Technical Math & Measurement
This course develops the applied mathematics and measurement skills used across mechanical, electrical, network, and IT trades in a critical facility. Topics include unit conversion between SI and imperial systems, Ohm's law and power calculations for single- and three-phase circuits, ratio and proportion for gear and pulley systems, basic trigonometry for conduit and cable-tray layout, precision measurement with calipers and torque wrenches, decibel and logarithmic scales as used in fiber-optic loss budgets, and airflow and heat-load calculations in tons of refrigeration and kilowatts. Students use scientific calculators and spreadsheet tools to solve multi-step problems and check reasonableness of results against physical constraints. Laboratory sessions pair each math topic with a hands-on measurement task using instruments found in the Atom Lab Bench, including multimeters, torque wrenches, tape measures, and a Fluke certifier. The course does not assume calculus and is designed to bring students from varied academic backgrounds to a common quantitative floor before technical coursework in DCO, NET, HIT, ELV, EMV, and MEC departments.
What you'll be able to do
- Convert a measurement between SI and imperial units for length, mass, temperature, and pressure.
- Calculate current, voltage, resistance, and power for a single-phase circuit using Ohm's law and the power equation.
- Calculate real, reactive, and apparent power for a balanced three-phase load.
- Measure a physical dimension using a caliper and a torque value using a calibrated torque wrench.
- Calculate the decibel loss of a multi-segment fiber or coaxial signal path from stated component losses.
- Solve a right-triangle conduit or cable-tray offset problem using trigonometric ratios.
- Convert a cooling load between tons of refrigeration, BTU/h, and kilowatts.
- Construct and interpret a control chart or trend line from a set of repeated facility measurements.
- Evaluate the reasonableness of a calculated result against a physical constraint or nameplate rating.
- Apply ratio and proportion to a scaled facility drawing to determine an actual physical distance.
Train the team that runs the factory.
The Institute travels with every SAVRN campus.