Caveat Academy course · Grades 8 to 12

Electrical Engineering

A semester of electrical engineering: charge, current and voltage, Ohm's law and picking the right resistor for an LED, power and the cost of running an appliance, series, parallel and mixed circuits, motors, generators, transformers and the grid, capacitors, diodes, transistors and sensors, and designing, powering and troubleshooting real circuits. Six modules at your own pace, with a check in every lesson and a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: Charge, current and voltage

    Explain charge, current and voltage, compute charge and energy in a circuit, and apply basic electrical safety rules.

    • Electric charge and current
    • Voltage and energy
    • Circuits, diagrams and safety
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Resistance, Ohm's law and power

    Read resistor codes, apply Ohm's law to choose components, and compute power, energy use and electricity cost.

    • Resistance
    • Ohm's law
    • Power and energy
    about 2.2 h

  3. Module 3: Series and parallel circuits

    Analyze series, parallel and combination circuits and voltage dividers, and check results with Kirchhoff's laws.

    • Series circuits
    • Parallel circuits
    • Combination circuits and Kirchhoff's laws
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Magnetism, motors and the power grid

    Explain electromagnets, motors, generators and transformers, and explain why the grid transmits power at high voltage.

    • Electromagnetism and motors
    • Induction, generators and alternating current
    • Transformers and the power grid
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: The components inside electronics

    Explain how capacitors, diodes, transistors and sensors work in circuits, and compute RC time constants and ADC readings.

    • Capacitors and timing
    • Diodes, LEDs and transistors
    • Sensors and digital signals
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Designing and powering real circuits

    Design and troubleshoot battery and solar powered circuits with a multimeter, and evaluate a design against its requirements.

    • Batteries and solar power
    • Measuring and troubleshooting
    • Engineering design and the future of electricity
    about 2.2 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 3 · Combination circuits and Kirchhoff's laws

Worked example: a series-parallel circuit

  1. A 9-volt battery is connected to a 2 Ω resistor in series with a parallel pair of 6 Ω and 3 Ω.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High SchoolAlso for Academics · Middle School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished semester of electrical engineering: you can compute charge, energy and power, read a resistor's color bands and choose the resistor an LED needs, work out the cost of running an appliance, solve series, parallel and mixed circuits and check them with Kirchhoff's laws, explain motors, generators and transformers and why power lines run at high voltage, compute an RC time constant and an ADC reading, size a battery or solar supply, and troubleshoot a dead circuit with a multimeter. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 8 to 12 who want to know how circuits, chargers and the power grid work, are preparing for physics, robotics or an engineering class, or are curious about careers as electrical engineers, electricians or electronics technicians; homeschool families who want a complete semester unit. Optional hands-on activities use AA batteries, LEDs, resistors and a breadboard; nothing that plugs into the wall.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 146 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics; also listed for the Middle School space in Caveat Academics (the same course serves the Electrical Engineering Fundamentals title).
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. OpenStax, College Physics 2e, chapters on electric current, circuits, magnetism and induction, a free textbook: openstax.org
  2. All About Circuits, free textbook Lessons in Electric Circuits: allaboutcircuits.com
  3. U.S. Energy Information Administration, how electricity is delivered to consumers: eia.gov
  4. U.S. Department of Energy, estimating appliance and home electronic energy use: energy.gov
  5. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, electrical safety basics: osha.gov

Electrical Engineering is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. It follows the sequence of a typical one-semester electrical engineering or electronics elective but does not replace a school course or supervised lab work and awards no credit. It does not teach household wiring: never open, probe or modify anything that plugs into a wall outlet. Electricity prices and battery capacities in worked problems are example figures. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.