Are you a future engineer?

What is Engineering?

Basics of Engineering

Chances are you are sitting on something that was engineered, in a room that was engineered, in a building that was engineered, while looking at a computer that was engineered. So, what is engineering? Engineering is the process of creating and building structures, products, and systems by using math and science. An engineer is a person who does the engineering. Engineers solve problems with their inventions. There are several branches of engineering. The main branches are civil, mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering.

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What does an Engineer do?

Engineers use math and science to solve problems and make use of new discoveries. While engineers don't typically make scientific discoveries themselves, they take the information from these and find practical uses for them. They pursue valuable innovations that advance the way humans use products or perform tasks. Engineers can work with everything from huge architectural constructions to complex maps of the human genome.

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Types of Engineering

  • Chemical Engineering

    Chemical engineers use their knowledge of sciences – such as chemistry, biology, physics and math – to solve problems that affect the use or production of chemicals, food, drugs and more, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). They often work in offices and laboratories, and nearly all of them work full-time, according to BLS.

  • Civil Engineering

    Civil engineers solve infrastructure problems. The projects they design, build and maintain span a wide range in both the public and private sector, including bridges, roads, tunnels, dams, and water and sewer systems, according to BLS. Infrastructure such as the Brooklyn Bridge, the Erie Canal and the Thames Tunnel in London were all made possible because of the work of civil engineers.

  • Electrical Engineering

    Electrical engineers focus on the design, testing and manufacturing of electrical components, such as motors, navigation, communications systems and power generation, according to BLS. They work in a range of industries, including research, manufacturing, telecommunications and more.

  • Mechanical Engineering

    Mechanical engineers design, build and develop mechanical and thermal sensing devices, such as engines, tools and machines. Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest of the engineering fields, according to BLS, and they can be found a huge range of products from electric generators to batteries to refrigeration systems.

Fun Facts about Engineering

  • There are more electrical and electronic engineers than any other engineering specialty.

  • Before 1865, there were fewer than 50 engineering graduates in the U.S.

  • Albert Einstein won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1921.

  • No one has received more U.S. patents than Thomas Edison. 

  • One third of the world population has never made a telephone call.

  • Telecommunication satellites have to travel in the same direction as earth’s rotation.

  • The earth’s circumference is about 25,000 miles. 

  • The earth’s surface area is about 200,000,000 square miles.

  • The earth weighs 6,588,000,000,000,000,000,000 tons.

  • Each ton is 2,000 lbs. 

  • The first laser ever was made in California in 1960.

  • John Smeaton is often regarded as the "father" of civil engineering and was the first self-proclaimed civil engineer. 

  • Thomas Edison received a total of 1,093 U.S. patents. 

  • The difference between aeronautical engineering and aerospace engineering is that aerospace engineering deals with spacecrafts while aeronautical engineering deals with general aircrafts. 

  • Thomas Newcomen and James Watt’s inventions gave rise to modern mechanical engineering.

  • Chemical engineers make drugs and medicines and fertilizers.

  • Computer engineers design and make the parts that computers are made of.

  • Environmental engineers design and create solutions to help the environment.

  • Marine engineers design, test and create boats and underwater craft.

  • Structural engineering is a branch of civil engineering.

  • Civil engineers work on roads, bridges, buildings and more public structures.

  • Golf balls have dimples because they help reduce drag, the force that goes against an object in the air’s motion. This lets the ball fly further than a smooth ball. 

  • The first PhD in applied science and engineering was awarded in the United States to Josiah Willard Gibbs at Yale University in 1863.

  • High speed passenger trains in China reach speeds of up to 200 mph. 

  • One mile = 1.6 kilometers. 

  • The majority of the world uses the metric system rather than the U.S. customary system to measure things. 

  • Engineers use the SI system or International System of Units to measure things.

  • There have been 113 space shuttle flights since the space program started in 1981.

  • The earliest civil engineer that is known by name is Imhotep

  • The first steam engine was built by Thomas Savery in 1698.