Basic Electrical & Electronics Engineering

BEEE or Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering is one of the foundational subjects in the field of electrical engineering and its sister branches of engineering. BEEE focuses on explaining the fundamental concepts, theories, principles, and basic applications of electrical and electronic circuits, systems, and devices.

Basic electrical and electronics engineering acts like a bridge between electrical sciences and their practical applications in engineering.

The main objective of teaching BEEE to engineering students is to introduce them with knowledge required for understanding, analyzing, and designing simple electrical and electronic devices, circuits, and systems. Overall, BEEE builds the foundation for understanding advanced concepts of electrical and electronics engineering.

What is Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering?

Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering, also known as BEEE, is a foundational course in the field of electrical and electronics engineering domain. It deals with the study, design, and operation of circuits and systems that consist of electronic components and use electricity to function.

This subject introduces both microscopic systems such as semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, digital systems, etc. and macroscopic systems such as power generating stations, transmission system, distribution system, electric motors, etc.

BEEE comprises of two different branches of engineering namely, Electrical Engineering and Electronics Engineering. These two branches are different and correlated from each other as described in the following table −

Hence, we state that electrical engineering deals with the generation, transmission, and utilization of electrical energy, while electronics engineering deals with the design and application of systems for control and communication. Both electrical engineering and electronics engineering combined form electrical and electronics engineering.

Prerequisites to Understand Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering

As basic electrical and electronics engineering is a fundamental course in engineering domain which is generally taught in first year of BE, B. Tech. or equivalent courses. But before starting the study of basic electrical and electronics engineering, the learners should have a basic knowledge and understanding of the following −

• Fundamental laws of elementary physics like electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic induction, and more.
• Basic mathematics such as algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and differential equations.
• Knowledge of electrical materials like conductors, semiconductors, insulators, etc. and their properties.
• Ability to analyze and solve application-based problems.

Topics Covered in This BEEE Tutorial

This basic electrical and electronics tutorial is segmented into two major parts i.e., Basic Electrical Engineering and Basic Electronics Engineering. The set of topics covered under these two segments are provided in the following table −

Important Terminology in BEEE

A basic knowledge of the following terms is essential for understanding concepts explained in this basic electrical and electronics engineering tutorial −

Electric Current

Electric current is one of the fundamental quantities in electric circuits. It is defined as the flow of electric charge through a closed circuit in a certain direction. Electric current is denoted by I and is expressed as,

$$\mathrm{\text{Current,}I = \frac{\text{Charge (Q)}}{\text{Time (t)}}}$$

Electric Voltage

Voltage, also known as Potential Difference, is nothing but the difference of electric potential between two points in an electric circuit. It is denoted by V and measured in volts.

$$\mathrm{V_{ab} = V_{a} - V_{b}}$$

Electrical Resistance

Electrical resistance is defined as the measure of opposition offered by the material in the flow of electric current. It is measured in Ohms (Ω) and is usually denoted by R.

$$\mathrm{R = \frac{V}{I}}$$

Electric Power

The rate at which work is done in an electric circuit is called electric power. It is denoted by P and measured in Watts (W).

$$\mathrm{P = V I}$$

Capacitance

The ability of a material to store electric charge in an electric field is called capacitance. It is denoted by C and measured in Farad (F).

$$\mathrm{C = \frac{Q}{V}}$$

Inductance

The property of a material by which it stores electrical energy in a magnetic field is called inductance. It is denoted by L and measured in Henery (H).

$$\mathrm{L = \frac{\phi}{I}}$$

Alternating Current (AC)

A form of electric current that continuously changes its magnitude and periodically changes its direction is called an alternating current. It is denoted by i and measured in amperes (A).

$$\mathrm{i = \frac{dq}{dt}}$$

Direct Current (DC)

A form of electric current that always flows in one direct is known as direct current. It is denoted by either I or i and it is also measured in amperes.

$$\mathrm{I = \frac{Q}{t}}$$

Semiconductor

An engineering material that possesses conductivity between conductors and insulators is called semiconductor. Silicon and germanium are two most common types of semiconductors used in the field of electrical and electronics engineering.

Diode

A diode is a semiconductor based electronic device which allows the flow of electric current in only one direction and blocks in the reverse direction. It is used as switch or rectifier in electronic circuits.

Transistor

A transistor is also a semiconductor device which has three terminals and is used either as a switch or amplifier. It is one of the most widely used components in electronic circuits. The most common type of transistor is a BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor).

Logic Gate

A logic gate is a digital circuit component used to implement decision making circuits in electronic systems. There are several types of logic gates such as AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, XOR, and XNOR.

Electrical Transformer

Electrical transformer or simply transformer is an electromagnetic device used in small to large electrical systems for voltage transformation i.e., step-up or step-down the voltage levels. It is one of the most widely used electrical machines.

Electric Motor

A device that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy is called an electric motor.

Electric Generator

An electromechanical device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy is called an electric generator.

Objective of Learning BEEE

As Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering (BEEE) is a foundational course in the field of engineering. It helps in developing a basic understanding of how electrical and electronic systems work. The core objectives of this BEEE Tutorial are −

• Getting familiar with fundamental concepts of electrical and electronics.
• Learning basic circuit analysis techniques like nodal analysis, mesh analysis, Thevenin's theorem, and more.
• Studying fundamental principles of electromagnetism.
• Understanding the construction and working of semiconductor devices and electronic circuits.

Who Should Learn Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering?

This BEEE Tutorial is suitable for anyone who want to learn about fundamentals of electricity and electronics. This tutorial is primarily designed for absolute beginners studying starting their engineering studies at undergraduate level.

This tutorial can be also a useful resource for engineers and professionals working in the field of electrical and electronics engineering, as it can help them to revise their fundamentals of electricity and electronics.

FAQs on Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering

This section tries to briefly answer a set of most Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Basic Electrical and Electronics Engineering −

1. What do electrical and electronic engineers do?

Electrical Engineers are engineering professionals who mainly design, study, analyze, and maintain large scale systems that work with high-voltage and current. For example, power generation, transmission, and distribution.

On the other side, Electronic Engineers deal with design, study, and analysis of small-scale systems that operate at low-voltage and current, For example, digital circuits, signal processing systems, VLSI ICs, microprocessors, microcontrollers, and more.

2. What is meant by Electrical and Electronics Engineering?

Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) is a branch of engineering which covers the study, design, analysis, and application of principles, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronic components, or electromagnetism.

3. Who is the father of EEE?

EEE is a combination of two major engineering disciplines namely, Electrical Engineering and Electronics Engineering. Historically, Michael Faraday is recognized as the father of electrical engineering while Sir John Ambrose Fleming is called the father of electronics engineering.

4. What are the 8 main types of electrical engineering?

The main 8 types of electrical engineering are highlighted below −

• Power System Engineering − This type of electrical engineering deals with the generation, transmission, distribution, and utilization of electric power.
• Control System Engineering − It deals with the study and application of automation and regulation of processes.
• Electronics Engineering − It is the sister branch of electrical engineering that deals with the design and usage of electronic, semiconductor, or digital circuits and systems.
• Power Electronics − It deals with combining the power system engineering with electronics engineering for efficient conversion and control of electric power flow.
• Communication Engineering − This electrical engineering domain deals with the processing, transmission, and reception of data and information.
• Instrumentation Engineering − This engineering branch involves the monitoring and measurement of electrical quantities such as current, voltage, power, energy, etc.
• Microelectronics − It deals with the design and manufacturing of very small electronic circuits and integrated circuits.
• Renewable Energy Engineering − This is a modern branch of electrical engineering which deals with the development of clean, green, and efficient energy resources.

5. What are the five electrical safety rules?

In the field of electrical and electronics engineering, electrical safety is one of the important aspects to prevent electric shocks, fire hazards, or equipment damage. The following are 5 key electrical safety rules −

• Isolate or disconnect the electric supply completely before working on the electrical system.
• Secure the system against accidental reconnection of supply.
• Test and verify that the system is completely de-energized and safe to touch.
• Ground all conductors of the system to eliminate induced or stored charges.
• Cover or shield nearby live parts prevent accidental electric contact.

6. What is the Ohm's law?

Ohm's law is one of the most fundamental laws in electrical and electronics engineering. This law states that the voltage across a conductor is directly proportional to current flowing through it, provided physical conditions remain constant.

$$\mathrm{V \propto I}$$

7. What are the four units of electricity?

The following table gives the 4 most common units of electricity −

8. How do you calculate voltage?

In electrical and electronics, we can use any of the following formulae to calculate voltage −

9. What are active and passive components?

Active Components are those electronic elements that can either supply energy to circuit or produce energy gain for infinite duration of time. On the other hand, those circuit elements that consume electrical energy only and do never supply are called passive components. Examples of active components include generator, semiconductor devices, transistors, etc. while examples of passive components are transformer, motor, resistor, inductor, etc.