EET Terms to Commit to Memory

Ever listen to engineers and techs talking shop?  You'll hear words like "quantization" and "baselines."  You may struggle to figure out what they mean by "gain" and "amperes."  The electrical engineering technology field uses specific language that can sound strange to those not in-the-know.  As technology advances, the lingo develops and evolves.  From computer networking to cell phones to broadcasting, knowing the job-specific vocabulary of electrical engineering technology is increasingly important. 

To get a head start on understanding the language, here are 25 electronics engineering technology terms you should commit to memory:

  1. Alternating Current (AC) 
    Commonly found in homes, AC is electric current that reverses directions at regular intervals. 
     
  2. Ampere
    The symbol of ampere is "I" and it denotes a unit of measurement for the intensity of the flow of electricity.
     
  3. Analog
    This is a system where an electrical value is representative of something in the physical world. 
     
  4. Bare Conductor
    A conductive wire or cable without any insulation. 
     
  5. Baseline
    Sometimes called the output at no-load condition, this is the electrical signal when no variables are present.
     
  6. Broadband
    A transmission medium to carry many video, voice or data channels at once.
     
  7. Current
    Current can be either AC or DC, and denotes the flow of electricity through a circuit.
     
  8. Circuit
    This is the flow of electricity through multiple wires from a supply to at least one outlet, and then back again.
     
  9. Circuit Breaker
    This is a safety device that breaks the flow of electricity.  This is done as an emergency break in case of overloading.  It can also be opened or closed manually.
     
  10. Conductor
    A material that can convey an electric current.  For example, in a home, copper wire is often used as a conductor.
     
  11. Diode
    This is a two-terminal device that passes current in just one direction. 
     
  12. Direct Current (DC)
    This is when an electric current flows only in one direction.  This is more likely to be found in industrial settings rather than homes.
     
  13. Frequency
    The amount of periods per unit of time in cycles per second, or Hertz. 
     
  14. Fuse
    A device used for safety that cuts the flow of electricity when the current exceeds its capacity.
     
  15. Gain
    In an amplifier circuit, this is the amount of amplification accomplished.
     
  16. Impedance
    In an AC circuit, this is a measurement of the resistant and reactive attributes of a component.
     
  17. Joule
    Abbreviated "J" this is a measurement of energy.  In electronics it is the electric equivalent of a "newton" in mechanical systems.  One joule is one watt of power applied for a single second. 
     
  18. Neutral Wire
    The third wire in a three-wire distribution circuit, it is connected to the ground.
     
  19. Quantization
    This is where a continuous range of input-signal values are divided into sub-ranges that do not overlap.
     
  20. Resistance
    This is the restriction of the flow of current, measured in Ohm.  The lower the resistance, the more current flows.
     
  21. Short Circuit
    This is when there is a stoppage in the flow of electricity due to a fault of slight impedance between conductors that are active. 
     
  22. Voltage Drop
    When current travels through a cord, the voltage decreases at a given rate over the distance.  The longer the distance, the greater the drop.
     
  23. Volt
    The measurement of electrical force, also known as electromotive force, it is symbolized as either "E" or "V".
     
  24. Volt-Ampere
    This is a measurement of power in a direct current electrical circuit. Its symbol is "VA".
     
  25. Watts
    This is a unit of electric power.  The formula for finding watt is: Volts times Amperes equals Watts.

Become an Electronics Engineering Technologist

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