“Engineering derives from the Latin root ingeniere, meaning to design or to devise, which also forms the basis of the word “ingenious.” Those meanings arc quite appropriate summaries of the traits of a good engineer. At the most fundamental level, engineers apply their knowledge of mathematics, science, and materials—as well as their skills in communications and business—to develop new and better technologies. Rather than experiment solely through trial and error, engineers are educated to use mathematics, scientific principles, and computer simulations as tools to create taster, more accurate, and more economical designs. In that sense, the work of an engineer differs from that of a scientist, who would normally emphasize the discovery of physical laws rather than apply those phenomena to develop new products. Engineering is essentially a bridge between scientific discovery and product applications.
Engineering does not exist for die sake of furthering or applying mathematics, science, and computation by themselves.
Many students begin to study engineering because they are attracted to the fields of mathematics and science. Others migrate toward engineering careers because they are motivated by an interest in technology and how everyday things work or, perhaps with more enthusiasm, how not-so-everyday things work. A growing number of others arc impassioned by the significant impact that engineers can have on global issues such as clean water, renewable energy, sustainable infrastructures, and disaster relief. Regardless of how students are drawn to it, engineering is distinct from the subjects of mathematics and science.
At the end of the day, the objective of an engineer is to have built a device that performs a task that previously couldn’t have been completed or couldn’t have been completed so accurately, quickly, or safely. Mathematics and science provide some of the tools and methods that enable an engineer to test fewer mock-ups by refining designs on paper and with computer simulations, before any metal is cut or hardware is built. “Engineering” could be defined as the intersection of activities related to mathematics, science, computer simulation, and hardware.
Engineers apply the principles and theories of science and mathematics to research and develop economical solutions to technical problems. Their work is the link between perceived social needs and commercial applications. Engineers design products, machinery to build those products, plants in which those products are made, and the systems that ensure the quality of the products and the efficiency of the workforce and manufacturing process. They develop and implement improved ways to extract, process, and use raw materials, such as petroleum and natural gas. They develop new materials that both improve the performance of products and take advantage of advances in technology. They harness the power of the sun, the Earth, atoms, and electricity for use in supplying the Nation’s power needs, and create millions of products using power. They analyze the impact of the products they develop or the systems they design on the environment and on people using them.