The First Experiments With Electricity And Electrical Engineers Nowadays

Last Updated: 18 Feb 2023
Pages: 6 Views: 212

The history of electricity can be predated back to 600 BCE with the first documented form of electrical experimentation with fur and amber which would create static electricity. Even though electricity was discovered back in these times there would be no significant change in its status until the 18th century when Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite and key experiment during a thunderstorm which proved electricity is within nature itself and not just an artificial item. Even though electricity was known to exist in larger and in more powerful states, an electrical engineer did not become a profession until the 19th century.

Before that they were considered a subcategory of physics. Because the first electrical engineer is not known for sure Francis Ronald is considered the leading engineer of electricity because he created the first electric telegraph system which is a major leap in the electrical engineering world. The next step was taken by a man named Georg Ohm who studied the effect of an electrical current on various substances to see what was a better conductor and what was a better insulator. Later that century Thomas Edison created the world's first light bulb in 1879 and it would soon change the way everyone would light their homes at night. Shortly after Thomas Edison created the light bulb he also installed the first power supply utility in 1882 which was known as a direct current system.

Order custom essay The First Experiments With Electricity And Electrical Engineers Nowadays with free plagiarism report

feat icon 450+ experts on 30 subjects feat icon Starting from 3 hours delivery
Get Essay Help

But this Direct current system was inefficient to that of Nikola Tesla who devised an alternating current system that could make the electricity travel farther and supply more homes by using transformers that used magnetic technology which would boost the electrical current making it travel much farther than Thomas Edison’s direct current causing a major rival between the two. This period in electrical engineering is called the war of currents. The next big development came in the 20th century with discovery of radio waves in 1904 by John Fleming. In 1906 Reginald Fessenden sent the first voice over the radio waves. In 1931 a similar technology was used to create the very first television. During the second world war there were many advances that are given to electrical engineers like the development of radio guidance and the creation of the radar system one of the most vastly used military technology today.

After the war there were a vast amount of new technology being created like new and improved telephones, television, and radio technology. The next creation was the first commercial use computer in 1951 that was used for typing and other small tasks. Also with the development of the rockets for the space age. Without the much needed input of electrical engineers the apollo mission would never have happened. Next in history was the development of the mobile phone in 1973 that enabled the common person to call someone without the restriction of a wired distance. In 1983 a more modern computer was created with the capability of the internet where one could get information and have communication with others without the use of a telephone.

With the increasing demand for the cell phone there were major developments in cell phones that would change the way people live and that is the development of the touch screen phone now it is referred to as the smartphone. With these new technologies being so compact there were major advancements militarily that made missiles smaller but more destructive and also way more accurate from farther distances. Also there were advances in the light bulb that made it more efficient by being LED and not the traditional incandescent light bulb. Today the electrical engineers are working on making things more efficient and developing new technologies that will further their own industry’s growth and advancements.

The education that is required for an electrical engineer is a bachelor degree as a minimum. Then after a few years in the field an electrical engineer can take their Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam which will increase their knowledge and their salary. Then a few years after that they can take their Professional Engineer (PE) license that will give them the privilege to design electrical plans of their own without the need of a supervisor and it will increase their salary. The bachelor degree alone will take someone 4 years to get then they have to wait to take your FE and then you have to have 4 years of experience to be eligible to take your PE test to get your Professional engineering license.

This is the standard path that electrical engineers must take in pursuing this career. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of California, Berkeley (UCB), Stanford University, Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Texas at Austin , and Purdue University are the tops schools to attend for an electrical engineer. Apprenticeships and internships increase your chances of getting hired after school. But the success rate is only on average of 6% given that a lot of people can not pass their exams or keep up with their school work and drop out. The average annual out-of-state cost for a bachelor program in Electrical Engineering is $42,167 with an average four year degree total cost of $168,668. These are the general paths, cost and requirements that an electrical engineer would have to go through.

Electrical engineers are need in every size of company that is designing or deals in electrical layout or install. Given the fact that electrical engineers are needed in every size of company in their field, it is no shocker that the current need for electrical engineers is at a healthy demand. The need for electrical engineers in the future is promising because new technologies are being developed that will need an electrical engineer’s input, so for that reason job growth is projected to be on average a 7% increase from the years 2016-2026. Entry level positions are to on the rise given the fact that the job opportunity is growing in the coming years and there are always people retiring. With the electronics industry growing The projection for job growth is looking like it will rise even more in the years to come.

For someone to get an entry level job as an electrical engineer they must have at minimum a bachelor degree to be somewhat qualified to do the job. But when a company hires you they are expecting you to take your Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and pass the test for your Professional Engineer (PE) license so that you can do much more in the company and make you worth the investment in the long run. If you never pass your test and become a PE they will most likely relieve you from the job without pay until you do pass it or they will just fire you. If you do manage to keep on track with your test, you will also be learning on the job most likely in a office where most of an electrical engineer’s career takes place, but you could go to a site to diagnose a problem with a machine or lighting system that your company designs.

The locations of these offices are usually in a large town or city but you could have the company in a very small town if it is a small company or a branch of a larger company. These companies that employ electrical engineers usually have decent benefits with a very good average starting salary of $68,000 that grows to $98,000 on average by the time that you would be retiring. The promotional track for every company is different but most will give you a raise after your Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and when you get your Professional Engineer (PE) license.

After those two major steps in your career it then depends on your performance and reliability. You could go from worker to assistant to project manager to job recruiter to employee recruiter to vice president of the company to president of the company and if your really good and the owner likes you, you could become the CEO of the entire company. Other opportunities for a base electrical engineer would be internship where they can get some experience to see if the job is a good fit for them before they commit to a company after college.

Cite this Page

The First Experiments With Electricity And Electrical Engineers Nowadays. (2023, Feb 18). Retrieved from https://phdessay.com/the-first-experiments-with-electricity-and-electrical-engineers-nowadays/

Don't let plagiarism ruin your grade

Run a free check or have your essay done for you

plagiarism ruin image

We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy

Save time and let our verified experts help you.

Hire writer