Learn the physics of electrical power and how to measure single and 3-phase electrical power in this free online course.

Power and energy are commonly used terms in physics and play an important role in understanding electrical systems and this online electrical course will teach you how to define electrical power and energy, calculate their values and convert one quantity into the other for a given electric circuit. Some of what you will learn includes how to estimate the total power consumed by an AC circuit with the help of the available voltage, current and other parameters. Power in an AC system does not remain steady, instead, it keeps on changing with time. You will be shown how to represent power graphically and calculate the initial, average and peak values of power within an AC cycle. Phasors are special types of vectors with magnitude and direction rotating at the system frequency and your learning includes how to represent voltage and current phasors with complex numbers, express them in two different forms and apply basic mathematical operations to them. There are different tools and equipment available to measure electric power consumed by a household or a building and this certificate in electrical engineering then covers tools such as a wattmeter and dynamometer.

Analog power meters measure power with the help of coils and a rotating disc while electronic meters use voltage and current transducers, analog to digital converters instead of coils, and the rotating disc. The electrical training course content moves on to studying single-phase power which includes learning about configuration, working principles and usage before analyzing instrument transformers, which is a special type of transformer used for the measurement of voltage and current. When we take three-phase power generation into account, we assume that it consists of three single-phase generators connected together on one terminal and you will learn how to add voltage vectors, check the impact of different loads and numbers of voltage and current elements for measuring power in a three-phase electrical system.

This electrical fundamentals course is designed for students in engineering, electrical power systems managers, engineers and professionals in the field of electrical power. This course is also useful for anyone who wants to understand the working of their electricity meters to get an idea of their domestic power billing. A basic understanding of single and three-phase power systems is required to take this course and the content is prepared specifically to make it interesting and understandable with the help of schematic diagrams, graphs and charts. Electricity is an integral part of modern lifestyle - we use it for lighting up bulbs, heating or cooling our homes/offices and numerous other daily uses so it’s natural to be curious to know how it reaches our homes and offices and how it is measured. Grab the opportunity to enhance your knowledge in the field of AC power by enrolling in this easy-to-grasp electrical course.