May 30, 2025  
Course/Program Inventory 
    
Course/Program Inventory

ESP 1042 - DC Circuits I



Clock Hours: 138

Industry Certifications ETA EM1 Certification CertTEC BEE DC

Course Description:
This first course in electronics introduces the student to safety, metric notation, voltage and current concepts, ideas, components, and the use of test equipment. Series, Parallel, and Series-Parallel Circuits are introduced and explored through “hands-on” experiments. 

Student Learning Outcomes:
1.0 Basic Electrical Theory

1.1 Describe the causes and effects of static electricity

1.2 Describe atomic structure, the components of the atom, their charges and importance

       to electronics technology

1.3 Explain electronic physics terminology of work and energy

1.4 Explain the different forms of energy and their applications

2.0 Magnetism

2.1 Explain basic electrical and magnetic properties

2.2 Describe the properties of magnetic materials

2.3 Explain magnetic fields and lines of force

2.4 Explain magnetomotive force

3.0 Basic Electrical Safety

3.1 Safe practices and standards

3.1.1 Describe personal safety precautions for working with electric and electronic

          devices

3.2 Electrical shock

3.2.1 Describe the human physiological reactions electrical shock causes.

3.2.2 List various degrees of current the human body can tolerate.

3.3 Emergency response

3.3.1 Explain the concept of First Aid and its particular importance to workers in

           electric and electronic fields

3.3.2 Explain precautions needed in the area of electronics safety

3.4 Fire Safety

3.4.1 Describe the different classes (A, B, C, D, & K) of fires and the type of

           extinguishers used to fight them.

3.4.2 List applicable governing fire safety regulations NEC®

4.0 Electronic Measurement Equipment

4.1 Explain “meter” construction, components and usage

5.0 Electronic Components

5.1 Identify the following electronic components and their usages

5.1.1 Capacitor

5.1.2 Resistors

5.1.3 Insulators

5.1.4 Conductors

5.1.5 Switches

5.1.6 Fuses

5.1.7 Circuit Breakers

5.1.8 Batteries

6.0 Ohms Law for Electronics

6.1 Summarize Ohms law

6.2 Calculate current, voltage or resistance using Ohms Law

6.3 Define Joules and Kilowatt-hour as an energy unit

6.4 Describe Watts Law

6.5 Explain the characteristics of DC resistance

7.0 Basic Mathematics for Electronics

7.1 Describe the basic functions of a scientific calculator

7.2 Explain basic algebraic math and its application in DC electronics

7.3 Identify the scientific symbols used in DC electronics

7.4 Convert fixed numbers to scientific notation

7.5 Identify the fundamental and supplementary units that are the bases of the

International System of Units (SI)

7.6 Explain the following metric prefixes.

7.6.1 Peta

7.6.2 Tera

7.6.3 Giga

7.6.4 Mega

7.6.5 kilo

7.6.6 milli

7.6.7 micro

7.6.8 nano

7.6.9 pico

7.7 Demonstrate standard metric conversions.

7.8 Explain algebraic equations relevant to DC circuitry.

8.0 Electronic Measurements

8.1 Describe the following electronic measurements and their application to DC

       electronics:

8.1.1 Current

8.1.2 Voltage

8.1.3 Resistance

9.0 Series Circuits for Electronics

9.1 Explain how a series circuit is used in DC electronic equipment.

9.2 Find total resistance in a series circuit

9.3 Calculate an unknown current, voltage or resistance in a series circuit, using Ohms

       law.

9.4 Describe Kirchhoff’s voltage law in a series circuit

10.0 Parallel Circuits for Electronics

10.1 Explain how a parallel circuit is used in DC electronic equipment.

10.2 Solve for total resistance of a parallel circuit

10.3 Apply Kirchhoff’s current law in a parallel circuit

10.4 Calculate current, in a parallel circuit, using the current-divider rule.

11.0 Series/Parallel Combination Circuits for Electronics

11.1 Describe the basic series/parallel combination circuit

11.2 Calculate current, voltage, and resistance in a combination circuit

11.3 Describe how Thevenin’s theorem is used to simplify an equivalent series/parallel

circuit

11.4 Solve for an unknown value in a combination circuit using Kirchoff’s law.

11.5 Define Wheatstone bridge circuit and its usage

11.6 Identify unknown voltages, currents, resistances and power dissipation in a loaded

         voltage divider circuit.

12.0 Battery Power Supplies

12.1 Describe battery construction

12.2 Describe battery ratings