How can I effectively study electricity as a freshman engineering student?

[Buddy J.]

hello everybody
I'm a new member, a freshman and i wanted your advice about the best way to study electricity and if you have any links to videos books any thing related can you share it please?

thanks alot

 

[Integral]

Freshman? High school? University? What math have you done?

There are different levels of knowledge about electricity. If you are interested in simple circuits (Ohms law) all you need is basic algebra. If you which to understand Electromagnetic fields you will need to have a basic knowledge and the willingness to expand that knowledge of multi variable calculus.

 

[berkeman]

Here's a recent thread in the EE forum with a few suggestions:

https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=161164

 

[Buddy J.]

Faculty of Engineering

i am a freshman engineering student, i am supposed to study columb's law, electric field,...and magnetism. my biggest worries is that there is too much integration involved, and i want to comprehend the material in a way that will benefit me in the next years, especially that i am considering the electrical major.

 

[antoker]

Buddy, take a look at the link that berkeman has posted, there are some books listed their which you'll find useful. Hmm, don't worry for the integration ;) You'll only use it to prove theorems in EE-courses, usually you don't use it in practical situations, unless you're doing some complex calculations on theoretical level ;) Just remember to do your homework from the beginning, don't let it wait until the exam ;)

 

[leright]

MY biggest advice is to avoid the fluids analogies when thinking about electrical systems. Thinking this way eventually causes mental blocks and subtle misunderstandings.

 

[ranger]

MY biggest advice is to avoid the fluids analogies when thinking about electrical systems. Thinking this way eventually causes mental blocks and subtle misunderstandings.

I totally agree with you here. I don't why its so hard to accept the voltage-current situation.

 

[Astronuc]

i am a freshman engineering student, i am supposed to study columb's law, electric field,...and magnetism. my biggest worries is that there is too much integration involved, and i want to comprehend the material in a way that will benefit me in the next years, especially that i am considering the electrical major.

It is essentially impossible to avoid the mathematics if one wants to be an EE. All engineering disciplines involve some use of calculus (differential and integral), and EE is no exception. antoker and leright give some good advice, and Integral has pointed out the necessity of mutivariable calculus.