EGB120 Foundations of Electrical Engineering
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | EGB120 |
|---|---|
| Antirequisite(s): | EGD120 |
| Equivalent(s): | ENB120 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | Grade of at least Sound Achievement in Senior Mathematics C (or equivalent) or MZB125, and Fundamental knowledge of simple DC circuits is assumed knowledge. |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $1,164 |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $4,968 |
| International unit fee | $6,252 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | EGB120 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | ENB120 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | MZB125 (including math concepts such as basic integration, complex numbers and simultaneous equation solving. Fundamental knowledge of simple DC circuits is also assumed knowledge. |
| Anti-requisite: | EGD120 |
| Coordinator: | Andrew Stephens | andrew.f.stephens@qut.edu.au |
Overview
In this foundational engineering unit you will learn concepts around the relationship between electrical energy, electronic instrumentation and measurements. This is key to begin your journey towards being a professional engineer. This unit introduces techniques for circuit analysis, instruments for measurement and practical applications in an engineering context. The ability to analyse and understand electrical circuits and related concepts plays a key role in most engineering disciplines and is highly useful not only for electrical engineers (electronics and mechatronic) but also for mechanical, biomedical, aerospace, and materials engineers. EGB120 combines real-world focused lectures, tutorials and practicals to give a hands-on experience learning about these fundamental skills. The concepts in this unit will be built upon in future engineering units and teach key fundamental concepts relevant to all engineering majors.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse electrical circuits and systems in written, graphical, and computer-aided modes, at an introductory level.
- Apply simulation and instrumentation tools to analyse and evaluate electrical circuits and systems, at an introductory level.
- Recognise basic safety, risk mangement, sustainability and regulatory principles as they apply to electrical energy and systems, at an introductory level.
- Apply electrical circuit theory, mathematical techniques, and computational tools, to the analysis of electrical circuits, at an introductory level.
- Explain the theoretical and practical characteristics and operation of components which compose electrical systems through experiments and calculations, at an introductory level.
Content
DC CIRCUITS: measurement of DC electrical quantities, circuit analysis using mesh currents, Thevenin and Norton equivalents, capacitance and inductance, time domain solutions for simple transient behaviour.
AC CIRCUITS: sinusoidal signal representation, impedance, circuit analysis using phasors, frequency response, power in AC systems.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND CIRCUITS: Diodes, operational amplifier circuits, filters, rectifiers and voltage regulators.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you can expect to experience the following timetabled activities:
- Weekly lecture consultation sessions, with interacting and engaging activities
- Weekly tutorials in which you will use critical thinking to perform problem-solving on engineering questions in a group environment with your peers and relate them to practical applications
- Fortnightly practicals which will help you gain experience in designing, constructing and testing circuits. The laboratory sessions will also introduce you to the use of measuring instruments and circuit analysis tools
To complement timetabled activities, you will be provided with:
- Lecture topic videos, notes, and additional materials each week, which combine together in an interactive manner for you to learn each week's topics
- Supplementary tutorial videos solving problems in full
- Problem sets and solutions so you can revise topics throughout the semester
- Practical demonstration videos demonstrating the use of the laboratory equipment you will use in your class
- A Microsoft Teams page for you to engage with your peers during the semester
- Practice exams for you to use as part of your final exam revision.
You are expected to:
- Engage with the weekly lecture drop-in sessions
- Watch the weekly lecture topic videos, solving the relevant embedded exercises
- Attend the weekly tutorials, and work with your peers to solve the questions
- Attend the fortnightly practicals, reading the information ahead of time to make the most out of your weekly sessions
- Use the supplementary videos as necessary to revise the weekly topics
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will be provided with feedback in face-to-face contact with tutors in the weekly tutorials, where the tutorial problems are structured to allow you to practice the fundamental skills from the coursework as well as challenge your problem-solving and analytical skills. Solutions for problems similar to the tutorials will be given online. You will similarly be provided with feedback in face-to-face contact with tutors in the practical sessions, which will help students to successfully demonstrate the required skills in each practical throughout the semester. You are encouraged to self-assess your understanding against the problems in the textbook and additional materials.
Assessment
Overview
Your assessment will be based on practical performance (40%), a circuit analysis assignment (20%), and a final exam (40%). Your practical performance will be based on a demonstration of your practical skills and understanding of the theory throughout each practical session. Your theory performance is assessed in the assignment and in the final exam. Theory assessments use multi-part integrated questions that require synthesis and application of knowledge across multiple modules. The exam allows written notes to increase emphasis on understanding rather than memorisation.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
The practical laboratories involve working through a series of laboratory experiments where you will apply the theory taught in class and learn to use electrical engineering laboratory equipment to prototype and analyse electrical and electronic circuits that you design. Your practicals will be assessed by the design work done prior to the laboratory, the performance of your design as it is demonstrated in the laboratory, and your demonstrated competency in using the laboratory equipment to prototype and analyse your design.
Assessment: Circuit Analysis Assignment
This assignment will test your understanding of circuit analysis and simplification. You will be given an advanced circuit based on a real-world scenario and asked to simplify an analyse the circuit. You will perform hand calculations and check your results using Falstad online circuit simulation software. You will need to use circuit analysis techniques, software simulations and problem-solving skills to demonstrate that your solution meets the stated requirements.
You may be asked to demonstrate your understanding of your submitted problem-solving tasks during the semester in the form of an informal discussion with a member of the teaching team.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Final Exam - open book
The exam will consist of several engineering design and analysis questions covering concepts learned throughout the year. The exam will feature several questions designed to test your core competencies as well as more advanced questions focused on your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The exam will allow handwritten notes but does not allow use of the textbook or other reference materials.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
Hambley, A. “Electrical Engineering Principles and Applications”, 7th edition
Risk Assessment Statement
You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.
Any practical sessions in the laboratory must be done under the supervision of the lecturer or technical staff. In any laboratory practicals you are expected to wear closed in shoes, and not drink or eat in the lab environment. Before the commencement of any practical sessions, you will undergo a health and safety induction and if you do not complete the required safety induction you will be denied access to laboratories.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer
1: Knowledge and Skill Base
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
2: Engineering Application Ability
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
3: Professional and Personal Attributes
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
- Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
Relates to: ULO1, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book - Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
Relates to: ULO2, Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book - Engage with and apply regulatory requirements relating to safety, risk management, and sustainability in professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO3 - Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO4 - Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO5
EV01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
- Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book - Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Unit Outline: Semester 2 2025, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | EGB120 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | ENB120 |
| Assumed Knowledge: | MZB125 (including math concepts such as basic integration, complex numbers and simultaneous equation solving. Fundamental knowledge of simple DC circuits is also assumed knowledge. |
| Anti-requisite: | EGD120 |
Overview
In this foundational engineering unit you will learn concepts around the relationship between electrical energy, electronic instrumentation and measurements. This is key to begin your journey towards being a professional engineer. This unit introduces techniques for circuit analysis, instruments for measurement and practical applications in an engineering context. The ability to analyse and understand electrical circuits and related concepts plays a key role in most engineering disciplines and is highly useful not only for electrical engineers (electronics and mechatronic) but also for mechanical, biomedical, aerospace, and materials engineers. EGB120 combines real-world focused lectures, tutorials and practicals to give a hands-on experience learning about these fundamental skills. The concepts in this unit will be built upon in future engineering units and teach key fundamental concepts relevant to all engineering majors.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Analyse electrical circuits and systems in written, graphical, and computer-aided modes, at an introductory level.
- Apply simulation and instrumentation tools to analyse and evaluate electrical circuits and systems, at an introductory level.
- Recognise basic safety, risk mangement, sustainability and regulatory principles as they apply to electrical energy and systems, at an introductory level.
- Apply electrical circuit theory, mathematical techniques, and computational tools, to the analysis of electrical circuits, at an introductory level.
- Explain the theoretical and practical characteristics and operation of components which compose electrical systems through experiments and calculations, at an introductory level.
Content
DC CIRCUITS: measurement of DC electrical quantities, circuit analysis using mesh currents, Thevenin and Norton equivalents, capacitance and inductance, time domain solutions for simple transient behaviour.
AC CIRCUITS: sinusoidal signal representation, impedance, circuit analysis using phasors, frequency response, power in AC systems.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND CIRCUITS: Diodes, operational amplifier circuits, filters, rectifiers and voltage regulators.
Learning Approaches
In this unit you can expect to experience the following timetabled activities:
- Weekly lecture consultation sessions, with interacting and engaging activities
- Weekly tutorials in which you will use critical thinking to perform problem-solving on engineering questions in a group environment with your peers and relate them to practical applications
- Fortnightly practicals which will help you gain experience in designing, constructing and testing circuits. The laboratory sessions will also introduce you to the use of measuring instruments and circuit analysis tools
To complement timetabled activities, you will be provided with:
- Lecture topic videos, notes, and additional materials each week, which combine together in an interactive manner for you to learn each week's topics
- Supplementary tutorial videos solving problems in full
- Problem sets and solutions so you can revise topics throughout the semester
- Practical demonstration videos demonstrating the use of the laboratory equipment you will use in your class
- A Microsoft Teams page for you to engage with your peers during the semester
- Practice exams for you to use as part of your final exam revision.
You are expected to:
- Engage with the weekly lecture drop-in sessions
- Watch the weekly lecture topic videos, solving the relevant embedded exercises
- Attend the weekly tutorials, and work with your peers to solve the questions
- Attend the fortnightly practicals, reading the information ahead of time to make the most out of your weekly sessions
- Use the supplementary videos as necessary to revise the weekly topics
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will be provided with feedback in face-to-face contact with tutors in the weekly tutorials, where the tutorial problems are structured to allow you to practice the fundamental skills from the coursework as well as challenge your problem-solving and analytical skills. Solutions for problems similar to the tutorials will be given online. You will similarly be provided with feedback in face-to-face contact with tutors in the practical sessions, which will help students to successfully demonstrate the required skills in each practical throughout the semester. You are encouraged to self-assess your understanding against the problems in the textbook and additional materials.
Assessment
Overview
Your assessment will be based on practical performance (40%), a circuit analysis assignment (20%), and a final exam (40%). Your practical performance will be based on a demonstration of your practical skills and understanding of the theory throughout each practical session. Your theory performance is assessed in the assignment and in the final exam. Theory assessments use multi-part integrated questions that require synthesis and application of knowledge across multiple modules. The exam allows written notes to increase emphasis on understanding rather than memorisation.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
The practical laboratories involve working through a series of laboratory experiments where you will apply the theory taught in class and learn to use electrical engineering laboratory equipment to prototype and analyse electrical and electronic circuits that you design. Your practicals will be assessed by the design work done prior to the laboratory, the performance of your design as it is demonstrated in the laboratory, and your demonstrated competency in using the laboratory equipment to prototype and analyse your design.
Assessment: Circuit Analysis Assignment
This assignment will test your understanding of circuit analysis and simplification. You will be given an advanced circuit based on a real-world scenario and asked to simplify an analyse the circuit. You will perform hand calculations and check your results using Falstad online circuit simulation software. You will need to use circuit analysis techniques, software simulations and problem-solving skills to demonstrate that your solution meets the stated requirements.
You may be asked to demonstrate your understanding of your submitted problem-solving tasks during the semester in the form of an informal discussion with a member of the teaching team.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Final Exam - open book
The exam will consist of several engineering design and analysis questions covering concepts learned throughout the year. The exam will feature several questions designed to test your core competencies as well as more advanced questions focused on your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The exam will allow handwritten notes but does not allow use of the textbook or other reference materials.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
Hambley, A. “Electrical Engineering Principles and Applications”, 7th edition
Risk Assessment Statement
You will undertake lectures and tutorials in the traditional classrooms and lecture theatres. As such, there are no extraordinary workplace health and safety issues associated with these components of the unit.
Any practical sessions in the laboratory must be done under the supervision of the lecturer or technical staff. In any laboratory practicals you are expected to wear closed in shoes, and not drink or eat in the lab environment. Before the commencement of any practical sessions, you will undergo a health and safety induction and if you do not complete the required safety induction you will be denied access to laboratories.
Standards/Competencies
This unit is designed to support your development of the following standards\competencies.
Engineers Australia Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineer
1: Knowledge and Skill Base
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
2: Engineering Application Ability
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
3: Professional and Personal Attributes
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.EN01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
- Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
Relates to: ULO1, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book - Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
Relates to: ULO2, Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book - Engage with and apply regulatory requirements relating to safety, risk management, and sustainability in professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO3 - Demonstrate coherent knowledge and skills of physical, mathematical, statistical, computer, and information sciences that are fundamental to professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO4 - Demonstrate a thorough understanding of one engineering discipline, its research directions, and its application in contemporary professional engineering practice.
Relates to: ULO5
EV01 Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
- Engage stakeholders professionally and communicate the outcomes of your work effectively to expert and non-expert audiences using appropriate modes.
Relates to: Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book - Manage projects to solve complex engineering problems, using appropriate information, engineering methods, and technologies.
Relates to: Practical Laboratory Sessions and Core Competency Checks, Circuit Analysis Assignment, Final Exam - open book