The Differences Between Physicists and Engineers

[abdo375]

I think a simple answer to that question is that while Physicists study why engineers study how, both are needed in the development cycle of the product because while an engineer have very small knowledge about the physics of -take for a example- a MOSFET, the Physicists has nearly no idea about it's uses so for a Physicists to work alone is like working with no purpose, and about an engineer developing a MOSFET alone that just won't happen because he simply doesn't know about the physics of how it's built except in an amount which enables him to make small adjustments to fit the product

And i agree with Nomy-the wanderer, the conversation with Marlon is pointless because apparently Marlon is a Physicists and Nomy is an engineer and each of you is biased to his/her career.

But i have to say that i kinda disagree with Marlon saying that only Physicists invent and engineers implement if that is true then it can be applied to every field of science, then why do we need doctors if a Physicists knows about how a human body works better than a doctor, and how would you explain all the PhD's taken by engineers, do you think they spend 4 to 6 years trying to implement something that is simply cheaper and does not have any effect on the development of science later on...

 

[leright]

The engineer merely implements them in order to create a product that respects certain benchmarks.

haha, you're a funny guy.

 

[kant]

You know I was reading a book, it was about a scintist. And his comments about engineers and physicists made me to start this thread. For example he believed people who couldn't think deeply and alot, must study engineering. He believed engineers work with their fingers more than by their mind and stuff like that.
What are the differences btw them?I mean do they have diferent views about every subject and which one needs to understand math better than another. Which one of them has to think more and consecuencely, has to use his/her brain more? Do engineers understand physics rules at all?
PS As I mentioned before, I'm tired of "X vs. Y" . So please do not start fighting here and just answer my questions.
Thanks

Anyone can be a engineer, but not many can be a mathematician or a physicist..

 

[FredGarvin]

Anyone can be a engineer, but not many can be a mathematician or a physicist..

Anyone can speak out of their arse...

 

[russ_watters]

Well, in my line of work, I've found that anyone can call themself an engineer (not legally, but they get away with it...).

 

[Moonbear]

Well, in my line of work, I've found that anyone can call themself an engineer (not legally, but they get away with it...).

And there was that craze in the late 80s where everyone called themselves an engineer: "domestic engineer," a.k.a., housewife; "sanitation engineer," a.k.a. trash collector, etc.

 

[Lisa!]

Well, in my line of work, I've found that anyone can call themself an engineer (not legally, but they get away with it...).

Most of time I see ordinary workers call each other "Engineer". Anyway I don't think anyone could be an engineer even a physicist.(I mean a good engineer)

 

[FredGarvin]

Well, in my line of work, I've found that anyone can call themself an engineer (not legally, but they get away with it...).

No doubt about that. It used to drive me crazy when I worked for a certain automotive company with a blue oval emblem that rhymes with gourd. I worked with a guy who had a couple of years as an auto mechanic. He had an engineer title. He also called himself one. Everyone in my building was an "engineer."

 

[russ_watters]

It's just that when you are in certain industries, the title "engineer" implies something, kinda like the title "doctor" implies that you have been to medical school. In the construction industry, being an "engineer" implies you are licensed by the state. I think the law says that to have the word "engineer" in your company name, you have to have a licensed PE working there.

edit: Not enough people know that the letters "P.E." after a person's name stands for "professional engineer". We occasionally get phone calls and letters for my boss, where they ask for "Mr. Pe" (pronounced "pay"). I don't have a PE yet, but at least I went to college. I call myself an engineer, but at my level, there is absolutely no distinction made between me calling myself "engineer" or some contractor calling himself "engineer".

 

[cronxeh]

It's just that when you are in certain industries, the title "engineer" implies something, kinda like the title "doctor" implies that you have been to medical school. In the construction industry, being an "engineer" implies you are licensed by the state. I think the law says that to have the word "engineer" in your company name, you have to have a licensed PE working there.
edit: Not enough people know that the letters "P.E." after a person's name stands for "professional engineer". We occasionally get phone calls and letters for my boss, where they ask for "Mr. Pe" (pronounced "pay"). I don't have a PE yet, but at least I went to college. I call myself an engineer, but at my level, there is absolutely no distinction made between me calling myself "engineer" or some contractor calling himself "engineer".

did you pass FE yet?

 

[Lisa!]

How can one get a PE?

 

[Moonbear]

How can one get a PE?

Minimum number of years experience working as an engineer (is it 5 or 7?), lots of studying, and an all-day, expensive exam. Your work experience and application are evaluated and they only give you permission to sit for the exam once they are satisfied you meet all the other requirements.

 

[Lisa!]

Thanks, Moonbear!

Minimum number of years experience working as an engineer (is it 5 or 7?), lots of studying, and an all-day, expensive exam. Your work experience and application are evaluated and they only give you permission to sit for the exam once they are satisfied you meet all the other requirements.

 

[russ_watters]

did you pass FE yet?

No. I'm lazy and a procrastinator...

 

[FredGarvin]

The FE was not too bad. I do not look forward to the PE though.

It is a bit of a boys club in the PE world. In my situation, it doesn't really do anything for me. We don't use PE's. That means I have never worked for one (which is a requirement) and I don't know 3 others for letters of reference. It kinda makes it tough to enter the fray so to speak.

I think in any field, the term "engineer" SHOULD imply something, but it's widespread misuse has killed any meaning whatsoever.

 

[brewnog]

It's even worse over here. The word "engineer" isn't even protected by law, so every other car mechanic and washing machine repair chap calls themself 'engineer', and can legitimately get away with it. The professional engineering institutions are (half-arsedly) trying to get the word "engineer" protected, but for now I think we have to stick with professional qualifications and memberships (IEng, CEng, EurIng etc) in order to get the recognition we deserve.

I'm back for good, by the way! Woo!

 

[Lisa!]

WElcome back!

 

[russ_watters]

In my situation, it doesn't really do anything for me. We don't use PE's. That means I have never worked for one (which is a requirement) and I don't know 3 others for letters of reference. It kinda makes it tough to enter the fray so to speak.

It only really helps for the building industry (or to decorate the end of your name). My dad has two engineering degrees but never had a reason to go for a PE.

 

[FredGarvin]

I think I would just like to go through the torture to just simply prove something to myself. I'm not losing sleep over it, but it's on the "to do" list before I retire.

Welcome Back Brews! Fill us in on the goings on when you get a chance.

 

[Nomy-the wanderer]

It's pretty much the same here, any technician would call himself an engineer,the most irritatting fact is that sometimes people like a neighbour for ex. who hadn't completed his education after high school and therefore he's titleless(titles like professor, doctor, engineer, lawyer.bla bla bkla) calls himself an engineer although he's a business man who works on imports and exports, so i donno what the title engineer has added to him, but I'm sick of it..
Here's another difference between physicists and engineers, no one would call himself a physicist, at least notr as mucha s people call themselves engineers, a physicist will never be annoyed by tht fact...

 

[kant]

Anyone can speak out of their arse...

well, i am not sure what hell is in your arse.

 

[Astronuc]

Yes, that's it...why is it that engineers can't write in cursive? But when it comes to printing, I think most scientists have pretty meticulous writing; maybe not when jotting out a letter to a friend, but you know you need to print legibly and keep everything tidy or you risk losing that decimal point somewhere and someone could die!

Like brewnog, my handwriting is atrocious - I simply can't write neatly because I can't write faster than I think. So most of time my writting is more like scribbling - and sometime even I can't read it! I should have taken 'shorthand'.

Reading back through the posts - I would have to say the differences between engineers and physicists, in general, may be superficial, but it also depends on they type of engineering/physics or field.

In nuclear engineering, we have a lot of nuclear physics and reactor (or neutron) physics. In that sense, nuclear engineering is a hybrid of engineering and physics.

As a nuclear engineer, one also studies electrical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering (thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, corrosion), possibly chemical engineering, in addition to the core nuclear physics and engineering courses.

Nuclear engineers involved in shielding and radiation protection will get heavily involved in the interaction of radiation and materials, and some will become involved in the instrumentation, which combines physics and electrical engineering.

Nuclear engineers interested in fusion engineering would probably want to take courses in plasma physics.

In the modeling I do, I combine various aspects of physics, chemistry (electrochemistry, corrosion), materials science, and mechanical engineering to develop complex models of how fuel and structural materials respond in the nuclear environment. I read particular engineering and physics journals regarding applicable theories related to material behavior down to the atomic level (necessary for understanding things like thermal conductivity as its affected by composition and lattice structure over a range of temperatures from 300K-3000+ K, or micromechanics related to structural integrity (crack initiation and extension)). My group consults on experiments, we predict material behavior (predictive analysis), and we test our models against the experimental results.

So in a sense, my work is primarily both engineering and applied physics.

 

[Lisa!]

Thanks Astronuc! Good info. about NE.
I guess I should forget all about it.

PS I'm very good at reading bad handwritings. So I might be able to help you to read what you've written! But you should wait till I become fluent in En.

Here's another difference between physicists and engineers, no one would call himself a physicist, at least notr as mucha s people call themselves engineers, a physicist will never be annoyed by tht fact...

Even me who has a BS degree in physics, am afraid of calling myself a physicist! And you know I can't stop laughing when someone calls me a physicist.
And some people think that physicist = engineer, so they simply call me "engineer".