A Simple Hands-on Experiment for First-year Undergraduates that Connects the Electrical and Thermal Properties of Metals

The undergraduate engineering programmes at the University of Glasgow were recently revised to include a common core of classes in Year 1 and Year 2. Materials I, an introductory materials science course, is now taken by all Year 1 engineering students. The lectures in the course were modified to include topics that are of interest to electronic and electrical engineering students, electrical and optical properties of materials. A hands-on laboratory experience has been developed to support student learning on electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity. The hands-on experiment about optical reflectivity will be added to the laboratory in the near future. This paper describes the laboratory exercise – the intended learning outcomes, the laboratory procedure, an evaluation of the student performance, and a discussion on improvements that will be made to increase student understanding of the topics and ancillary subjects