Engineering Definition and 996 Threads

Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more specialized fields of engineering, each with a more specific emphasis on particular areas of applied mathematics, applied science, and types of application. See glossary of engineering.
The term engineering is derived from the Latin ingenium, meaning "cleverness" and ingeniare, meaning "to contrive, devise".

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  1. T

    Engineering Multi-point Boundary Value Problems Using Finite Difference Method

    Hi all, I am learning how to solve differential equtions using the finite diference method. In particular, for beams under a uniformly distributed load. For a simply supported beam this is quite easy. The boundary conditions are that at each end the displacement equal zero, and using the fourth...
  2. V

    What Should I Know Before Posting on a Scientific Forum?

    Hello, As required by automated welcoming mail I create this post. I am educated in microelectronics engineering (2018) so I am not a physicist. Which I regret, I always loved science for the understanding and what it allow us to do. I wanted to serve as a scientist. I was never educated on...
  3. R

    Struggling with Physics Concepts in Engineering Studies?

    Hi everyone! I finally decided to go down the path of getting my engineering degree. I never had physics at school so I have to do a uni ready program and catch up on most of the course in my own time. Ive been quietly reading here for a while and it's actually been very interesting to start...
  4. fuzzie

    Who is the New Physics and Engineering Enthusiast on PF?

    I'm a physics and engineering enthusiast! I really love the format of this forum
  5. fuzzie

    Deciding between Physics or Engineering after a very turbulent year

    I'm new to this forum, so I hope I do everything correctly to get an answer because I am deeply in need for some guidance. I also hope I can explain myself in the clearest way. I'm a 20 year old student attending the first year in Computer and Electronics engineering. Since I was in high school...
  6. Y

    Engineering Statics problem (Simple first year): Calculate the internal forces for this structure

    I need to calculate the internal forces M3, V3, and N3 for a specific section of a structural system. The known reaction forces are: R_AH = -5.7 kN R_AV = 0.7425 kN R_CV = 5.02 kN Two different sections have been analyzed: one on the left side of the cut (my choice) and one on the right side...
  7. Agent Smith

    B How circular does it need to be?

    The above was part of a conversation on ##\pi## and the implication seems to be that the more accurate the value of ##\pi## in our calculations in an engineering context, the more circular our construction. Questions: 1. Is this true? More accurate values of ##\pi## allow for construction of...
  8. bobthebuilder

    How Much Sag on a 60-Inch 2x3 Pine Board on Edge?

    DIY harry homeowner here. Always building something. Often with an engineering question I need resolved. Most recent challenge: how much sag on a 60-inch 2x3 pine board on edge. [Turns out there's a website to answer this question] So I look forward to picking the big brains on the physics...
  9. I

    Mathematics engineering student - Hello!

    Hi everyone! I'm currently doing a bachelors in mathematics engineering. Still, there is some physics involved :) I'm looking forward to spending some time here and to interact with you guys!
  10. Jr09

    Electrical Engineering Student

    I am an engineering student and I want to be able to finish my thesis.
  11. LZ-129

    Greetings one and all from Jolly Old!

    Brand new to this forum, this is literally my first post. I shan’t bore you with a long winded chunk of text. (I’m not that interesting anyway!) I have no schooling or background in engineering of any discipline. I’m here purely to expand my knowledge base, get advice and hopefully make some...
  12. Y

    Job Skills Should I leave an Automotive Mechanic's Degree on my Engineering Resume?

    I'm an electrical systems engineer and work on electrical mechanical systems. I am getting an automotive mechanic associates degree. Should I leave an associates car repair degree on my engineering resume? It's not related to engineering, but I think it could help with hands on mechanic...
  13. R

    Read about general Engineering Insights or Tips

    Hi all, glad to connect. Here to spend my commute time on reading and engaging in something useful. Nice to meet you
  14. zeroentropy

    Double majoring in electrical engineering and physics

    I am currently a high school graduate trying to plan my career. I am aware this does not count much in the higher scale of things, but the one thing i was really interested in since my elementary school years has been science. And i always liked to imagine myself being a "scientist" when i was...
  15. sph711

    What Are the Fundamentals of Periodic Structures in Electrical Engineering?

    Hello everybody, electrical engineer, currently doing my PhD at TU Delft, working on some fundamentals of peridodic structures as well as applications to graded index devices together with additive manufacturing. Looking forward to some interessting discussions.
  16. ric peregrino

    What Are the New Methods and Notations in Differential Geometry?

    Hello, I'm an old fart, that used to self study GR and tensor calculus. I have a BS ECE from UCD, and a MS EE from Stanford. I've since retired from my electrical engineering career which was mostly at the old HP's Stanford Park Division, and I find myself once again pondering these things. I...
  17. Maulik Chaudhary

    An Engineering student and a Life long learner!

    I want to be a member of this forum for the prime reason to learn about other aspects of physics that currently I am unaware of.
  18. W

    I Question about Cartesian Tensors

    I am not a mathematician but an Engineer-in-Training studying mechanics. That being said why does equation I-10 equal 1 when k equals i and 0 when k does not equal i?
  19. pete94857

    Can a Falling Mass Generate 12V Using an Optimal Magnet and Coil?

    1 watt equals 1 Newton metre 1 kg equals 9.81 Newton metres 2.5 kg = 24.525 Nm = 24.525 Watts of mechanical energy.
  20. S

    Other Well Written Materials Science / Engineering Books?

    I would love to find a materials book that is comparable to Taylor's Classical Mechanics. Taylor's book is well written with good problem sets, and it's designed for undergraduates. I also like that it burrows into one subject for 300 pages instead of being a general textbook with 2000 pages.
  21. S

    What Materials Fields are Heavy in Math?

    Hello, I'm a materials engineering undergraduate student. I would love to combine math and materials, what fields will allow me to combine these two?
  22. DaveC426913

    Real World Tesseract

    NOOOOOO!!! They actually built it! https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/cernsciencegateway Literally decades of design, engineering and troubleshooting: https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/real-world-tesseract-crafting-a-4d-table-from-3d-cubes.205845/...
  23. T

    Engineering I have a free body diagram that I have drawn to describe my problem of dry ice in a bottle

    This is my attached picture.
  24. Bilan

    Laser to burn insect

    What would be the ideal wavelength and power of a laser to kill an insect on human skin without burning the skin ?
  25. K

    Engineering and pressure related questions

    How did you find PF?: Friend I need to move a 2000 pound weight up twenty feet into the air on top of an eight inch diameter piston (surface area of 50 square inches) how much steady pressure would i need to achieve this and overcome the friction on the piston itself. Im trying to lift a door/wall
  26. D

    Electrical VTOL engineering, motor RPM vs weight loads,

    choosing the right motors, the RPMs and weight/load capabilities of the motor/ rotors, combined abilities of electric motors working in tandem, choosing the correct rotors for lift m/ weight ratios, or designing your own?, should one add a small gas powered generator to assist in stable...
  27. Benjamin Calloway

    Mechanical Design Engineer in Kentucky :)

    Hello! Thanks for being a welcoming community and an informative resource. I'm an engineering consultant in Kentucky, specializing in mechanical design and space tech. I graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2022, though I wasn't a huge fan of their program. I'm glad to be out :) I still...
  28. minalogy

    Schools Cornell vs. UC Berkeley for Engineering Physics

    I was very fortunate to get into both Cornell (with the Meinig Scholarship) and Berkeley (with the Regents Scholarship) and have the difficult decision of choosing between the two. While I know Berkeley is known for its engineering and physics programs, Cornell is apparently strong in that field...
  29. marco02

    My presentation

    Hi, I'm a 21 year-old aerospace engineering student
  30. P

    New to website but not physics

    Hello everyone. I am new to this website but not new to physics. I took physics in high school and college, but I did forget a lot of what I learned. I graduated from college with a degree in Electronics Engineering. I graduated in 1997. The areas of physics that I am the most interested in is...
  31. alessalessio

    Hello from AlessAless

    hi all I am an Engineer with a PhD in Information Engineering with a great passion for physics.
  32. Sh_lm

    Hello I'm new here.

    I'm Shalom, a mechatronics engineering student. I'm in L3 and I'm 19. I'm very passionate about mathematics, physics, electronics, system modelling, coding and others stuffs alike . I'm already done I don't know what more to say😅. I hope I'll learn a lot from you guys and have a wonderful...
  33. C

    Engineering Help Calculating Length And Position Of Connections On Rotating Object

    Hi, i need to find a formula or calculation that would allow me to connect three lines when rotating. The three lines must fall so that they mirror themselves on the opposite side. I need to be able to calculate this for now just the example above but be able to apply to a range of lengths and...
  34. tommcgtx

    Physics knowledge advice for a Civil Engineering undergrad

    Hi all! I'm currently enrolled in a civil engineering program, and need some advice and recommendations. I've taken Calculus 1 through 3, and am finishing up Elementary Differential Equations this semester. I've taken Physics 1, and received a B. I'm honestly surprised I made it out of that...
  35. tommcgtx

    Hello from WV

    My name is Tom. I'm a 50 year old student in an online Civil Engineering program at the University of North Dakota. I currently work as a Project Engineer at a land development firm. I started this degree around 10 years ago, and had to stop due to health reasons. I'm currently finishing up my...
  36. T

    Job Skills Possibilities of a Career in Physics/Engineering

    I live in the SF Bay Area. I graduated in 2019 with a B.S. in Engineering Physics from UC Berkeley. My college experience began with me failing to actually sign up for orientation, and then contracting tonsillitis which lasted my entire first semester. The combination of these two things...
  37. T

    Engineering Physics Major Needing Advice

    Hello, I graduated from UC Berkeley's College of Engineering with a degree in Engineering Physics in 2019. I performed extremely poorly academically, made no friends/connections, and have not been employed since then. I will be posting a more detailed post asking for some advice.
  38. Syandan21

    Is electrical engineering a good major for machine learning/AI jobs?

    Hello, I am looking into electrical engineering because I think it is an awesome major because of the math and physics involved. I am not really into building things though. I love software and computer science-related things, but I do not want to major in CS because it is a very popular major...
  39. C

    ChemE Major

    Hello! I am currently a chemical engineering major. I love all of my class but I am struggling in Physics
  40. U

    Rapidograph, technical drawing

    In the past was enginners/students draw directly with rapidograph or first with mechanical pencil and after that redraw everything with rapidograph? Is rapidograph good for writing or he works only in vertical position? Why rapidograph if we have ozalid machines?
  41. D

    Senior Aerospace Scientist

    Senior Scientist Aerospace engineering concentrating on mechanical and structural engineering analysis for space telescopes
  42. Odin2568

    Hello all

    Hello all I'm new here hopefully I can get some help with some engineering mathematics.
  43. D

    Why Does Calculating Ethanol's AFR Yield Different Results from Standard Values?

    First I have seen a few forums dotted about covering this subject already, however I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for so I apologise if its somewhere on here already. I am trying to calculate the AFR value for pure ethanol. I am only including oxygen in the category of "air" due to...
  44. L

    What Questions Can You Ask About Physics, Mathematics, and Engineering?

    I've come here to ask any future questions I have regarding physics, mathematics or engineering. Thank you very much.
  45. MrAndrew

    What Is PF and Why Is It Popular Among Mechanical Engineering Enthusiasts?

    Hello everyone, I heard about PF from Reddit. I'm a mechanical engineering enthusiast and looking forward to engaging with everyone here!
  46. Hauzen

    I look forward to your kind cooperation :)

    Hi. I am Hauzen from South Korea. I came here to gain a lot of engineering knowledge from this forum. I want to be a competent engineer with a lot of your help. I look forward to your kind cooperation :)
  47. C

    B Question about units for "area under curve"

    Hello everyone, I am curious, suppose you have a function ##f(x)=x^3## and you to find the area under the curve from 0 to x, the area would be ##\frac {x^4}{4}## but this is units of ##L^4## if x is length, but area is units of ##L^2## so what is going on here? The reason I'm curious is I...
  48. E

    Programs Trying to decide what program to study (physics or engineering)

    I am passionate about physics and math and science, you've heard the story a million times. I don't know whether I should study in physics or engineering. I find the concept of Engineering Physics really cool. I've heard it still gives you the opportunity to go study graduate physics? (Lets...
  49. gmason85

    Is Thermal Paint Really Effective in Heat Transfer?

    Hi all, Mechanical engineer by education; soon to have a MPhil in Architecture. Building Scientist/ Energy Efficiency consultant by trade. I have a decent physics background, but not an expert around the subject of radiative heat transfer. My posts will likely involve confirming bs from...
  50. Z

    I enjoy complex problems in science

    Male in my twenties, enjoying hard problems in engineering, mathematics, and physics.
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