Quitting a job to take the FE?

Quitting your job to take the FE exam is an enormous decision with potentially significant long-term consequences. Apart from the potential financial strain and gaps in your resume, it may also lead to missed opportunities for career growth and advancement. While the FE exam is an essential step towards becoming a licensed engineer, quitting your job to prepare and take it will lead to several trade-offs.

In this blog

• Financially Unviable

• Gap in Resume

• Missing Opportunities

Financially Unviable

Leaving your job to prepare for the FE exam may not be a financially practical option. The month(s)-long effort required to fully prepare for the exam will likely necessitate an extended period of time without any income. Financial burdens will begin to stack up, particularly any pressing expenses that need to be addressed, such as mortgage payments, rent, car payments, or student loans. Furthermore, the act of quitting your job could potentially make it more challenging to find future employment, as potential employers may question why you left your previous job without already securing a new one.

Gap in Resume

Choosing to leave your job in order to take the FE exam may create a notable gap in your resume, which could lead to immediate concerns from potential employers. In a competitive job market, these gaps could be viewed as a red flag, as they might raise questions about why you were not employed and what you were doing during that time period. Moreover, such gaps can make it more difficult to find new employment, as some employers may be hesitant to hire someone who has taken a break from their career; this concern can be exacerbated depending on how long you were employed before leaving.

Missing Opportunities

Another significant consequence of quitting your job to take the FE exam is the missed career opportunities. During the time you spent preparing for the exam, you may miss out on valuable work experience, networking opportunities, and potential career advancements. Networking is a crucial aspect of career growth and can open doors to new job opportunities, projects, and collaborations. By quitting your job, you may be losing out on opportunities to meet new people in the industry and build connections that could benefit your career.

Finally, it may not be necessary to quit your job in order to successfully prepare for the FE exam. Many engineers have achieved passing scores on the exam while working full-time jobs, demonstrating that it is indeed possible to balance both responsibilities. Though it will require significant dedication and strong time management skills, preparing for the exam while still working may be a more viable option than quitting your job altogether.

Conclusion

What can be taken away is that deciding to leave your job to focus solely on preparing for the FE exam is a massive undertaking that requires a lot of careful consideration. While passing the exam is undoubtedly a key step towards becoming a licensed engineer, the potential financial strain, resume gaps, missed career opportunities, and the additional stress of continuing to work while preparing for the exam are all factors that must be weighed when making such an important decision. Ultimately, it is important to carefully consider all the options and the potential benefits and drawbacks of quitting your job and make a decision that aligns with your individual circumstances and priorities.

Are you ready to start studying for your FE exam with School of PE? Our comprehensive courses and expert instructors are just what you need to pass.

About the Author: Anna Taylor

Anna Taylor is a freelance writer and avid researcher- a jack of all trades, but a master of none. She graduated from the University of Hawai'i with an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts because she had no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up. She has since found her love of Extended Reality and the possibilities it brings to the world, as well as gardening, cooking, and writing. Anna lives in Interior Alaska with her family.

How to Maximize the Impact of Training Opportunities

Many companies struggle to keep up with the needs of their workforce. The development of new technology has disrupted our way of thinking, creating a significant issue in employee training. With the opportunity for personal development so rampant, newer employers especially assume that they can get away with minimal effort and still maintain a productive work environment. In this blog, we'll discuss the importance of training opportunities and how today's workforce feels about them, the different types of training opportunities, and how to maximize the impact of training opportunities so your company can withstand the test of time.

This blog covers,

• The Importance of Training Opportunities

• Different Types of Training Opportunities

• Evaluate and Improve the Effectiveness of Training Opportunities

• 5 Ways to Maximize the Impact of Training Opportunities

The Importance of Training Opportunities

It goes without saying that employee training is one of the key factors in creating a highly productive workforce for a company that withstands the economic weather. In fact, according to a Udemy skills gap report, 51% of employees would quit a job that didn't provide necessary training. Others claimed that their work skills were not taught in a training program but were self-taught on the job. In this same survey, 84% of workers believed that there is a significant skill gap in today's work environment. The negative impact of a lack of training opportunities or insufficiently prepared training opportunities is an increase in employee turnover. Creating an effective training program and taking advantage of every training opportunity can help your employees fill this skill gap, keep business moving smoothly, and benefit from everything a well-made training program has to offer.

There are other purposes to training opportunities that don't necessarily apply only to the job factors that are more byproducts of the training. Those are:

- Employee competence

- Company morale

- Employees that feel valued

- Uniformity of work

- Improved work environment

Most of these benefits are a direct result of how the employee feels about themselves and how they work with each other.

Different Types of Training Opportunities

There are several different types of training and different times in which that training might be most beneficial.

Onboarding is the initial process of familiarizing new employees with the job requirements, skill sets they'll learn, company culture, and standard operating procedure within the company. It also details best practices for safety, who to contact in case of an emergency, and important information about the company specifically.

Reboarding is similar to onboarding in that it is a familiarization with the company and all that entails. It generally happens when a new training program is launched, when an older employee needs to re-familiarize themselves with their job requirements, or when there is a change in the command structure within the company.

Upskilling is different because it's not necessarily a requirement of the initial job to learn a specific skillset. Upskilling can come in the form of professional certifications, generally from an outside source. It can happen in the onboarding process or later in a person's career to support their professional development.

Let's take a moment to talk about something that might be obvious but still deserves a space. There are also official training opportunities and unofficial training opportunities. Official opportunities lie within the grand scope of business operation. They're planned, structured, and executed with exactness. Unofficial opportunities occur in the everyday operation of business processes. They're unplanned, occasionally haphazardly executed, and usually completely effective in solidifying critical concepts for the employee, as well as building employee relationships.

Evaluate and Improve the Effectiveness of Training Opportunities

Creating or participating in training opportunities is the responsibility of every person in a company, but it's also important to understand the effectiveness of the training itself. Here are some factors that contribute to an effective opportunity and ways that you can improve it.

- Seek out different training opportunities. Perhaps you, as the owner or operator of a business, are responsible for training employees in varying capacities. Ensure your employees know that their training and capability are the highest priority by looking for different opportunities to help them develop their skills.

- Talk with employees about their experience. Gain feedback from your employees through survey, casual conversation, or think tank type scenarios to get a large array of feedback. Make sure that your questions are specific to eliminate confusion or stalled conversation. Allow others to speak, and listen to what they have to say.

- Create actionable goals that employees must reach. Training itself is only as effective as what the employee gets out of it. Set actionable goals and requirements that they must reach that show their competence. If they don't seem to be able to reach those goals, re-evaluation might be in order.

- Check to see if low performance is a product of poor training or other factors. If employees are regularly struggling with performance, it may seem like the right course of action is to return to the training program. However, this isn't always the case. Training can only get you so far. It can address lack of knowledge and experience, but if the issues within the workforce are due more to ineffective compensation packages, negative work environment, lack of proper tools, etc., then the answer isn't necessarily to offer more training opportunities but rather to fix those issues before. If retraining still seems like a good option, now is the time to do it.

- Look for opportunities to reinforce concepts learned in training. Unofficial training can be what solidifies the information learned within a training program. On-the-job opportunities to share what an employee has learned or reviewing critical concepts help you to know what to focus on, and what area might need improvement.

5 Ways to Maximize the Impact of Training Opportunities

1. Set SMART goals. When setting goals for specific outcomes, i.e., training outcomes, use this metric to determine if the goal in mind is the right one. For instance, is it Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based. Setting SMART goals, instead of simply stating that you'd like to see a particular outcome, helps you to know if the goal is a good one that won't lead to frustration.

2. Choose the training opportunity that best fits your goals. Following up, if you're looking into a training opportunity to elevate your business or work force, it's important to choose one that fits the company goal and desired outcome. It's difficult to justify the expense if it doesn't align with those goals.

3. Ask those involved if the opportunity would benefit them overall. Participants are more likely to be enthusiastic and engaged in the program if they can see how it fits into their overall goals. Compile information to show them how they might benefit from being a part of the opportunity and everything it entails.

4. Understand that measurements matter. Yes, measurements matter. Being able to identify and measure the desired outcome of the training opportunity will, in the end, help you determine if it was effective and if it's worth doing again. It also helps to show superiors how the training went and if it's a good idea for the future, which is always easier when numbers are involved.

5. Emphasize the importance of active participation. For opportunities that are mandatory, such as staff development programs or team building trips, make sure that employees know what they're going to get out of it from a personal and professional standpoint. This can come in the form of incentives, a memo detailing the benefits, or even a simple conversation that shows the importance.

6. Understand the resources and needs of the workforce. Make sure that the opportunity fits with the overall needs and requirements of the company and those that work there. It doesn't do well to have workers trained in an area that seemed like a good fit when it actually isn't. It also doesn't do well to find the perfect opportunity and put in all the work and effort to set it all up if there is no time-or worse-insufficient funds.

Properly trained employees prove time and time again to be loyal to companies that offer experiences designed to help with their own development, as well as overall company development. Training opportunities come in various forms and at varying times. It doesn't matter if the opportunity is formal or informal, structured or not. Finding the right opportunity for your company to thrive is key in creating a company culture of productivity, creativity, and overall success. If you can maximize each opportunity for training, even the smallest opportunity, it can pay off for years to come through an increase in time, money, and overall business success.

About the Author: Anna Taylor

Anna Taylor is a freelance writer and avid researcher- a jack of all trades, but a master of none. She graduated from the University of Hawai'i with an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts because she had no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up. She has since found her love of Extended Reality and the possibilities it brings to the world, as well as gardening, cooking, and writing. Anna lives in Interior Alaska with her family.

Best Tips and Practices for Interviewing

Preparing for a job interview can be daunting, especially if it is your first time in a new industry; however, an interview is also an important opportunity to showcase your skills, personality, and establish a strong first impression to your future employer(s). From experience, both firsthand and secondhand, the best methods that have shown great success are researching into the company that you are applying to, preparing a script on what information you want to portray, holding a natural conversation with your interviewer, presenting a project or projects related to the industry, and preparing related questions about the job and company. In this blog, we will do a deep dive into each of the five tips mentioned earlier to help you feel more prepared and confident during your next interview.

In this blog,

1. Research About the Company

2. Having a Script

3. Have a Normal Conversation

4. Present your Project

5. Prepare Related Questions

Helpful Tips

1. Research About the Company

To get a better grasp of what you are applying to, research the company before going into the interview. This involves looking beyond the basic information on the company's website and digging deeper into their mission, values, and culture. Look at recent news articles and press releases; this will offer a greater insight into the company, their recent projects, any updated initiatives, and up-to-date performance.

Going into an interview well-prepared with all the company's latest news and coverage will assist in making you stand out as a potential new hire. Research also enables you to prepare for the interviewer's questions and gives the impression that you are proactive and genuinely interested in both the company and the open position.

One modern method that recent applicants have been utilizing is to look into and contact the hiring manager directly on LinkedIn. The traditional methods of applying through the company's websites or other online job boards often lead to delayed or no response at all. Reaching out to hiring managers directly on LinkedIn shows your proactiveness and establishes an interpersonal relationship which can lead to various job openings.

2. Having a Script

Having a script can be helpful, but do not rely on it too heavily. Your script should be a general outline of what you want to say during the interview, including your qualifications, experience, and why you want to work for the company. A helpful tip is to review your script with your peers or anyone you know who is already in the industry. They can offer valuable feedback, reduce uncertainty on what you want to say, and improve your confidence before the interview.

Remember, this script is a general outline: do not memorize your script word-for-word, as it can make your answers sound robotic and impersonal. Not only that, but an interview will not go exactly as you have planned, so you'll want to create a script that covers all potential avenues about the job description.

3. Have a Normal Conversation

This may seem obvious, but it's important to remember that the interviewer is also trying to get to know you as a person. Use proper hand gestures to emphasize crucial points and provide examples when answering questions to convey not only greater understanding of the topic at hand, but also your personality and enthusiasm for the position. Speak clearly and enunciate your words. It is crucial that there is no miscommunication or communication difficulties for both the interviewee and interviewer.

Speak slowly and concisely and do not rush your interview, as you do not want to come off as nervous or impatient. Take your time to think about what you need to say-this is the opportunity for the company to get to know who you are.

A common mistake that many young applicants make is padding out and answering every question. If you are unsure, do not lie and pretend that you know something you don't. Instead, admit that you were not prepared for the question and attempt to work out an answer. By being honest, the company will appreciate you more for not providing falsified information.

4. Present your Project

A tangible form of your knowledge and aptitude is in the form of a project; these could be anything, such as a design project, a coding project, or any other work that demonstrates your skills and abilities. Drawing from some of my previous interviews, bringing in a physical copy of a project can help you stand out from other candidates and give the interviewer a better understanding of your work.

Make sure you select a project where you fully know the details from A to Z. Be prepared to explain your project, including the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

5. Prepare Related Questions

Prepare some related questions to ask during the end of the interview. All questions asked should be relevant to the company and the position that you are applying for. Here are a few recommended questions that I have used in the past:

1. What is the company's culture like, including both the workplace and social culture?

2. How would they measure an employee's success, is it judged based on personal, team, business, or some combination of the three?

3. What qualities are they looking for in an ideal candidate?

Asking questions shows that you are genuinely interested and engaged in the company and the position. The answers you receive will help paint a better picture of what life would be like if you were hired and help you make an informed decision if you are offered the job.

Conclusion

Job interviews can be stressful, but there are multiple steps that you can take to not only reduce the stress but also improve your chances of getting hired. We covered doing research into the company, preparing a general script on what you want to say, ensuring that the conversation comes off as normal and casual, presenting project(s) to showcase applied knowledge, and preparing related questions to ask at the end of the interview. Remember to be yourself and let your personality and abilities shine; this will leave a lasting impression and help connect with the one interviewing you. Best wishes on your next interview!

About the Author: Khoa Tran

Khoa Tran is an electrical engineer working at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and is currently pursuing his master's in electrical Power from the University of Southern California. He is fluent in both Vietnamese and English and is interested in outdoor activities and exploring new things.

What is Current Law?

In this blog,

1. History and Definition

2. Node

3. Kirchhoff's Current Law in a Series Circuit

4. Kirchhoff's Current Law in a Parallel Circuit

History and Definition

Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL) is also referred to as the current law. KCL was discovered by Gustav Kirchhoff, a German physicist, and he introduced it in 1845 as a fundamental principle in the analysis of electrical circuits. KCL states that, much like the law of conservation of mass/energy, the total current entering a node or junction in a circuit must be equal to the total current leaving that node or junction.

Electrical circuit analysis is a fundamental aspect of electrical engineering that involves an analytical approach to understanding and evaluating the behavior inside of an electrical circuit. Analyzing electrical circuits involves examining the behavior of electrical signals as they travel through various circuit components: resistors, capacitors, inductors, and transformers. This analysis will include identifying the voltage and current characteristics, as well as power dissipation and energy transfer in the circuit.

A node is any point in a circuit where two or more wires or circuit elements meet. While a junction is defined as a point in a circuit where current splits, however, a junction can sometimes refer to a node connecting three or more circuit elements (Kirchhoff's Circuit Law and Kirchhoff's Circuit Theory, n.d.).

KCL, also known as the Conservation of Charge, states that the current entering a node must be equal to the total amount of charge that leaves, regardless of how many circuit elements are joined at the node, as no loss of charge (Kirchhoff's Circuit Law and Kirchhoff's Circuit Theory, n.d.).

Node

Reminder, in an electrical circuit, a node refers to any point where two or more circuit elements join at the terminal. Identifying these nodes is crucial when applying Kirchhoff's current law, to characterize where in the circuit KCL can be applied (Kirchhoff's Circuit Law and Kirchhoff's Circuit Theory, n.d.). The diagram presented in Figure 1 depicts four nodes in the closed-loop system, and they are labeled as a, b, c, and d, with node d identifying the joining of the voltage source, v_s , and resistor R₃.

Figure 1

From Figure 1, we are able to quickly identify the unknown variables: v_s , i_s , v₁ , i₁ , v_{s ,} i_2 , v₃  and i₃ 

To apply Kirchhoff's current law effectively, it is necessary to designate an algebraic sign and charge sign to each current at the node(s) in question, corresponding to a predetermined reference direction. We can assign a positive sign to a charge entering a node and a negative sign indicating the charge exiting the node. The inverse can also be done, by assigning a negative sign to a charge entering a node and a positive sign indicating the charge exiting the node. This needs to be done to accurately describe the circuit and calculate the current flowing around any point in the system.

When utilizing KCL to analyze the circuit depicted in Figure 1 and employing the approach in which currents that exit a node are assigned a positive value, a total of four questions can be derived from the four nodes present in the circuit:

Node	Equation
a	i1 - is = 0
b	-i1 - i2 = 0
c	i2 + i3 = 0
d	is - i3 = 0

Kirchhoff's Current Law in a Series Circuit

A series circuit is identified when a circuit element follows after another, sharing only one terminal connection.

In a series electrical circuit, every component in the circuit experiences an identical amount of current. This can be attributed to the fact that there exists only one path for the current to flow through. Analogous to how water flows through a tube, electrical charge flows through conductors, and the rate of this flow (akin to the speed of the water) must remain consistent at any given point in the circuit, and at any specific point in time.

We will use Figure 2 to evaluate the current and voltage relationship.

Figure 2

Since the circuit is a closed loop and in series, we have:

i_{s =}  i_{1 =}  i_{2 =}  i₃  (1)

Ohm's Law (I = V/R) can be applied to find the current.

-V_s + i₁R₁ + i₂R_2 + i₃R_3 = 0  (2)

Substituting Equation 1 into Equation 2, we can express the

-V_s + i_s ( R₁ + R₂ + R₃ ) (3)

i_{s =} ^V_s ⁄ _{R1 + R2 + R3} (4)

Kirchhoff's Current Law in a Parallel Circuit

 

Figure 3

A parallel circuit is categorized when circuit elements share more than one terminal connection.

Just like in a series circuit, Ohm's law follows the same principle, whereby the values assigned to voltage, current, and resistance must be of the same contextual relevance to ensure accurate calculations (CIRCUIT TOPOLOGY AND LAWS - Applied Industrial Electricity, n.d.). Discrepancies in contextual frameworks may lead to erroneous results and unreliable data, underscoring the need to maintain consistency across all parameters.

From Figure 3, we apply Ohm's Law to find the current in each resistor with the given voltage source, v_s.

i_R1 = ^v_s ⁄ _R1  (5)

i_R2 = ^v_s ⁄ _R2  (6)

i_R3 = ^v_s ⁄ _R3  (7)

Although the source current for a parallel circuit remains unknown at this stage, with further derivation of the characterization equations, it becomes evident that the total current is equal to the sum of all individual resistor currents or "branches". From the node section, "assign a positive sign to a charge entering a node and a negative sign indicating the charge exiting the node. The inverse can also be done, by assigning a negative sign to a charge entering a node and a positive sign indicating the charge exiting the node", we can derive the final characterization equation.

i_s = i_R1 + i_R2 + i_R3 (8)

Conclusion

Kirchhoff's Current Law is a fundamental principle in electrical engineering and physics that states that the total current entering a node or junction in a circuit must be equal to the total current leaving that node. This law is based on the law of conservation of charge and is essential for analyzing and understanding electrical circuits. By applying KCL and Ohm's Law, engineers and physicists can calculate the currents and voltages at any point throughout a circuit and verify that they are consistent with the circuit's design specifications.

Interested in becoming an electrical engineer? Register for an FE or PE Electrical exam review course with School of PE today and join our tens of thousands of students who have passed their engineering exams!

About the Author: Khoa Tran

Khoa Tran is an electrical engineer working at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and is currently pursuing his master's in electrical Power from the University of Southern California. He is fluent in both Vietnamese and English and is interested in outdoor activities and exploring new things.

Instructor Spotlight: Gregory Nicosia, PE

At School of PE, we employ multiple instructors to teach the material in their areas of expertise-this sets us apart from our competitors. We have received a great deal of positive feedback from our students, and we believe that learning from experts in their respective areas provides the most comprehensive learning experience.

Our Instructor Spotlight series gives you a peek behind the scenes with some of School of PE's highly acclaimed instructors. Read on to find out more about our very own Gregory Nicosia, PE.

Author Bio:

Mr. Nicosia is an engineer who has been practicing in the industry for eight years. His background includes natural gas, utilities, mechanical, and civil engineering. He earned his chemical engineering undergraduate degree at Drexel University in 2014 and his master's degree in business administration (MBA) from Penn State Harrisburg (2018). He received his EIT designation in 2014 and PE license in 2018. Mr. Nicosia firmly believes in continuing to grow his skillset to become a more well-rounded engineer and adapt to an ever-changing world.

He has been a blog writer and tutor with School of PE for approximately one year. Although he has not formally taught for School of PE, he has served as a subject-matter expert for two years. He is also a technical reviewer on School of PE's upcoming FE Mechanical Exam Review Guide.

What attracted you to your chosen field/area of expertise?

I was attracted to engineering because of the practical applications. The knowledge I have gained has not only helped with my professional career but has also helped me in my everyday life. I started my career as an entry-level engineer with my EIT certification, but now I am a licensed professional engineer and am continuously growing in my field. For instance, I have taken on other roles with blogging and tutoring, courtesy of School of PE. My background in utility engineering is applicable to all aspects of life, from reviewing design plans in the office to understanding my personal electric bill.

I specifically work in the energy (oil and gas) field. Energy is an ongoing topic worldwide; in high school, I enrolled primarily in mathematics and science courses and even completed my senior project on nuclear energy.

What has been your favorite engineering project?

My favorite engineering project was the Future City project. I had the opportunity to serve as an engineer mentor to middle school students as they developed a futuristic city that would be powered by a fuel source of their choice. This provided me with the chance to become better with tutoring, leadership, and technical skills. I led a few classroom discussions and helped build relations with the school district. The topic was power generation, so this also encouraged me to improve my electrical engineering knowledge. The project was multidisciplinary because it also involved designing and planning the city layout complete with stores, restaurants, and hospitals, among other features.

What was your most challenging project?

My most challenging project was designing a large industrial gas turbo meter set for a food production plant. This was a comprehensive project that involved collaboration amongst multiple departments, including new business, engineering services, system planning, operations, contract construction, and the meter set team. The food plant needed to enlarge both their gas service and their meter to accommodate additional production capacity. I reviewed the system capacity to ensure pressures in the area could handle the new gas load. Specialized materials had to be identified and ordered from different manufacturing vendors to meet project needs.

I met with the site inspector, construction team, and plant manager multiple times at the project site to review the scope and discuss the gas service and meter set installation. The project was ultimately a success because the food plant is currently using natural gas for powering their production.

How do you make sure to stay up to date on skills and technology in your field?

I stay updated through my PE continuing education hours, blogging, subject-matter expert (SME) question reviews, tutoring sessions, and my own reading. The continuing education hours are beneficial because they can be applied to all engineering disciplines (chemical, mechanical, civil, etc.). I passed the FE Chemical and PE Mechanical (Thermal & Fluids Systems) exams, but with different seminars and online courses, I can foray into other engineering topics. Serving as an SME and tutor with School of PE has also helped me stay fresh with the current exam format and industry trends because I can collaborate with other students to achieve their goal of attaining PE licensure.

I am primarily involved with utility engineering, so I am always exploring new technologies (e.g., trenchless installation techniques) to better meet project and municipal needs. I also learn a lot through industry magazines, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website, and other online news outlets. The world is a dynamic place, as there is always an interesting news story somewhere.

What do you think is the most important skill for an engineer?

I believe the most important skill for an engineer is to question everything. Before starting a project or task, you want to ensure that you fully understand the scope and have completed some preliminary research to better your chances of success. I always review records and noteworthy items before visiting a jobsite; sometimes I will even communicate with the municipality if there is any planned road work or upcoming paving projects. I conduct my own site visit prior to meeting with a contractor to ensure that I am better prepared for the contractor meeting.

For example, I had a recent project where old steel piping was identified as aging infrastructure with leaks that needed replacement. This steel line was running along a side street (not within the original project scope), so after some further investigation, it was determined that this pipe was critical infrastructure that required new plastic pipe. This side street was added to the project scope and the authorization was updated accordingly to save the trouble of needing to mobilize twice at two separate dates. It is always good to peer review your coworkers as you may discover projects that include regions that have either been overlooked or already completed.

What is the best way to prepare for the PE Civil exam?

The best way to prepare for the PE Civil exam is to start with an online review course (I would recommend School of PE!). This can help to define the exam scope and expectations more clearly. When I first began studying for the PE exam, I started with my own self-study but found this to be ineffective because I was unsure where to begin and was only studying certain topics in a textbook. A review course is more widely accepted and standard for exam preparation.

I would also recommend becoming more familiar with the NCEES PE Civil Reference Handbook. You will be provided with other design standards according to your civil discipline, but otherwise the NCEES reference handbook is the only reference material that can be used during the exam. Exercising questions and reviewing solutions will help you gain more repetition as well as grow your memory on where to look up certain information (you do not want to lose time during the exam continuously browsing the handbook looking for specific equations).

In your opinion, what is the most important trait someone would need to be a successful engineer?

Always keep learning. I have passed both the FE and PE exams, but I will certainly admit I did not know the answer to every question on both exam days. Passing the exams was exciting but also a humbling experience. There is always more to learn. Even if you have done the same task repeatedly, it is still exercise for your mind (like working out your "brain muscle"). This also aligns with my view of questioning everything and staying proactive with both your work and the industry. My background is mostly chemical and mechanical, but recently I have been learning more civil and electrical (telecommunications) disciplines.

Why would you recommend taking an exam review course to prepare for the PE Civil exam?

An exam review course is the best way to prepare for the PE Civil exam. As mentioned earlier, a review course has more structure compared to attempting self-study. The instructor will also likely be a licensed professional engineer who is familiar with the content so you can ask questions for good discussion. The instructor can also provide exam tips from their own experiences, as well as other students who may be retaking the exam or have colleagues who also passed the exam. For instance, I first learned about School of PE through a friend.

What is your approach to tutoring School of PE students?

As a tutor, I first ask the student if there are any particular exam topics that they want to review during the session. School of PE provides good refresher notes and example questions, but I have found that the sessions are more productive when focusing on student concerns. This shows more care toward the student and also helps cover specific topics within a limited timeframe.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone who didn't pass their exam on the first try?

My advice is to draft your own list of reasons why you did not pass. NCEES sends a diagnostic report for areas of improvement, but you must also be honest with yourself-consider Socrates, who famously said, "Know thyself." You may have been too busy with other commitments and may not have been able to set aside the study time. It can be difficult to balance your career as a practicing engineer with exam studying and other obligations. Many exam review courses are offered on weekends for this reason because instructors are aware that most students are in the workplace during weekdays.

The diagnostic report is a good place to start but I would also recommend trying to make mental notes during the exam of which questions/topics may have stumped you or used up too much time. Both the FE and PE exams follow the formats outlined on the NCEES website, so you should also refer back to the exam format to identify areas of deficiency. But remember too, not passing the exam could stem from other personal commitments; so you may need to rearrange your own priorities for proper study time.

What is Ohm's Law?

One of the most fundamental principles in electrical engineering is Ohm's law. Ohm's law plays a critical role in understanding the relationship between resistance, voltage, and current in electrical circuits. This fundamental law is a mathematical formula that calculates the behavior between these elements in a circuit (Nilsson & Riedel, 2015, 30). In this blog, we will explore Ohm's law in detail, including its history, definition, applications, and limitations.

This blog covers,

•  History

•  Electrical Resistance (Ohm's Law)

•  Resistance in Series

•  Resistance in Parallel

•  Power

•  Application

•  Limitation

History

Ohm's law was first discovered by German physicist Georg Simon Ohm in 1827 while investigating the behavior of electric currents through various materials. Ohm observed that the amount of electric current flowing through a conductor is proportional to the voltage applied across it, and inversely proportional to the resistance of the conductor (Nilsson & Riedel, 2015, 48). He characterized this relationship into a mathematical equation, which we now know as Ohm's law.

Electrical Resistance (Ohm's Law)

Resistance is a critical concept in electrical engineering that describes the ability of materials to impede the flow of electric charge. This behavior is modeled using a component called a resistor, which plays a crucial role in designing and analyzing electrical circuits. Understanding resistance involves visualizing the interaction between electrons that make up an electrical current and the atomic structure of the material they are moving through. While almost all materials exhibit some degree of resistance, the degree of resistance varies depending on the material. Materials with low resistance, like copper and aluminum, are commonly referred to as conductors and are ideal for conducting electricity through wiring due to their conductive properties.

To effectively analyze circuits, it is crucial to establish a reference point for the current in the resistor relative to the terminal voltage. There are two ways to accomplish this: by referencing the direction of the voltage drop across the resistor (right image) or by referencing the direction of the voltage rise across the resistor (left image). This is demonstrated in Figure 1 below.

The equation for Ohm's law is:

V = iR (1)

where V is the voltage across the conductor, i is the current passing through it, and R is the resistance of the conductor. They are measured in volts, amperes, and Ohms, respectively. This equation shows that if the voltage across a conductor is increased, the current passing through it will also increase, as long as the resistance remains constant (Nilsson & Riedel, 2015, 48). Similarly, if the resistance is increased, the current passing through the conductor will decrease, as long as the voltage remains constant.

The inverse of resistance is conductance. It is denoted by the letter G, and is measured in siemens (S).

G = ¹⁄_R (S) (2)

Resistance in Series

The second principle of series circuits is that the overall resistance of a series circuit is equal to the summation of the individual resistances. This concept is relatively straightforward, as it follows that when the number of resistors in series increases, the flow of current becomes more challenging due to the greater resistance. Therefore, it intuitively makes sense that the total resistance in a series circuit will be equal to the sum of the individual resistances.

From Figure 2, the total resistance is:

R _total = R₁ + R₂ + R₃ (3)

Resistance in Parallel

As previously demonstrated with series resistor networks, the total resistance, R_total, of the circuit is equivalent to the summation of all individual resistors added together. However, with resistors in parallel, the equivalent circuit resistance, R_total, is calculated differently. Instead of summing the resistances themselves, we sum the reciprocal value ¹⁄_Rtotal of the individual resistances. The inverse of the algebraic sum then yields the equivalent resistance, as illustrated in the provided example. By utilizing this method, we can determine the total resistance of a parallel resistor network and better understand its behavior in electrical circuits.

From Figure 3, the total resistance is:

¹⁄_Rtotal = ¹⁄_R1 + ¹⁄_R2 + ¹⁄_R3

Power

Given the values of voltage, current, and resistance, it is possible to calculate the power at the terminals of a resistor using various methods. The fundamental equation for calculating power involves multiplying the terminal voltage and current. This value is expressed in units of Watts (W), a standard unit for measuring power.

p = vi (4)

By substituting Equation 1 into Equation 4, we can express the power of a resistor in terms of the current and resistance, providing a more concise and simplified means of calculating power in circuits.

p = vi = (iR)i = i²R (5)

Additionally, the power at the terminals of a resistor can be expressed in terms of voltage and resistance.

p = v(^v⁄_R) = ^v2⁄_R (6)

Application

Ohm's law is a critical component in both electrical engineering and physics. For example, it can be used to design and analyze electrical circuits, determine the appropriate size and rating of electrical components, and troubleshoot and diagnose problems in electrical systems. It is also used in the development of electronic devices, such as transistors, diodes, and integrated circuits.

One of the most significant applications of Ohm's law is in the design and analysis of power distribution systems. Power transmission lines, transformers, and other components of electrical power systems must be designed to handle the amount of current that will flow through them under normal operating conditions. By using Ohm's law, engineers are able to calculate the expected current flow and voltage drop in a given component and choose the appropriate size and rating to ensure that it can handle the load of the system.

In addition, Ohm's law has many important implications for the safety of electrical systems. If the voltage applied to a circuit is too high, it can cause the current to increase beyond the capacity of the conductors and components, leading to overheating, damage, and even fires. By using Ohm's law to calculate the expected current flow and voltage drop in a circuit, engineers can design systems that are safe and reliable.

Limitation

However, Ohm's law has some limitations and assumptions that must be considered when using it to analyze and design electrical circuits. One of the main assumptions is that the conductor has a linear resistance, meaning that the resistance remains constant regardless of the current flowing through it. In reality, many conductors have nonlinear resistance characteristics, which can cause the current and voltage to behave in unexpected ways.

Another limitation of Ohm's law is that it only applies to DC circuits or circuits where the voltage and current are constant over time. In AC circuits, the voltage and current are constantly changing in magnitude and direction, which can cause the behavior of the circuit to be more complex and difficult to predict. However, Ohm's law can still be useful in analyzing AC circuits, as long as the behavior of the circuit can be simplified and modeled using equivalent circuits.

Conclusion

Ohm's law is a fundamental principle in electrical engineering and physics that describes the relationship between current, voltage, and resistance in a system. It provides a powerful tool for designing and analyzing electrical systems and has many important applications in power systems, electronics, and other fields. However, it also has some limitations and assumptions that must be considered when using it to analyze and design circuits. Despite these limitations, Ohm's law remains a cornerstone of electrical engineering and continues to be studied and applied by researchers and engineers around the world.

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References

Nilsson, J. W., & Riedel, S. A. (2015). Electric Circuits. Pearson.

About the Author: Khoa Tran

Khoa Tran is an electrical engineer working at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and is currently pursuing his master's in electrical Power from the University of Southern California. He is fluent in both Vietnamese and English and is interested in outdoor activities and exploring new things.