Technical Math Skills for DC Electronic Circuits (Outcome 9.1)

Scientific notation

Expresses a number as a product of a coefficient and a power of ten, written as $a \times 10^n$.

Significant digits

Digits in a number that carry meaning about its precision.

Conversion to scientific notation

Move the decimal to form a number between 1 and 10 and count the decimal places moved as the exponent.

Engineering notation

A variant of scientific notation where exponents are multiples of $3$.

Base-10 logarithm

The logarithm identifying the power to which the base 10 must be raised to obtain a given number.

Logarithmic scale

A scale in which equal distances represent multiplicative changes rather than additive changes.

Dimensional analysis

Method used to convert units by multiplying by conversion factors equal to 1 so the unwanted units cancel.

SI units

The International System of Units, the standard system for science and engineering measurements.

US customary units

Measurement system commonly used in the United States, including inches and pounds.

Prefix milli (m)

A metric prefix indicating a factor of $10^{-3}$.

Voltage

Electric potential difference, measured in volts (V).

Current

Flow of electric charge, measured in amperes (A).

Resistance

Opposition to current flow, measured in ohms ($\Omega$).

Power calculation in circuits

Expressed as $P = VI$, calculating the electric power consumed.

Measurement accuracy

The closeness of a measured value to a true value.

Measurement precision

The repeatability of measurements, how close they are to each other.

Measurement resolution

The smallest change that an instrument can detect.

Ohm's Law

Relates voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R) in a circuit as $V = IR$.

Tolerance in components

The allowable variation in the actual value from a specified nominal value.

Significant figures in addition

The result of addition contains the same number of decimal places as the term with the least decimal places.

Significant figures in multiplication

The result of multiplication contains the same number of significant figures as the factor with the fewest significant figures.

Reading charts and tables

Understanding how to interpret data and relationships presented in tabular or graphic form.

Data table independent variable

The variable that is controlled or changed during an experiment.

Data table dependent variable

The variable that is measured or observed in response to changes in the independent variable.

Slope of a graph

The ratio of the change in the vertical variable to the change in the horizontal variable, describing the relationship between them.

Average load line on a chart

Visually represents performance characteristics and trends of an electronic component.

Component rating vs typical value

Maximum ratings define safe limits, while typical values are common but not guaranteed.

Sanity check for measurements

A rough estimate to ensure computed values are reasonable and within expected ranges.

Common calculation errors

Mistakes such as mixing units, incorrect decimal placement in conversions, or omitting units.