Principles and Application of Electrical Engineering / With CD

This third edition text is for the introduction to electrical engineering course taken by non majors. The course is usually offered in the EE department, or sometimes physics. The Rizzoni text may also be appropriate for majors courses at some schools.

Since the course is taken by non-EEs (such as mechanical and civil engineers), it is important to relate the material to concepts that span all engineering disciplines. The Rizzoni text has always excelled in this area, making it the #1 book in the market in its previous editions.

The third edition brings many new features to a successful pedagogical approach to introduction electrical engineering concepts.

New Methodology Boxes throughout the text enumerate and highlight the steps involved in using various methods of analysis. This will help remind students to use the procedures for analysis properly, and will help to highlight the methods (through the use of a shaded box)for easy look up.

An increased emphasis on design is evident in the third edition. Rizzoni has added a brief section on engineering design to chapter one and has added homework problems and examples that address design issues in an introductory way.

Computer tools are introduced and their use is encouraged in the text's examples and problems. Students are given the opportunity to solve problems with a variety of computer tools such as MathCad, MatLab, Electronics Workbench, etc. Learning these computer tools now will help students to cut out the plug and chug calculations and more easily solve analysis and design problems. Also, a new boxed feature called Focus on Computer Tools is found in each chapter.

A web site for the book can be found at www.mhhe.com/rizzoni. It contains additional computer-related tools such as Electronics Workbench problems, password-protected solutions for instructors, an additional chapter on Communications for schools that cover this material, important web links, etc. Also, throughout the book a section called "Find it on the Web" has been added. These sections provide web links to global companies that manufacture the devices mentioned in the text. Students will be able to quickly look up manufacturer's data sheets and other useful information for use in design problems.

Rizzoni's experience as an electrical engineer teaching in a mechanical engineering department makes him the ideal author for an EE book for non majors. Through the use of a wide variety of applications and interesting problems, Rizzoni stimulates the non-majors audience to learn. This is consistently rated as the best feature of the Principles and Applications of Electrical Engineering.