Course Catalogue

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This course provides the skills and understanding required to analyse the behaviour of basic electrical circuits containing inductance, capacitance and resistance when ac and transient dc signals are applied to them.  These topics are illustrated in the laboratory, which also develops skills in measurement, analysis and reporting.

2 lectures per wee

2 laboratory sessions per semester

1 examples class per semester (timetabled as a laboratory session)

Mandatory Entry Requirements

None

Recommended Entry Requirements

None

None

None

85% Written Exam

10% Report (Laboratory Report)

5% Written Assignment

Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt.  This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below.

Due to limited provision of laboratory space, students cannot be reassessed in practical aspects of the coursework nor in the assignment.

This course aims to provide a basic understanding of the behaviour of electrical circuits containing inductance, capacitance and resistance when ac and transient dc signals are applied to them. It also develops measurement, analysis and reporting skills in the laboratory.

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ state the basic properties of resistors, capacitor and inductors, and deduce their behaviour at dc steady state and to sudden changes;

■ apply a standard approach to solving problems in the context of electrical circuits;

■ explain the significance of the initial conditions in transient analysis and determine the initial conditions for first and second-order circuits switched between two steady DC states;

■ use differential equations to analyse the response to transient dc sources of first-order electrical circuits containing resistors and either capacitors or inductors;

■ use differential equations to analyse the response to transient dc sources of second-order electrical circuits, including series and parallel LCR circuits;

■ distinguish between underdamped, critically damped and overdamped response of RLC circuits;

■ calculate the impedance of circuits containing resistors, capacitors and inductors;

■ use impedance and standard methods of circuit analysis to calculate the behaviour of circuits driven by a steady ac source, with reference to phasor diagrams;

■ explain the concept of resonance;

Laboratory

■ demonstrate skill in the use of basic electrical test and measurement equipment including digital oscilloscope, function generator and multimeter;

■ deduce values of components in an RC circuit by measuring and analysing its transient response;

■ deduce values of components in an RLC circuit by measuring and analysing its transient response;

■ maintain a neat, complete laboratory record with analysis as the experiment proceeds.

Students must attend the degree examination and submit at least 75% by weight of the other components of the course's summative assessment.

Students must complete the timetabled laboratory classes including the record book.