MIDTERM-1 PART-2 QUESTION-2

Answer-2:

• In terms of etymology, engineering derives from the word ‘engineer’ which itself dates back to 1325 when an engine’er referred to a constructor of military engines. The word ‘engine’ originally derives from the Latin ‘ingenium’, meaning innate quality, especially mental power, hence a clever invention and Latin ‘ingeniare’, meaning to devise in the sense of construct or craftsmanship. There exists the concept of engineering after the basic inventions such as the pulley, lever and wheel in the ancient times. Later, the term civil engineering entered to lexicon after military engineering, and it was defined to distinguish it from military engineering. The Acropolis in Greece, the Great Wall of China, the pyramids in Egypt and many others stand as an evidence for the creative imagination and skill of the ancient civil and military engineers. The earliest civil engineer known is Imhotep who is also remembered to use columns for the first time in architecture.
  Since the earliest days of the universities in the Middle Ages, professional schools have been associated with institutions of higher education. Professional schools were started to provide training and education in areas for society. Some of the earliest schools and their subjects include the study of medicine in Salerno, the study of law in Bologna and the study of theology in Paris. As society’s needs turned more practical and more advanced, other subjects qualified for participation in a university environment, including engineering. After this period, the first schools of engineering were founded in France in the middle of the 18th century. The first school- which still exists today- that taught civil engineering is the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which awarded the first engineering degree in 1835.
  References: http://www.seas.ucla.edu/hsseas/history/origin.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering,
• Engineering is defined as ‘the application of scientific knowledge about matter and energy for practical human uses such as construction, machinery, products or systems’ in Academic Press dictionary of science and technology (1992), p.749, San Diego. Engineers use the laws of nature to create and change the artifacts of modern life. It is simply the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use of human-beings. Nowadays, engineering involves people, money, materials, machines and energy. It is different from the science since it is primarily concerned with how to direct to useful and economical ends the natural phenomena which scientists discover and formulate into theories. Hence, in my opinion at the center of the engineering profession lies the creative imagination to innovate because engineering is always dissatisfied with present methods. It seeks newer, cheaper, better sources and materials.
  References:http://ai.kaist.ac.kr/~jkim/SEP583-2005/Resources-shl/20050802/R6-ref-ProfessionalSE-FactorFiction-McConnell-IEEESW-00805468.pdf, http://www.coe.uncc.edu/students/prospective/whatisengr.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering
• Engineers mainly apply the theories and principles of science and mathematics to the economical solution of problems. Their work is often a link between a discovery or invention and its application. Engineers also work in testing, production and maintenance and estimate the time and cost to complete projects in addition to design and development. Thus, there various types of engineering
  References: http://www.teachingtools.com/Slinky/engineers.html, http://appsci.queensu.ca/prospective/engineering/info/
• The main branches of engineering can be categorized as follows:
  1-Aerospace Engineering: The design of aircraft, spacecraft, etc.
  2-Chemical Engineering: The conversion of raw materials into usable commodities.
  3-Civil Engineering: The design and construction of public and private works, such as bridges, buildings, etc.
  4-Electrical Engineering: The design of electrical systems as well as electronic goods.
  5-Mechanical Engineering: The design of physical or mechanical systems, such as engines, power trains, kinematical chains, etc.
  6-Industrial Engineering: The development, improvement, implementation and evaluation of integrated systems.
  Industrial engineering uses the principles and methods of engineering analysis as well as mathematical, physical and social sciences and aims to specify, predict and evaluate the results to be obtained from such systems. Industrial engineers work to eliminate waste of time, money, materials, energy and other resources. Industrial engineering has a different style among other engineering branches. The most important difference is that industrial engineers are concerned with the whole rather than the pieces. Also, industrial engineers take into account the human factor for any applications; that’s why, there is a strong relationship with industrial engineering and social sciences. References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engineering, http://www.creatingtechnology.org/branch.htm