Engineer facts for kids
An engineer is a person who uses science, math, and creativity to design and build things. They have special training in engineering, which is all about solving problems and making new solutions. The word "engineer" comes from a Latin word meaning "cleverness."
Engineers create many different things. They design materials, structures like bridges, machines, and complex systems. When they design, they always think about how practical, safe, and affordable their creations will be. Engineers use applied science, which means they take scientific knowledge and use it to make useful things. Besides working with objects, engineers also need to be good at working with people and managing money.
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What Engineers Do
Designing New Things
Engineers are always looking for new ways to solve problems using technology. When they design something, they follow a special process. This process includes figuring out what the problem is, doing lots of research, looking at different ideas, and choosing the best solution.
A big part of an engineer's job is finding and using information. They spend a lot of time researching, learning, and sharing what they find. Engineers must compare different design ideas. They pick the one that best fits what is needed. Their main job is to understand what limits a design. This helps them create something that works well.
Working in Special Areas
Most engineers choose to focus on one or more specific areas of engineering. These areas are called engineering disciplines. For example, civil engineering includes designing structures and transportation systems. Materials engineering deals with things like ceramics or metals.
Mechanical engineering is a very broad field. It uses applied physics to design things that move or use energy. Engineers might also specialize in one industry, like making cars. Or they might focus on one type of technology, like turbines or semiconductors.
Engineers do many different kinds of work. They do technical work, which means applying science to create products. They also do social work, which involves talking and working with other people. A lot of their time is spent using computers. They also spend time looking for information. Engineers often work together in teams.
Types of Engineers
There are many different kinds of engineers, each with their own special skills:
- Aerospace engineers design airplanes and spacecraft.
- Biomedical engineers create and work with medical equipment.
- Chemical engineers use chemicals to make products. These can be medicines or fertilizers for crops.
- Civil engineers build roads, bridges, buildings, and other public structures.
- Computer engineers design and build computers and their parts.
- Electrical engineers work with electricity. They design everything from radios to large power lines.
- Electronic engineers work with electronics. These are used in computer parts and electrical devices.
- Environmental engineers create solutions to clean up and protect the environment.
- Manufacturing engineers design and improve machines and assembly lines. They help factories make things faster and better.
- Mechanical engineers design machines or things that move, like cars and trains. They also help design power plants and factories.
- Mechatronics engineers build robots and similar robotic systems.
- Nanotechnology engineers study very tiny things, like strings of atoms.
- Nuclear engineers design and build nuclear power plants. They also study radioactive materials.
- Structural engineers design buildings and large structures. They make sure these can stand up to gravity, wind, and natural disasters.
- Software engineers create and write programs for computers.
- Systems engineers look at how complex things work. They try to make them faster and smarter by looking at the big picture.
Many engineering projects are very large and complex. Often, different kinds of engineers work together to help each other. For example, computer engineers need help from electrical engineers to build a computer. The computer then needs programs written by software engineers. This computer might be used by aerospace engineers to control an airplane. An airplane is a huge mechanical system, so mechanical and systems engineers are also needed.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The Challenger disaster is studied as a case of engineering ethics.
See also
In Spanish: Ingeniero para niños
