Editing Electrical engineering (section)

==Tools and work==

From the [[Global Positioning System]] to [[electric power generation]], electrical engineers have contributed to the development of a wide range of technologies. They design, develop, test, and supervise the deployment of electrical systems and electronic devices. For example, they may work on the design of telecommunications systems, the operation of [[electric power station]]s, the [[lighting]] and [[wiring]] of buildings, the design of [[household appliance]]s, or the electrical [[control theory|control]] of industrial machinery.<ref>{{cite web|title=Electrical and Electronics Engineers, except Computer |work=Occupational Outlook Handbook |url=http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos031.htm |access-date=16 July 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050713014728/http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos031.htm |archive-date=13 July 2005 |url-status=dead }} (see )</ref>

[[File:Molnya-1 Musee du Bourget P1010442.jpg|thumb|left|[[Communications satellite|Satellite communication]]s is typical of what electrical engineers work on.]]
Fundamental to the discipline are the sciences of [[physics]] and mathematics as these help to obtain both a [[Qualitative data|qualitative]] and [[Quantity|quantitative]] description of how such systems will work. Today most engineering work involves the use of [[computer]]s and it is commonplace to use [[computer-aided design]] programs when designing electrical systems. Nevertheless, the ability to sketch ideas is still invaluable for quickly communicating with others.

[[File:Shadow Hand Bulb large.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Shadow Hand|Shadow robot hand]] system]]
Although most electrical engineers will understand basic [[circuit theory]] (that is, the interactions of elements such as [[resistor]]s, [[capacitor]]s, [[diode]]s, [[transistor]]s, and [[inductor]]s in a circuit), the theories employed by engineers generally depend upon the work they do. For example, [[quantum mechanics]] and [[solid state physics]] might be relevant to an engineer working on [[VLSI]] (the design of integrated circuits), but are largely irrelevant to engineers working with macroscopic electrical systems. Even [[circuit theory]] may not be relevant to a person designing telecommunications systems that use [[commercial off-the-shelf|off-the-shelf]] components. Perhaps the most important technical skills for electrical engineers are reflected in university programs, which emphasize [[numeracy|strong numerical skill]]s, [[computer literacy]], and the ability to understand the [[technical terminology|technical language and concept]]s that relate to electrical engineering.{{Sfn|Taylor|2008|p=241}}

[[File:Laser in fibre.jpg|thumb|A [[laser]] bouncing down an [[poly(methyl methacrylate)|acrylic]] rod, illustrating the total internal reflection of light in a [[multi-mode optical fiber]]]]

A wide range of instrumentation is used by electrical engineers.  For simple control circuits and alarms, a basic [[multimeter]] measuring [[voltage]], [[electric current|current]], and [[electrical resistance|resistance]] may suffice.  Where time-varying signals need to be studied, the [[oscilloscope]] is also an ubiquitous instrument.  In [[RF engineering]] and high-frequency telecommunications, [[spectrum analyzer]]s and [[Network analyzer (electrical)|network analyzer]]s are used.  In some disciplines, safety can be a particular concern with instrumentation.  For instance, medical electronics designers must take into account that much lower voltages than normal can be dangerous when electrodes are directly in contact with internal body fluids.{{sfn|Leitgeb|2010|p=122}} Power transmission engineering also has great safety concerns due to the high voltages used; although [[voltmeter]]s may in principle be similar to their low voltage equivalents, safety and calibration issues make them very different.<ref>{{harvnb|Naidu|Kamaraju|2009|p=210}}</ref> Many disciplines of electrical engineering use tests specific to their discipline.  Audio electronics engineers use [[audio system measurements|audio test set]]s consisting of a signal generator and a meter, principally to measure level but also other parameters such as [[harmonic distortion]] and [[noise (electronics)|noise]].  Likewise, information technology have their own test sets, often specific to a particular data format, and the same is true of television broadcasting.

[[File:Navy-Radome.jpg|left|upright=1.2|thumb|[[Radome]] at the Misawa Air Base Misawa Security Operations Center, Misawa, Japan]]
For many engineers, technical work accounts for only a fraction of the work they do. A lot of time may also be spent on tasks such as discussing proposals with clients, preparing [[budget]]s and determining [[schedule (project management)|project schedule]]s.<ref>{{cite web|last=Trevelyan|first=James|year=2005|title=What Do Engineers Really Do?|publisher=University of Western Australia|url=http://www.mech.uwa.edu.au/jpt/Engineering%20Roles%20050503.pdf}}</ref> Many senior engineers manage a team of [[technician]]s or other engineers and for this reason [[project management]] skills are important. Most engineering projects involve some form of documentation and [[technical writing|strong written communication]] skills are therefore very important.

The [[Office|workplace]]s of engineers are just as varied as the types of work they do. Electrical engineers may be found in the pristine lab environment of a [[fabrication plant]], on board a [[Naval ship]], the offices of a [[consulting firm]] or on site at a mine. During their working life, electrical engineers may find themselves supervising a wide range of individuals including scientists, [[electrician]]s, [[computer programmer]]s, and other engineers.{{Sfn|McDavid|Echaore-McDavid|2009|p=87}}

Electrical engineering has an intimate relationship with the physical sciences.  For instance, the physicist [[Lord Kelvin]] played a major role in the engineering of the first [[transatlantic telegraph cable]].<ref>Huurdeman, pp.&nbsp;95–96</ref> Conversely, the engineer [[Oliver Heaviside]] produced major work on the mathematics of transmission on telegraph cables.<ref>Huurdeman, p. 90</ref> Electrical engineers are often required on major science projects.  For instance, large [[particle accelerator]]s such as [[CERN]] need electrical engineers to deal with many aspects of the project including the power distribution, the instrumentation, and the manufacture and installation of the [[superconducting electromagnet]]s.<ref>Schmidt, p. 218</ref><ref>Martini, p. 179</ref>