Main Difference Between Electrical and Electronic Engineering?

What is Main Difference Between Electrical and Electronic Engineering?

They are similar words making confusion, but they are far differ from each other. let explain it and related terms to it in more details below.

Electrical Engineering

Electrical Engineering is the field of Engineering that generally deals with the study and application of electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism.

Electronic Engineering is an engineering discipline where non-linear and active electrical and electronics components and devices such as electron tubes, and semiconductor devices, especially transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, etc. are utilized to design electronic circuits, devices and systems.

• Also read: What is the Difference between Active and passive Components ?

Main Difference Between Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Below is the main difference between electrical and electronic engineering which prevents such a confusion between electrical and electronics engineering as they are slimier words related to each other but they are not like same.

Electrical Engineering = Study and Utilization/Application of Flow of Electrons.

Electronics Engineering =  Study and utilization/Application of Flow of Charge ( Electron & Holes).

As we know that we study only the flow of electrons in a conductor and insulator, but in case of semiconductor, we study both of flow of electrons (negatively charges) and hols (positively charge).

Moreover, electrical components and devices uses alternating current (AC) / Voltages and tend to be larger in size and require 230V (In UK) and 110V (In US) single phase ac voltages where as in industries and power stations, it may be up to 11kV and for transmission, it may be higher than 400kV.

Whereas, electronic components need very small direct current (DC) / voltages such as 3-12V and they may be very small in size. For example, a single micro processor chip may contain hundreds / thousands of tiny electronic components.

• Also read: What is the Main Difference between Linear and Nonlinear Circuit?

Another big difference between electrical and electronic engineering is that an electric circuit / network may only power an electric machine where as electronic circuit play a role as decision making component and device as they follow the input instruction and do a specific and task defined by the designed circuit.

Also note that “electronics engineering is one of the Field/branch of electrical engineering”
in other words, electronics engineering is an elder son of electrical engineering 😀

• Also read What is the difference between Power Transformers and Distribution Transformers?

Different between Electric and Electrical

Electric:

is anything specified and related to electricity (in front of machine or which runs on electric power)

Examples: Electric charge, electric shock, electric heater/kettle, electric current etc.

Electrical:

used in general and more in unspecified thing related to electricity. Keep in mind that “electrical” or “electric” make no big deference when used for “electric machines” or “electrical machines” as the two words are essentially identical in meaning.

Examples: Electrical machines, electrical appliances, (Specified but not runs on electricity like, Electrical engineer)

There is no big difference i.e. there is an additional “S” in both words. By the way:

Electronics = noun, referring to a group of electrical / electronic circuits and networks that are electronic related in nature.

Example: I have to buy a mobile charger in the electronics store.

Electronic = adjective. It is used to refer to a specific things contains on circuits/networks and active electrical semiconductor components (diodes, transistors, ICs etc) in it.

Example: I have to find an electronic meter to check the DC voltage of the circuit.

Difference Between an Electrical and Electronic Device

Electrical Device:

is a passive device which don’t need electric power supply for their operation like resistors, inductors, capacitors, wires and cables, and they don’t provide power amplification i.e. the output never exceed the input power.

Electronic Device:

is an active device which required external source for their operation like Diode, Transistors, SCR, ICs etc and they may (or may not) provide power amplification.

• Must read What is the difference between AC and DC Resistance?

Good to Know:

Electrical Technology

Electrical Technology: it is a field of engineering technology related to electrical and electronics engineering which deals in generation, transmission & distribution of electrical power and its utilization.

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