Electrical Fundamentals (EET1033C)

Course Description

EET1033C – Electrical Fundamentals is a 4-credit, combined lecture and laboratory course (denoted by the "C" lab indicator) within the Engineering Technologies taxonomy under Electronic Engineering Technology. This course is designed for students pursuing a College Credit Certificate (CCC) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree in Engineering Technology and related disciplines. Students learn the basic concepts of electronics principles, including Direct Current (DC), Alternating Current (AC), series and parallel circuit topologies, basic electronic components, electronic measurement tools, and software simulation tools. The course provides the foundational knowledge required for all subsequent technical programs in electronics and engineering technology.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Describe the basic concepts of electricity from the atomic level through conventional current theory, and define fundamental electrical units: volts, amperes, watts, and ohms.
Identify and describe the elements of a circuit — including conductors, insulators, and resistors — and explain their function within a circuit.
Apply Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Voltage and Current Laws (KVL and KCL) to analyze series, parallel, and series-parallel DC circuits.
Calculate power dissipated and delivered by electronic components and apply the concept of power efficiency to resistive circuits.
Use standard measuring instruments — including the analog VOM, digital multimeter (DMM), digital voltmeter (DVM), and oscilloscope — to measure resistance, voltage, and current in DC and AC circuits.
Analyze and interpret AC circuit behavior, including sinusoidal waveforms, frequency, period, peak and RMS values, inductance, capacitance, reactance, and impedance.
Describe the principles of magnetism as applied to electronics, including magnetic fields, magnetic flux, and their units of measure.
Build and test circuits using breadboards or circuit construction techniques, and verify results against theoretical calculations.

Optional Outcomes

The following outcomes are covered at some Florida institutions and represent extended or enriched coverage of the course:

Demonstrate an understanding of inductors and capacitors as reactive components, including time constants and transient response in DC circuits.
Represent voltages and power in Decibel (dB) form; calculate power gain and voltage gain for cascading amplifier stages.
Describe the atomic structure of semiconductor materials (silicon, germanium), compare n-type and p-type materials, and explain the formation and behavior of the p-n junction diode.
Analyze biased and unbiased diode configurations in resistive DC circuits and differentiate between ideal and practical diode models.
Use circuit simulation software (e.g., Multisim, LTspice, or equivalent) to model and verify circuit behavior prior to physical construction.
Apply Thevenin's and Norton's Theorems to simplify complex DC circuits for analysis.

Major Topics

Required Topics

The following topics represent the core content covered across Florida college offerings of this course:

Basic Electrical Concepts — Atomic structure, electron theory, conventional vs. electron current flow; electrical charge, voltage, current, resistance, and power; SI units and metric prefixes.
Ohm's Law and Power — Ohm's Law relationships (V = IR); power formulas (P = VI, P = I²R, P = V²/R); power efficiency calculations.
DC Series Circuits — Total resistance, current, voltage drops; application of KVL; voltage divider rule.
DC Parallel Circuits — Total resistance, branch currents; application of KCL; current divider rule.
Series-Parallel DC Circuits — Circuit reduction techniques; combined application of KVL and KCL.
Electrical Measurement — Operation of analog (VOM) and digital (DMM/DVM) meters; oscilloscope setup and use; measurement of voltage, current, resistance, and waveforms.
AC Fundamentals — Sinusoidal waveform parameters (peak, peak-to-peak, RMS, average); frequency, period, and phase relationships; AC voltage sources.
Capacitance and Inductance — Capacitor and inductor construction and characteristics; capacitive and inductive reactance (X_C, X_L); impedance (Z).
Magnetism and Electromagnetism — Magnetic fields, flux, flux density; electromagnets; relationship between magnetism and electricity.
Circuit Construction and Lab Safety — Breadboard and schematic reading; component identification (resistor color code, capacitor markings); electrical safety practices in the laboratory.

Optional Topics

The following topics appear in some institutional offerings and may be included based on program depth and scheduling:

Thevenin's and Norton's Theorems — Simplification of linear DC circuits to equivalent models.
Decibels (dB) — Expressing voltage and power ratios in dB; cascading gain calculations.
Semiconductor Fundamentals — N-type and P-type materials; P-N junction formation; ideal vs. practical diode; forward and reverse bias analysis.
Circuit Simulation Software — Introduction to simulation tools such as Multisim or LTspice for virtual circuit analysis.
Transformers — Basic transformer operation, turns ratio, primary/secondary voltage and current relationships.
RLC Circuit Analysis — Series and parallel RLC circuits; resonance frequency; quality factor (Q).

Resources & Tools

Textbook: Commonly used texts include Fundamentals of Electric Circuits (Alexander & Sadiku) or Electronics Fundamentals: Circuits, Devices and Applications (Floyd & Buchla), or institution-selected equivalents.
Lab Equipment: Digital multimeter (DMM), analog VOM, dual-channel oscilloscope, function/signal generator, variable DC power supply, breadboards, and standard passive components (resistors, capacitors, inductors).
Simulation Software: NI Multisim, LTspice, or equivalent SPICE-based simulation tool (varies by institution).
Graphing/Scientific Calculator: Required for circuit analysis and waveform calculations.
Florida Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS): Official course profile available at flscns.fldoe.org.

Career Pathways

EET1033C is a foundational gateway course for multiple career and academic pathways in Florida's engineering technology sector:

Electronics Engineering Technician — Assemble, test, troubleshoot, and repair electronic equipment in manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or utilities industries.
Electrical/Electronic Engineering Technologist — Support engineering teams in product design, quality control, fabrication, and R&D.
Mechatronics Technician — Apply combined knowledge of electronics, mechanics, and control systems in advanced manufacturing environments.
Telecommunications Technician — Install, maintain, and repair optical, electro-mechanical, and telecommunications equipment.
Further Education: This course supports progress toward a College Credit Certificate (CCC) in Electronics or Mechatronics, an A.S. in Electronics Engineering Technology, or transfer into a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology (offered at institutions such as Valencia College and Florida Polytechnic University).

Special Information

Certification Preparation: Completion of EET1033C and its program sequence positions students to pursue industry-recognized credentials relevant to the electronics field. Florida college programs embedding this course often align with or prepare students for:

IPC J-STD-001 (Soldering Standards) and IPC-A-610 (Acceptability of Electronic Assemblies) — Offered as standalone certification courses at several Florida institutions, including Eastern Florida State College.
Electronics Technician Association International (ETA) — Associate-level Certified Electronics Technician (CETa) examination preparation.
Manufacturing Skill Standards Council (MSSC) — Aligned with manufacturing competency standards recognized across Florida's Engineering Technology programs.

Lab Component: The "C" suffix in EET1033C designates a combined lecture and laboratory course meeting in the same location at the same time. Students should expect hands-on circuit building, instrument use, and simulation work integrated directly into each class session. A lab fee may apply.

Program Note: This course is typically one of the first technical courses in an Electronics Engineering Technology CCC or A.S. sequence. Students who have completed vocational-level electronics coursework at a technical center (e.g., Orange Technical College, Osceola Technical College) may be eligible for prior learning credit toward this course — consult a program advisor.