Unit 8bc Book

1. Introduction

What do you imagine under the term “project”? Some companies or scientific institutions may use this term to talk about a long-lasting task to be accomplished. However, a project can also mean smaller-scale endeavours, for example, a term project set by your teacher or even a do-it-yourself activity that you want to complete at home. This unit will mainly focus on these small electrical DIY projects and some tools that are used to complete them, such as a multimeter.  

Contents:

Describing a method:

• Check if the battery is dead by measuring its voltage.
• Measure the voltage of the battery using a conventional multimeter.
• Measure the voltage of the battery by means of a conventional multimeter.  

Giving a purpose:

• Use a conventional multimeter (in order) to measure the voltage.

(In order) to measure the voltage, use a conventional multimeter.

2. Warm-up: Forum

As a student of electrical engineering, it is assumed that you should have a positive relationship to electricity and related issues. Therefore, it should not be a problem for you to answer the questions in this forum. All of them are related to electrical engineering somehow.

3. Specialist Reading: Multimeters

A digital multimeter (DMM) is an indispensable tool that you can use to test electrical components, learn about various electronic designs, and diagnose circuits. Read about the basic facts on this tool and how you can use it to test voltage. Then read the last two parts of the same article and prepare a short lecture explaining either how to measure resistance or how to measure current. While giving your talk, you should not use completely the same wording as in the text, but your own words. If you are not satisfied with the article at the above-mentioned URL, you can either choose another source or you can explain the procedure using your own knowledge. Record yourself when giving the lecture either by using a simple recording app that comes with your smartphone, or by using a videoconferencing tool. Submit your mp3 file via the Moodle portlet here. Your recording should not be longer than 3 minutes or exceed 10MB.

4. Grammar: Talking about a Purpose and a Method

When reading the article on the use of a multimeter, you may have noticed that it was full of advice and instructions. The article also gave methods on how something should be done, and explained why something should be done, i.e. what should be achieved: 

Notice that the phrases with “by” and “(in order) to” are sometimes “inverse” in meaning: see the two sentences in italics in the table above.

Now that you have studied the grammar points above, you can practise them. First, match two halves of sentences in this matching exercise. Then choose between to and by in this quiz. After that, turn the “method” sentences into “purpose” sentences or vice-versa in this task. Finally, write a short instruction manual on changing a fuse in a multimeter. This is sometimes necessary because, as the learn.sparkfun website says, “one of the most common mistakes with a new multimeter is to measure current on a bread board by probing from VCC (voltage at the common collector) to GND (ground). This will immediately short power to ground through the multimeter, causing the bread board power supply to brown out. As the current rushes through the multimeter, the internal fuse will heat up and then burn out as 200mA flows through it. It will happen in a split second and without any real audible or physical indication that something is wrong.

Now what? Well first, remember that measuring current is done in series (interrupt the VCC line to the breadboard or microcontroller to measure current). If you try to measure the current with a blown fuse, you'll probably notice that the meter reads '0.00' and that the system doesn't turn on like it should when you attach the multimeter. This is because the internal fuse is broken and acts as a broken wire or open. Don't worry, this happens all the time, and it costs about $1 to fix.” You just need to replace the fuse. Here you can see a manual on how to do that, but the individual steps are not in the correct order. So, your task is to put them in the correct order. Then leave the task open and focus on the second column. It gives you some clues how to improve the sentences stylistically. Use these clues and write a new, improved manual. Then check your answer in the key.

5. Listening: How to Use a Multimeter to Test Your Car Battery

Now, listen to this mp3 recording, which is about one of the many possible applications of a multimeter.  As you listen, complete this listening comprehension task. Then, test your memory by completing this gap-fill task

6. Writing: How Something Is Done

Now that you have studies a variety of ways to describe a procedure, it is your turn to write one. Choose ONE of the topics below and write at least eight sentences, using the “by/method” and “to/purpose” phrases covered in this unit at least twice. You can also use sequencers: first, then, after that, next, finally.

Topics to choose from:

1. Describe the procedure of testing a car battery in more detail. Use the listening task from the previous section as a clue.
2. Find two short videos (not longer than four minutes) describing a process of making a PV panel at home. Compare the two DIY videos and choose the one you think is better. In other words, choose the one you think can really help to build a functional PV panel. Describe the procedure of making the PV panel based on this video. However, you must use your own words to do that. You mustn´t use the same wording as in the video.
3. Write about one of your DIY projects or a repair/fix you have made recently. Describe the process in several steps.

Submit your text as a Word or Open Office document here.

7. Key to Exercises

A printer-friendly version of Unit 8bc exercises and the keys to these exercises can be found here.