ET103 – AC Fundamentals – Ground
Course Syllabus
- Course Number: ET103
- Course Title: AC Fundamentals
- Prerequisite: None
- Effective Contact Hours: 100
- Quarter Credit Hours: 8.0
- Date Syllabus Last Reviewed: 1/1/11
Course Description
This course is intended to familiarize the student with the basic principles of alternating voltage, current and power. It will also include a study of the basic components and circuits associated with alternating current and their applications. Wave-form analysis is included. Lab work covers operation of oscilloscopes, power supplies and signal generators for circuit measurements.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Calculate the reactance of an individual capacitor or series-connected, and parallel connected capacitors when the frequency and capacitance are known.
- Explain how Ohm‟s law can be applied to capacitive reactance.
- Explain why the current leads the voltage by 90o for a capacitor.
- Calculate the total impedance and phase angle of a series RC circuit.
- Find total current, equivalent impedance and phase angle of a parallel RC circuit.
- Calculate the individual capacitor voltage drops for capacitors in series.
- Explain how inductive reactance reduces the amount of alternating current.
- Calculate the reactance of an individual inductor or series -connected, and parallel connected inductors, when the frequency and inductance are known.
- Explain how Ohm‟s law can be applied to inductive reactance.
- Explain why voltage leads the current by 90o for an inductor.
- Find total impedance, total current and phase angle of a series and parallel RL circuits.
- Define what is meant by the “Q” of a coil.
- Describe how a transformer works and list important transformer ratings.
- Calculate currents, voltages and impedances of a transformer circuit.
- Identify transformer cores.
- Explain why opposite reactance in series cancel.
- Determine the total impedance and phase angle of a series RLC circuit.
- Explain the j operator and define a complex number.
- Explain the difference between the rectangular and polar forms of a complex number.
- Convert a complex number from polar to rectangular form and vice-versa.
- Define the terms real power, apparent power, volt-ampere reactive, and power factor.
- Add, subtract, multiply, and divide with complex numbers.
- Define the term “resonance”.
- List four characteristics of a resonant circuit.
- State the difference between a low-pass and high-pass filter.
Textbook(s)
Grob's Basic Electronics
Mitchel E. Schultz, Western Wisconsin Tech. Clg.
©2011, ISBN13: 9780077410094
Grob's Basic Electronics, Experiments Manual
Frank Pugh, Santa Rosa Junior College
Wes Ponick, Agilent Technologies
©2011, ISBN13: 9780077427108
Instructor Bio:
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Instructional Methods
This course will combine lecture, classroom discussion, audiovisuals, hands-on experiences, online assignments and in class student assignments to facilitate students’ achievement of course objectives. The outline below is a detailed week by week outline of required readings, activities, assignments, exams and assignments for the class.
Instructional Method: G = Ground, OL = Online
Content Outline From:
Grob's Electronics, 11th Edition/Mitchell Schultz/McGraw-Hill/ISBN:9780073510859
Week 1
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- Calculate the reactance of an individual capacitor or series-connected, and parallel connected capacitors when the frequency and capacitance are known.
- Explain how Ohm‟s law can be applied to capacitive reactance.
- Explain why the current leads the voltage by 90o for a capacitor.
- Define the term impedance and calculate the total impedance and phase angle of a series RC circuit.
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapter 17 – Capacitive Reactance | X | ||
| Grob: Chapter 18 – Capacitive circuits | X | ||
| Lab – in-house capacitive reactance | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
Week 2
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- Find the total current, equivalent impedance. and phase angle of a parallel RC circuit.
- Explain how a capacitor can couple some as frequencies but not others.
- Calculate the individual capacitor voltage drops for capacitors in series..
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapter 18 Capacitive circuits | X | ||
| Lab Manual: Experiments – 18-1, and 18-2 | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
| TEST 1 | X | ||
Week 3
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- Explain how inductive reactance reduces the amount of alternating current.
- Calculate the reactance of an individual inductor or series -connected, and parallel connected inductors, when the frequency and inductance are known.
- Explain how Ohm‟s law can be applied to inductive reactance.
- Explain why voltage leads the current by 90o for an inductor.
- Calculate the total impedance, total current and phase angle of a series and parallel RL circuits.
- Define what is meant by the “Q” of a coil.
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapter 20 and 21 | X | ||
| Experiments – in-house labs “Inductive Reactance”, “ Effects of changing values of frequency or components in RL circuits” | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
Week 4
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- Describe how a transformer works and list important transformer ratings.
- Calculate currents, voltages and impedances of a transformer circuit.
- Identify transformer cores.
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapters 19 Sections 19-6 and 19-7 | X | ||
| Lab in-house “Basic Transformer” | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
| TEST 2 MID TERM | X | ||
Week 5
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- Explain why opposite reactance in series cancel.
- Determine the total impedance and phase angle of a series RLC circuit containing resistance, capacitance, and inductance.
- Explain the j operator and define a complex number.
- Explain the difference between the rectangular and polar forms of a complex number.
- Convert a complex number from polar to rectangular form and vice versa..
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapter 23 and 24 | X | ||
| Lab Manual: Experiment- 23-1 | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
Week 6
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- Determine the total current, equivalent impedance, and phase angle of a parallel circuit containing resistance, capacitance, and inductance.
- Define the terms real power, apparent power, volt-ampere reactive, and power factor.
- Add, subtract, multiply, and divide with complex numbers.
- Explain how to use complex numbers to solve series and parallel and circuits containing resistance, capacitance, and inductance.
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapter 5 – sections 5-5 and 5-7, 5-8 | X | ||
| Lab Manual: Experiment 5-3 and 5-4 | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
| TEST 3 | X | ||
Week 7
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- Define the term “resonance”.
- List four characteristics of a resonant circuit.
- List three characteristics of a parallel resonant circuit.
- Calculate the “Q” of a series or parallel resonant circuit.
- Explain and calculate the bandwidth of a resonant circuit..
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapter 25 Resonance | X | ||
| Lab Manual: Experiment – 25-1 | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
Week 8
Lecture Objectives: After completing this week, the student will be able to:
- State the difference between a low-pass and high-pass filter.
- Explain what is meant by pulsating direct current.
- Explain how an RC coupling circuit couples alternating current but blocks DC.
- Explain the function of a bypass capacitor.
- Find cutoff frequency, output voltage, and phase angle of a basic RL and RC filters.
- Explain how resonant circuits can be used as band-pass or band-stop filters.
- Review for final.
| Instructional Method | |||
| Assignment/Activity | G | OL | EQUIP |
| Grob: Chapters 26 | X | ||
| Lab Manual: Experiments 25-2 and 26-1 | X | 4-in-1 Trainer, DMM, Scope | |
| TEST 4 (FINAL) | X | ||