Engineering Tutorials

This module will cover the fundamentals of electricity in a practical way, and will not be complicated by complex theory and mathematical calculations. The module will present a number of different topics. You will be introduced to information that will be used in later modules.

Like the other modules in this series, this one presents small, manageable sections of new material followed by a series of questions about that material. Study the material carefully, then answer the questions without referring back to what you've just read. You are the best judge of how well you grasp the material. Review the material as often as you think necessary. The most important thing is establishing a solid foundation on which to build as you move from topic to topic and module to module.

The technical term electricity is the property of certain particles to possess a force field which is neither gravitational nor nuclear. To understand what this means, we need to start simply. Everything, from water and air to rocks, plants and animals, is made up of minute particles called atoms. Atoms consist of even smaller particles called protons, neutrons and electrons. The nucleus of the atom contains protons, which have a positive charge, and neutrons, which have no charge. Electrons have a negative charge and orbit around the nucleus. An atom can be compared to a solar system, with the nucleus being the sun and the electrons being planets in orbit.