, Refrigerator
• Operating appliances - Computers, Washing machines, dishwashers, TV, etc
• Healthcare – Surgical operations
• Transport & Communication
• For commercial purpose
• For industrial purpose etc
Try to find out what are the other uses/applications of electricity.
Q. What is Electricity?
• Form of energy
• Controllable and convenient form of energy
• Plays important role in modern society
Q. Why electricity is controllable?
Because it can be controlled using different equipment (switches, fuses etc)
Q. Why electricity is convenient form of energy?
Because of the following:
• It can be generated easily.
• It can be quickly transferred from one location to another.
• It can be stored in the form of batteries.
• It can be easily converted into other forms of energy like thermal energy, mechanical energy.
Basic Concepts of Electricity
•Charge: Electric charge can be defined as a fundamental property of subatomic particles that gives rise to
the phenomenon of experiencing force in the presence of electric and magnetic fields.
•The SI unit of electric charge is the coulomb which is a derived SI unit and is represented by the symbol C.
•The cgs unit for electric charge is the “electrostatic unit”, or esu.
•Electric charge comes in two main types: positive and negative charges.
•Electric Charge Formula
•The formula of Electric Charge is as follows
•Q = I × t
•Where,
•Q = Electric Charge,
•I = Electric Current,
•t = Time.
•Current (I): Electric current is expressed by the amount of charge flowing through a
particular area in unit time.
In other words, it is the rate of flow of electric charges.
SI Unit: Ampere (A)
CGS Unit : Biot (Bi)
•Voltage (V): Voltage (also known as electric potential difference, electromotive force emf, electric
pressure, or electric tension) is defined as the electric potential difference per unit charge between two
points in an electric field. Voltage is expressed mathematically (i.e. in formulas) using the symbol “V” or “E”.
•The SI unit for voltage is Volt and is represented by the letter V.
•The statvolt is a unit of voltage and electrical potential used in the CGS-ESU and gaussian systems of units.
•Mathematically, the voltage can be expressed as,
•Voltage = Work Done (W) / Charge (Q)
•Resistance (R): The opposition to the flow of current. It is measured in ohms (Ω) and is given by Ohm’s
Law: V= IR.
Ohm’s Law
Ohm’s Law Statement: Ohm’s law states that the voltage across a
conductor is directly proportional to the current flowing through it,
provided all physical conditions and temperature, remain constant.
Ohm’s Law is a fundamental principle in electrical engineering that relates voltage (V),
current (I), and resistance (R) in an electrical circuit: V=IR. This means that the voltage
across a resistor is equal to the product of the current flowing through it and its
resistance.
Electrical Circuits
An electrical circuit is a network consisting of a closed loop, giving a return path for the
current.
•Series Circuits: Components connected end-to-end so that there is only one path for
current flow. The total resistance is the sum of individual resistances.
•R = R1 + R2 + R3 + ……….
•Parallel Circuits: Components connected across the same two points, providing
multiple paths for current flow. The total resistance is found using:
•(1/R) = (1/R1) + (1/R2) + (1/R3) + ………
Power and Energy
•Power (P): We can define power as the rate of doing work, it is the work done in unit
time.
•In the International System of Units (SI), the unit of power is the watt (W), which is
equal to one joule per second.
•The CGS unit of power is erg per second.
•Power = Work / time
•Energy (E): It is the capacity to do work. The total amount of work done or heat
generated by an electrical circuit over time. Measured in joules (J), it is given by: E=Pt
where P is Power and t is the time.
AC and DC Currents
•Direct Current (DC): The flow of electric charge in one direction. Batteries provide DC
power.
•Alternating Current (AC): The flow of electric charge that periodically reverses
direction. Household power supplies typically use AC.
Electrical Components
•Resistors: Components that resist the flow of current. Used to control voltage and
current in a circuit.
•Capacitors: Components that store and release electrical energy. Used in filtering and
energy storage.
•Inductors: Components that store energy in a magnetic field when electrical current
flows through them. Used in filtering and energy storage.
Electrical Machines
•Transformers: Devices that transfer electrical energy between two or more circuits
through electromagnetic induction.
•Motors: Machines that convert electrical energy into mechanical energy.
•Generators: Machines that convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.
Safety and Precautions
•Insulation: Using materials that do not conduct electricity to cover live wires and
components.
•Grounding: Providing a path for electric current to return to the ground in case of a
fault.
•Circuit Breakers and Fuses: Devices that automatically interrupt the flow of electricity
in case of an overload or short circuit.
