What is Engineering: Definition and 996 Discussions

Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science, and types of application. See glossary of engineering.
The term engineering is derived from the Latin ingenium, meaning "cleverness" and ingeniare, meaning "to contrive, devise".

View More On Wikipedia.org
  1. Sarah Jones

    Civil Engineering or Mechanical Engineering for Aerospace?

    Hello, I am currently a senior in high school, I will be attending college in the fall of 2018 to pursue a career in Aerospace Engineering. I am a bit worried about a few things in this field. I am not sure if I need to get a degree in Civil Engineering or Mechanical Engineering, when I look on...
  2. Connor

    Schools Do engineering rankings matter?

    I currently live in South Carolina and was thinking about going out of state to CU Boulder, but I'm concerned about tuition and really considering Clemson since it'll cost less. Do rankings for engineering really matter?
  3. Jay Macarus

    Tips for someone looking to study MechEngr

    Hello my name is Jay, I recently joined the forums to increase my exposure to physics while I begin a pathway into Mechanical Engineering. I'm currently in some basic courses that should give me a head start come my freshman year this fall, but I wanted to collect some tips/advice. Anything...
  4. tensor0910

    Engineering Technician getting an Engineering degree -- Will my work experience transfer?

    I work now as a technician on a military base. Looking to get my Bachelors in ME. The problem is I have zero experience in engineering ( as expected ). No internships, nothing. I guess my question is will I have to start from the bottom of the pay scale when I graduate? By the time I am...
  5. A

    Programs Physics? Engineering? Buisness? Philosphy?

    Hello! My dream is to be a Inventor and entrepreneur. My biggest strengths are my ambition and desire to learn. I rarely hang out w/ friends, go to parties etc. Instead, in my spare time I like to read & watch informative content, do online programs, seek people I can learn from, attend...
  6. M

    Going back to school for Mechanical Engineering

    Hello Everyone, I am debating on going to college for mechanical engineering. I am currently 21 years old working as a technician for a Toyota dealership making 15 dollars an hour(averaging 80 hours a week). I went to school for automotive mechanics at a tech school(20k in student loans, still...
  7. Kaitlyn M

    Programs Help deciding between civil engineering and physics

    Hello! So I am trying to decide what to do for my masters and would like some advice. I'm in Architecture as a major and physics as a minor currently, and want to master in either engineering physics or civil engineering. I find both very interesting and am pretty open to what I do after school...
  8. B

    Programs Want to study physics, but pressured towards engineering

    I really want to study physics and math, but my family is pressuring me towards engineering. They say that physics job market is nonexistent, that I'll be homeless, that studying engineering is more lucrative, and that you can transfer to physics more easily. And that job employers will always...
  9. ISamson

    Resources to broaden knowledge of basic engineering

    Hello. On a family holiday which we came home from a few hours ago, our friend was a retired engineer and mechanic. In his house in the countryside he has built himself a cool motor bike (average mountain bike with motor), an electrical quad bike... He has a very big workshop where he has all...
  10. M

    Courses Physics then Engineering or Engineering then Physics?

    I want to study for both Engineering and Physics degrees at some point throughout my academic career; I am having to choose what degree course I want to apply for by the 15th of January, the two courses that I am currently torn between are Physics and Integrated Mechanical and Electrical...
  11. L

    Finding the density inside a tank as air escapes

    Homework Statement A tank of constant volume V contains air at an initial density pi. Air is discharged isothermally from the tank at a constant volumetric rate of Q (with SI units of m^3/s). Assuming that the discharged air has the same density as that of the air in the tank, find an...
  12. Byron Edwards

    Engineering Can an Experienced Electrician Become an EET in Just 3 Years?

    I am an Electrician of 14 years, now in a management position with great experience. I am looking at taking a part time study 3 year course through S.A.I.T that will allow me to get my Electrical engineering technology Diploma in 3 years all while working full-time in the city. This will...
  13. Beamer21dc

    Engineering I want out of Mechanical Engineering

    Hi, First, let me tell you about myself: 1.) I have a Bachelors degree in Engineering Physics with a mechanical focus. 2.) I have been working as a mechanical engineer for 3 years at 3 different places. 3.) My work mostly consists of product design, detailed drawings and working in a machine...
  14. Grands

    Is it possible to make science as marketable as Engineering?

    Hi guys. As you may know there is a big distinction between Science and Engineering. Richard Feynman said that Science doesn't have a target, like Engineering has. Science is about studying the universe, and you can do it by focalizing your attention on the Biology, on the Chemistry, on the...
  15. W

    Programs Choosing an IE program-- balancing business and engineering

    I'm a HS senior and I'd like to be an industrial engineer. When I Iook at the courses I'd be taking, at some schools it's far more technical and in line with a typical engineering degree, while other programs are much more business-focused. Ideally I'd like to take a lot of math but not a ton...
  16. M

    Automotive How to find the uneven weight distribution on 4 wheels

    Hello, I am working on a project where I am trying to find the weight distribution on a 4 wheeled vehicle that is traveling diagonally up an incline. You can effectively think of the vehicle as having a pitch and a yaw angle in the body frame. Using an arbitrary location of the total center of...
  17. S

    Do you have any ideas for an engineering project?

    Homework Statement I am going to get a project in 1-2 weeks about me finding ideas for a project. Basically I need to come up with an idea for a project that solves a possible problem that could exist in my school or elsewhere. I have not been told about parameters yet, I don't think I have any...
  18. Emmanuel

    Using Archimedes' principle in engineering applications

    Homework Statement A cylindrical buoy floats in sea water with its axis vertical so that it's three-fourths submerged. The buoy is 0.8m in diameter and 2m in height. Its fabricated from iron plate 10mm thick. Calculate the mass of iron chain securing the buoy. The relative density of iron is...
  19. X

    Engineering Signal Processing jobs with a Biomedical Engineering degree

    I'm starting a new job search where I'm interested in getting an entry level engineering position so I'm trying to figure out the industries where I would realistically be able to obtain a job as an engineer. I obtained my A.S in Engineering Science, my B.S in Physics, and my M.S in Biomedical...
  20. P

    Need to Find the Total Resistance

    Given the circuit, I am supposed to find the total resistance, but I am unsure of what to do without having a voltage or current source with an internal resistor.
  21. Scott Hill

    Programs Engineering Physics programs without Engineering

    Is anyone aware of a liberal arts college (or other such school) that offers Engineering Physics without having a full-blown Engineering program? I'm a physics professor at a small school and we're investigating the feasibility of adding such a program ourselves; it would be useful to see some...
  22. A

    Struggling In Mechanical Engineering School Need Advice/Help

    I am currently about half done with my degree for a bs in Mechanical engineering from U of M. I transferred from a community college and I took all of my gen eds there like the English, history, econ, philosophy. I am in my second semester and am struggling with the physics and math mainly. I...
  23. H

    Calculate resistance between terminals 1 and 2, 1 and 4....

    Question Calculate resistance between terminals 1 and 2, 1 and 4, 1 and 3, 2 and 4, 3 and 4, and 2 and 3 My attempt of solution: For R between 1 and 2 i done: (R1 + R2) || (R1 +R2 + R3) The problem is: Im not sure how to find which is in series and what's in parallel so I'm confused and I...
  24. Grands

    Programs What is physics engineering about?

    Hi. I've got a simple question, what is Physics engineering about? In my country there are only two university that has this course degree, but I can't understand what is their purpose? What kind of job physics engineers do? Thanks.
  25. Dan Card

    Programs Go for a Master's or Bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering?

    Hey guys, right now I am attending University of Michigan pursuing Aerospace Engineering, my question is should I go straight to my master's or just get a bachelor's. My plan is that I could take some of my actual engineering courses next year, get an internship over the following summer then...
  26. D

    Find Axial Force at X: Structural Analysis Problem

    Homework Statement I have to find axial force at X for the following structure: https://i.imgur.com/8o01fkC.jpg The Attempt at a Solution These are my workings https://imgur.com/JfSfk9Z https://imgur.com/3HuDN4d I didn't work out moments because the question only asks for axial force, is...
  27. Y

    Electrical Engineering - Buck Converter, Prevent Saturation

    Homework Statement I need help with part b- A buck regulator is supplied from a 12VDC source and outputs 5VDC at 4 A with a PWM switching frequency is 100 kHz. Answer the following then: a- Determine the continuous conduction mode inductance (L_CCM). b- Compute the inductance for the...
  28. Grands

    Engineering What is computer engineering about?

    HI guys, what's is your personal opinion about the degree in computer engineering? Which subjects usually computer engineering students have to deal with ? It is considerate an innovative degree? Does anyone know something about the Degree in computer engineering of the Polytechnic of Milan...
  29. S

    Computer engineering projects for physics. Proposals?

    i'm a computer engineering student but i have always been interested in physics and wanted to contribute to it,next semester i will be working on my senior project and i was wondering if any of the physicists here or scientists in general think that there's something that i could create whether...
  30. D

    SI vs USC Units in Engineering

    It is well known that most of the world use the SI system of units while the USA and a couple of other countries continue to use US Customary units (ft-lb-s = FPS or in-lb-s = IPS). The question of which is better is very much a matter of personal preference, but I'd like to avoid that issue...
  31. MCTachyon

    Net calorific value (CV) per kmol of an fuel/air mix

    Homework Statement [/B] A fuel gas consists of 75% butane (C4H10), 10% propane (C3H8) and 15% butene (C4H8) by volume. It is to be fed to the combustion chamber in 10% excess air at 25°C, where it is completely burnt to carbon dioxide and water. The flue gases produced are to be used to...
  32. thegreengineer

    Asking tips from experts: machining

    Good afternoon people. Today I don't want to ask something related to electronics or mathematics, but rather on another subject. In this case is about machining (as well as making my own mechanical pieces). So what's the matter? You may ask. Well let me explain to you. In the last couple of...
  33. L

    Predicting the behaviour of a closed circular airfoil

    I was out and about today and observed a dog walker playing frisbee with their dog. I noticed the frisbee gliding gracefully through the air as the dog jumped to grab it, clutching the ring-like disc in its mouth. It got me to thinking about airflow over the disc, the lift and drag properties...
  34. Grands

    Engineering Differences between Computer engineering and Computer Science?

    Hi Which are the mains difference between Computer engineering and Computer Science? Which different kind of work do a computer engineer instead a computer scientist ?
  35. C

    Aerospace engineering career advice

    Hello About me: I am a transfer junior Aerospace engineering major at U of Minnesota and will be getting a degree in physics from U of Wisconsin the same time I graduate from MN (don't ask how that works, it just does). I have had an REU nuclear physics internship (+ a year and half of nuclear...
  36. 1oldman2

    What can the evolution of the ribosome tell us about the origin of translation?

    https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23631500-500-the-very-first-living-thing-is-still-alive-inside-each-one-of-us/ "We can stop <<profanity deleted>> about the origin of life," says Loren Williams, a biochemist at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. "We can see it."
  37. Felix Gonzales

    Other Transitioning from Physics to Bio-mechanical Engineering

    I know this isn't "EngineeringForums" but I'm curious if anyone has any experience with taking a physics undergrad degree and then studying engineering for their masters. I have a couple engineering friends and the math is basically the same so far, though is there anything I should know? Study...
  38. M

    Suggestions for videos teaching engineering concepts

    I hope to one day help engineering students by having a wealth of videos that cover the "weed-out" courses (in the first two years of engineering curriculum). Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can make these videos be the best that they can be? I plan to do narrated powerpoints, but I...
  39. S

    Thank you for your response AM. I appreciate it and will work through the steps.

    Homework Statement [/B] A four-stroke petrol engine with a compression ratio of 9 has a total swept volume of 2.71 litres distributed over 4 cylinders. Assume the corresponding ideal thermodynamic cycle and the following conditions to calculate the maximum amount of fuel which can be safely...
  40. B

    Engineering Headless chickens at my engineering consulting company

    As a titled engineer I’ve worked in manufacturing and electric utility. Now, I’m working for a consulting group. I’m wondering, is it normal for consultanting companies to be disorganized? Example, we don’t have general breakdowns for the type of work we do. It could be substation, switchyard...
  41. G

    Mechanical Engineering Thesis Topic Suggestion

    Hi, I study Applied Mechanics and I'm in the last year of my study. I try to find some interesting topic for my master's thesis that will be at least a little innovative. Topics offered by my university are unfortunately quite usual and "old-fashioned". And I want to do something a little bit...
  42. D

    Engineering Which Engineering Career is Right for Me?

    So I am interested in becoming an engineer in the future, but I have no clue which engineer to be. I know there are tons, but could someone point me in the direction to find out which one is best suited for me? Here’s some “clues”: - I like tinkering with stuff - I love robots - I like...
  43. labentzel

    Programs Chemical Engineering vs. Electrical Engineering Major

    Hello everyone! I'm currently a student about to get my AA degree at the end of the semester so the time has come for me to transfer from community college to university and, most importantly, decide on a major. Throughout my college career thus far, I've bounced around with ideas like...
  44. brymcfly21

    Programs Is physics the right major for my academic passions and interests?

    Hello everyone, I am currently a sophomore at a big university in the US and I might transfer to another university soon. I have been conflicted with choosing between physics and engineering for the past 2 years. I love astronomy and is the only academic passion I have besides Earth science and...
  45. T

    Studying Quantum Engineering: Embracing the Future with Cutting-Edge Technology

    Hello. I am a new member of this forum. My name's Patrick and I'm 1st year Wrocław University of Science and Technology student. I decided to study, as in title, quantuum engineering, because I think, saying succinctly, everything in the future will be based on quantuum technology - AIs, nanobot...
  46. S

    I Steps in designing a rocket

    110kg sounding rocket that runs on apcp im trying to understand the steps to building this rocket what equations do i use to find nozzle parameters and estimated burn time etc. initial surface area for the fuel block is 5020cm^2 burn rate is .6 to 1.2mm a second fuel weight is 100kg gamma for...
  47. Mayed Al-Tunaiji

    Other Senior graduation project (HS)

    Hello, PF, I am a senior in high school and my school requires me to come up with an innovative idea about science and/or engineering. After coming with an idea let's say for example it was an engine of some sort we have to request the parts from the school and build it. my problem is with the...
  48. Buggsy GC

    Charity engineering project water projections

    Kia ora I'm a fist year engineering student in Christchurch NZ, and a few friend and I, are designing a simple engineering report for a water projection system for an organization called gap filler. Were currently thinking of projecting an image of music onto the river Avon so people can read...
  49. I

    Programs Physics UG-G or Engineering UG - Physics G

    I started out as a pre-engineering major at a cc where I took my first physics class. I ended up falling in love with the subject and got accepted to top tier engineering school as a physics major. My love of physics has just weighed out by a really bad physics major student body. I have gotten...
  50. M

    Engineering Change of major as a junior: Physics or Aerospace Engineering?

    Hello, This is a little long but I promise it won't take that long to read and I want to tell my whole story. I have posted on here before in the past, but those posts are now conflicting and totally irrelevant. I've gone through a rough patch in my life where I couldn't decide what I want to...
Back
Top