Electrical engineering deals with the practical application of the theory of electricity to the construction and manufacture of systems, devices and assemblies that use electric power and signals.
Electrical engineering can be divided into four main branches:
- electric power and machinery
- communications and control
- electronics (→17&18)
- computers (→5&6)
Electrical applications are used in many industrial areas including:
- electric power and machinery - computer design
- superconductors - robotics
- electronic circuits - lasers
- solid-state electronics - radar
- control systems -consumer electronics
- medical imaging systems - fibre optics
In recent years the electronic computer has emerged as the largest application of electrical engineering. However, another very large field is concerned with electric light and power and their applications. Specialties within the field include the design, manufacture, and use of turbines, generators, transmission lines, transformers, motors, lighting systems, and appliances.
Electrical problems can be avoided by always using the right devices and taking appropriate measures for electrical protection.
An electrical engineer specializes in communications and display systems. Specifically, his work involves the design and implementation of systems that can display information to users and allow communications between humans, computers and humans, and computers and computers. These two areas do not encompass the entire spectrum of electrical engineering. The governing body of electrical engineering in the USA is the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. This group includes representatives of all major areas of EE, from more applied physics areas such as lasers and photonics (using light instead of electricity to communicate) to traditional areas like the design of electrical circuits, control systems, and the communication of information.
Electrical engineering also includes the development of materials - for instance, compounds that are similar to glass or sand that includes the element silicon and can conduct electricity that can be used for the development of advanced circuits and computer components for the next generation of information transfer systems. It is important to understand that electrical engineering should be distinguished from computer science: Computer scientists develop complex computer systems which use building blocks such as integrated circuit chips developed by electrical engineers.
Traditionally, electrical engineers have been responsible for the development of an extensive set of products, such as radio equipment, CD players, control systems (e.g., automated feedback through a circuit to control the speed of an automobile), circuits for electrical products, antennas, radar systems, electrical power distribution systems for homes (e.g., power plants, power lines, and transformers), and materials development (e.g., silicon based semiconductors).