Electrical engineering

Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the study and application of electricity and electromagnetism. Its practitioners are called electrical engineers. Electrical engineering is a broad field that encompasses many subfields including those that deal with power, control systems, electronics and telecommunications.

History

Electricity has been a subject of scientific interest since at least the seventeenth century. However it was not until the nineteenth century that research into the subject started to intensify. Notable developments in this century include the work of Georg Ohm who in 1827 quantified the relationship between the electric current and potential difference in a conductor and the work of Michael Faraday who in 1831 discovered electromagnetic induction.

Related Topics:
Electricity - Georg Ohm - 1827 - Electric current - Potential difference - Michael Faraday - 1831 - Electromagnetic induction

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However during these years the study of electricity was largely considered to be a subfield of physics and hence the domain of physicists. It was not until the late nineteenth century that universities started to offer degrees in electrical engineering. The Darmstadt University of Technology established the first chair of electrical engineering worldwide in 1882 and offered a quadrennial study course of electrical engineering in 1883. In 1882, MIT offered the first course on electrical engineering in the United States. This course was organized by Professor Charles Cross who was head of the Physics department and who later became a founder of the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (which later became the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). The University College London founded the first chair of electrical engineering in the U.K. in 1885. In 1886, the University of Missouri established the first department of electrical engineering in the United States. {{ref|ryder}}

Related Topics:
Physics - Physicist - Universities - Degrees - Darmstadt University of Technology - 1882 - 1883 - MIT - United States - American Institute of Electrical Engineers - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - University College London - 1885 - 1886 - University of Missouri

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During this period, work in the area increased dramatically. Of particular note was the work of Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison. In 1882, Edison switched on the world's first large-scale electrical supply network that provided 110 volts direct current to fifty-nine customers in lower Manhattan. In 1887, Tesla filed patents related to a competing form of power distribution known as alternating current. In the following years a bitter rivalry between the two, known as the "War of Currents", took place over the preferred method of distribution.

Related Topics:
Nikola Tesla - Thomas Edison - 1882 - Direct current - 1887 - Alternating current - War of Currents

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Tesla's work on induction motors and polyphase systems would influence electrical engineering for years to come. Edison's work on telegraphy and his development of the stock ticker would prove lucrative for his company (which would eventually become one of the world's largest companies, General Electric). As well as the contributions of Edison and Tesla, a number of other figures would play an equally important role in the progress of electrical engineering at this time. Alexander Bell would influence electrical engineering with his work in telecommunications, Lee de Forest with his work on the Audion (a predecessor to the transistor) and Guglielmo Marconi with his popularization of radio.

Related Topics:
Induction motor - Polyphase system - Stock ticker - General Electric - Alexander Bell - Lee de Forest - Audion - Guglielmo Marconi - Radio

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Beyond this period, the single most important invention in electrical engineering would probably come from John Bardeen, William Shockley and Walter Brattain who in 1947 invented the transistor. This device would go on to revolutionize electrical engineering by paving the way for powerful integrated circuits. Today, much of the wonder of the electronic world today is due to the capabilities of these circuits.

Related Topics:
John Bardeen - William Shockley - Walter Brattain - 1947 - Integrated circuit

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