How much math would be involved in chemical engineering?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the mathematical requirements in the field of chemical engineering, particularly from the perspective of a young individual exploring engineering careers. It includes insights into the types of math involved and comparisons with other engineering disciplines.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses a desire for a career in engineering that involves a lot of math, specifically excluding electrical engineering.
  • Another participant suggests that if the individual is interested in math, they might also consider a career as a mathematician, listing essential mathematical topics such as Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and possibly Probability and Statistics.
  • A different participant notes that most engineering undergraduates, regardless of specialization, typically take similar math courses, including multiple semesters of calculus and other advanced topics.
  • A suggestion is made to explore a book titled "Math 1001" by Prof Elwes, which summarizes various areas of math and presents ongoing challenges in the field.
  • A retired chemical engineer shares that a significant amount of math is necessary for solving chemical engineering problems but refrains from detailing specific mathematical disciplines due to the age of the inquirer.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that a substantial amount of math is involved in chemical engineering and other engineering fields, but there is no consensus on the specific mathematical disciplines or the relevance of these to a 12-year-old's understanding.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the potential disconnect between the complexity of mathematical topics discussed and the age of the individual inquiring, as well as the varying requirements across different engineering specializations.

Macie Sawney
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I am looking into different engineering fields I am only 12 but taking all high school classes and I need to know which career I'm interested in which I've been interested in engineering since I was 5. I want something that requires a lot of math but not electrical engineering...
 
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If you're interested in a lot of math then why not think about being a mathematician?

Some of the math you'll need beyond high school algebra, geometry and advanced algebra are: Calculus, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra and in some fields Probability and Statistics.

You can learn more about these at Khan's Academy website or at mathispower4u.com website. Both have a large collection of math videos on these subjects.
 
Macie Sawney said:
I am looking into different engineering fields I am only 12 but taking all high school classes and I need to know which career I'm interested in which I've been interested in engineering since I was 5. I want something that requires a lot of math but not electrical engineering...
Pretty much all engineering undergrads take similar math courses, regardless of what their final engineering specialization might be.

Typically, engineering undergrads take at least 3 semesters of courses in calculus, 1 semester of differential equations, 1 semester of numerical analysis, 1 semester of probability & statistics. Additional math courses may be required for a particular engineering specialization.

When you get older, you can always search the websites of different colleges and universities which have schools of engineering to find which courses are required to obtain a degree and which may be taken optionally as electives.
 
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Macie Sawney said:
I am looking into different engineering fields I am only 12 but taking all high school classes and I need to know which career I'm interested in which I've been interested in engineering since I was 5. I want something that requires a lot of math but not electrical engineering...
As a retired industry ChE with many years of practical experience, I can tell you that a considerable amount of math is required to attack ChE problems. I'm not going to mention the various mathematical disciplines necessary, because, as a 12 year old, you would not be able to relate to them anyway.

Chet
 

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