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EGM 180 Essay 1
Writing Prompt
For the past two weeks we have been experimenting with basic circuit design. We have
measured current, voltage, and resistance, and used these measurements to
experimentally verify Ohm’s Law, and Kirchhoff’s Voltage and Current Laws. During
our experiments, we have unfortunately blown the fuse in a multimeter or two when
incorrectly measuring current. But, why did this happen? Why does a fuse blown when
current is measured incorrectly?
Write an essay that answers this question. Start by reading the beginning of the
discussion of a voltmeter’s impact on a circuit followed by a similar discussion of an
ammeter’s impact on a circuit. Note that an ideal voltmeter has infinite resistance and an
ideal ammeter has zero resistance. With that in mind, explain why attempting to measure
current by placing an ammeter in parallel with the load (as opposed to in series in the
load) could cause a fuse to blow. Make sure that your explanation is complete and
understandable. As in all scientific writing, strive to use clear and concise wording.
Writing Guidelines
This is our first writing assignment so here are some additional writing guidelines:
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The introductory paragraph should begin with a hook—something to draw the
reader’s attention. It should also contain your thesis statement, a one-sentence
summary of your argument.
Each body paragraph in your essay should support your thesis statement. Each
paragraph should have a topic sentence that identifies its main idea; the topic
sentence is often at the beginning of the paragraph but that’s not a requirement.
Your essay should have a conclusion. Your concluding paragraph should give the
reader a sense of completion and leave them remembering your main point(s).
In this assignment, you are required to underline or highlight your thesis sentence
and the topic sentence of each subsequent paragraph.
Your essay should be double spaced and written in 12 pt font, and it should be
approximately two pages long. Proofreading and revision are always a crucial part of the
writing process.
Evaluation
Your essay will be evaluated according to the following criteria.
Submission and Due Date
Submit your essay to our class account on Peerceptiv.com no later than Feb 6, 2015 at
midnight. To access the class account on Peerceptiv.com, do the following:
1. Enter the following URL in a browser: http://www.peerceptiv.com/
2. Select Help from the tool bar near the top of the page and then select Student
Videos from the drop-down menu. View the first three videos.
3. Return to the main Peerceptiv page and select the Get Started button to create
your account.
4. Join the EGM 180 class that is already setup on Peerceptiv. The course code is:
theory83
5. Upload essay 1 to the Peerceptiv site prior to Feb 6, 2015 at midnight.