Series 200: Electrical Systems

Course 202: Batteries and DC Circuits

Covers how electrochemical action is used. Covers batteries, electrolytic action, electroplating, Characteristics of storage batteries, application and maintenance of lead-acid, nickel-alkaline, and nickel-cadmium batteries, putting batteries into service, charging batteries, maintaining records, fundamentals of DC circuits, and using Ohm's Law to solve problems in DC series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits.

Lesson 1 - Electrochemical Action

Topics:

Battery characteristics; Electrolysis; Electroplating; Extracting and refining metals; Electrolytic corrosion; Choosing a battery

Learning Objectives:

• State the difference between a primary cell and a secondary cell.
• Discuss electrochemical action.
• Explain how battery polarization works.
• State the definition of an electrolyte.
• List the factors to consider in selecting a battery.

Lesson 2 - Battery Characteristics

Topics:

Care and maintenance of dry cells; New kinds of primary cells; Secondary cells; Stationary batteries; Storage batteries

Learning Objectives:

• List advantages of dry cells.
• State the characteristics of dry cells.
• Explain how to create a six-volt battery from 1.5 volt dry cells.
• Name the basic kinds of storage cells in use today.
• Explain how to calculate the rating required in a battery for a specific application.

Lesson 3 - Kinds of Batteries

Topics:

Lead-acid batteries; Lead-calcium batteries; Nickel-iron alkaline cells; Nickel-cadmium alkaline cell

Learning Objectives:

• Name the items necessary to form a cell.
• Explain how plates in a cell are commonly assembled.
• List the advantages of nickel-cadmium battery.
• Discuss the construction of storage cells.

Lesson 4 - Maintaining Lead-Acid Batteries

Topics:

Placing a new battery in service; Care of dry- and wet-charged batteries; Battery testing; Industrial truck batteries; Battery problems

Learning Objectives:

• List the steps in placing a new dry-charged battery in service.
• Name the three basic methods of charging batteries.
• Explain how to measure a cell's specific gravity.
• List causes of low specific gravity in a cell.
• Tell how to clean a wet, dirty battery cover.

Lesson 5 - Charging Lead-Acid Batteries

Topics:

Battery charging; Initial and normal charge; Equalizing, trickle, emergency, boost, and freshening charge; Test discharge; Cell failure

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how to conduct an initial charge.
• Discuss the different types of battery charges.
• List the common causes of cell failure.
• Explain how to mix electrolyte correctly.
• Explain how to treat both skin and eyes that have been splashed with acid.

Lesson 6 - Solving Problems in DC Circuits

Topics:

Sources of DC electricity; Ohm's Law; Work; Torque; Power; Efficiency; Branch points and loops

Learning Objectives:

• Define Ohm's Law and use it to solve a problem.
• State the definition of a branch point.
• Solve a problem using the power formula.
• State the definition of Kirchhoff's rules.
• Define work, power, torque, and efficiency.

Lesson 7 - DC Series Circuits

Topics:

Ohm's Law for series circuits; Current control; Voltage drop; Using equations; Using Kirchhoff's Rules

Learning Objectives:

• Describe a series circuit.
• Solve for E, I, and R in series circuits.
• State the basic rule you must follow when making changes in an equation.

Lesson 8 - Parallel Circuits

Topics:

Recognizing parallel circuits; Resistance, voltage drop, and current in parallel circuits; Calculating resistance and power; Conductance

Learning Objectives:

• State the definition of a parallel circuit.
• Explain how to calculate the current in each branch of a parallel circuit.
• Explain how to calculate resistance in a parallel circuit.
• Calculate power in a parallel circuit.
• Find the reciprocal of any value.

Lesson 9 - Series-Parallel Circuits

Topics:

DC motors and generators; Voltage dividers; Lighting circuits; Three- and four-way switch circuits

Learning Objectives:

• State the definition of a series-parallel circuit.
• Identify series, parallel, and series-parallel circuits.
• Explain how to calculate resistances in a series-parallel circuit.
• Demonstrate how to trace and simplify a circuit.

Lesson 10 - DC Circuits in Use

Topics:

AC and DC electricity; AC waveform; Peak-to-peak, average, and effective values; Energy storage; Faraday's Law; Basic circuit concepts

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how the three types of dc motors differ.
• Demonstrate how to increase and decrease the speed of a dc motor by adding resistors.
• Identify a three-way switch.
• Calculate current and resistance using voltage divider circuits.