Overview

Indicative content includes:

• Introduction to Passive and Active Circuits; Resistance & Conductance; Ohm's Law; Voltage and Current Sources (Ideal and Practical); Independent and Dependent Sources; Passive sign convention; Kirchhoff's Laws; Voltage and Current Dividers. Introduction to A.C. Circuits: Sinusoidal Waveforms; Concept of Phasors and Phase Angle.

• Voltage and Current in A.C. Resistive Circuits, Power Waveform, RMS values; Voltage and Current in Inductive Circuits, Inductive Reactance; Introduction to j-Notation; Voltage and Current in Capacitive Circuits, Capacitive Reactance; Concepts of Impedance and Admittance; Analysis of Series and Parallel Resistive and Reactive Circuits. Power in A.C. Circuits.

• Resonant frequency, Q-factor and bandwidth for series and parallel resonant circuits.

• Use of Loop/Mesh Current Method, Node-Voltage Method and Superposition to analyse electric circuits. Use of Thévenin's and Norton's Theorems to obtain equivalent circuits.

• Electron energies, energy levels and electron energy bands.

• Drift velocity, mobility and conductivity. Energy bands and electrical conductivity in metals and intrinsic silicon. Impurity semiconductors. Temperature dependence of conductivity.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -Equivalent to 40%. Uses key areas of theory or knowledge to meet the Learning Outcomes of the module. Is able to formulate an appropriate solution to accurately solve tasks and questions. Can identify individual aspects, but lacks an awareness of links between them and the wider contexts. Outputs can be understood, but lack structure and/or coherence.

-good -Equivalent to the range 60%-69%. Is able to analyse a task or problem to decide which aspects of theory and knowledge to apply. Solutions are of a workable quality, demonstrating understanding of underlying principles. Major themes can be linked appropriately but may not be able to extend this to individual aspects. Outputs are readily understood, with an appropriate structure but may lack sophistication.

-excellent -Equivalent to the range 70%+. Assemble critically evaluated, relevant areas of knowledge and theory to construct professional-level solutions to tasks and questions presented. Is able to cross-link themes and aspects to draw considered conclusions. Presents outputs in a cohesive, accurate, and efficient manner.

Learning Outcomes

• Analyse simple AC circuits that contain capacitors, inductors and resistors (C, L, R) and identify resonant circuits.

• Apply formal analysis techniques to electric circuits.

• Explain the theoretical physics that underpin the electronic properties of materials.

• Identify and describe simple DC circuits and theory.