Vocabulary
This is the use of science, mathematics, technology, creativity, and problem-solving to develop solutions to human needs.
What is engineering?
Studying or taking apart an existing product to understand how it works is called this.
What is reverse engineering?
These describe what a successful engineering solution should accomplish.
What are criteria?
These engineers design machines, mechanisms, engines, and other systems involving forces and motion.
What is Mechanical Engineering?
A highway bridge needs to be redesignes to safely carry heavier vehicles.
What is civil engineering?
This is an early version of a product or design created so engineers can test their ideas.
What is a prototype?
The individual parts of an engineered design system are called these.
What are components?
An emergency shelter must protect four people from severe winter weather. "Protect four people" is this type of design requirment.
What is criterion?
These engineers design bridges, roads, buildings, and other infrastructure.
What is Civil Engineering?
A North Dakota farmer wants a GPS-controlled system that changes the amount of seed planted in different areas of a field.
What is Agricultural Engineering?
Cost, time, size, weight, and available materials are examples of these limitations placed on an engineering solution.
What are constraints?
When you press the button on a retractable pen, pressing the button represents this part of the system.
What is input?
The same emergency shelter cannot cost more than $500. The $500 limit is this.
What is a constraint?
These engineers work with circuits, electricity, motors, power systems, and electrical controls.
What is Electrical Engineering?
A company wants to improve the aerodynamics of a drone so it can fly longer.
What is Aerospace Engineering?
Engineers repeat the design, testing, and improvment process. This repeated process is called this.
What is iteration?
After pressing the button on a retractable pen, the writing tip extends. The extended tip represents this part of the system.
What is output?
Engineers test a prototype and discover that it tips over. What should they generally do next?
What is analyze the evidence, redesign/improve the solution and test another iteration?
These engineers develop processes used to manufacture fuels, chemicals, medicines, fertilizers, or other products.
What is Chemical Engineering?
A manufacturer wants to reorganize its factory so workers spend less time walking between workstations.
What is Industrial Engineering?
An engineer makes a product lighter but discovers that doing so makes it more expensive. Giving up an advantage in one area to gain an advantager in another is called this.
What is a trade-off?
During reverse engineering, students discover that a pen uses steel for its spring and plastic for its barrel. Give one engineering reason why different materials were selected.
What is different materials have different properties, costs, weights, durability, flexibility, manufacturability, etc.?
Explain why a failed prototype can still be considered useful engineering work.
What is failure provides data/evidence about weaknesses that engineers can use to improve the design?
These engineers study processes involving people, machines, materials, information, and time to improve efficiency.
What is Industrial Engineering?
A robotic prosthetic hand needs a mechanical finger system, electronic sensors, and an onboard computer. Name three engineering disciplines that could work together.
What are Biomedical + Mechanical + Electrical/computer Engineering?