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Unleash the Engineer in You: Tackle Everyday Problems with STEM Projects
If something doesn't work the way you think it should, can you fix it? If troubleshooting problems or potential trouble spots is something you enjoy, you can satisfy your engineering itch and increase your STEM skills with a wide range of hands-on projects that can be done at home. These projects make for great weekend or summer explorations. After you finish, you may be able to wow your friends and family with cool devices, tweaks, hacks, and fixes! Plus, you will be building marketable engineering skills for the future.
Do you spend time trying to figure out how to fix and improve things around your house? Do you sometimes have ideas for new products that you think would really solve this or that problem on a real-world, totally-useful, ground level—a problem in the kitchen, the way your cell phone screen has shattered twice from simple falls, an issue with locker storage space at school, the way your sibling's new toy broke after only a few hours?
If finding ways to fix small but annoying problems at home, or looking for ways to solve or improve frustrating problems with things you buy, presents a perfect puzzle for you, projects like these may be perfect for channeling your natural problem-solving and innovation skills into an engineering-focused exploration with a useful outcome.
You don't have to have a science fair coming up. All of these science and engineering projects can easily be done as cool activities at home just because you enjoy the challenge and like to make things better. You may come up with something that solves a real-world problem!
- Crash! Can Cell Phones Survive a Drop Test? : make your own cases for calculators (or some other household item or toy) and experiment with "drop tests" to learn more about how products are tested and improved by product engineers.
- Stretchy Rubber Band Science : have you ever grabbed a rubber band and found it so brittle that it snapped when you tried to use it? If you are using rubber bands for a homemade (or wooden) rubber band launcher, or for a rubber band-based game, understanding how temperature affects rubber bands (and why) can be really important. Should you keep a rubber band stash out of the summer heat, or is summer heat exactly what you need for maximum stretch in your rubber bands? Find out with an interesting physics exploration!
- Moving Water with the Archimedes Screw Pump : can you easily move water from one place to another using a homemade device that you simply twist ? Experiment with a classic design by building your own Archimedes screw pump from ordinary materials. Can you improve the pump design to make it more efficient?
- Get Crafty — Create Your Own Durable Paper Doll : experiment with paper dolls to find ways to make them less likely to tear or break during play. Kids are tough on their toys! Can you come up with new approaches to the design or assembly that improve durability without changing the play value?
- Build a Gumdrop Geodesic Dome : build a geodesic dome from simple candies and toothpicks to see how math and physics combine in this structure. How strong is a geodesic dome? What variables influence its strength? What happens when you increase the scale of a geodesic dome and make it larger? What other materials can you try, and how can you put this structure's strength and durability to the test?
- Bridge Building Bonanza: Which Design Wins? : experiment with different kinds of bridge structures to explore questions related to materials, design, and stability.
- Keeping It Private: Blocking RFID Readers from Reading your ID Card : learn more about RFID technology and how RFID readers can be used to access information without someone realizing it. In this project, experiment to find out which materials can be used to help protect RFID information, data stored on an ID card, for example, and design your own protective case or barrier. Your project might change how you think about the information you (or your family members) carry in a pocket or bag!
- Applying Hooke's Law: Make Your Own Spring Scale : Make Your Own Spring Scale: make your own spring scale to learn more about this physics principle, and then put it to use around the house to try it out! You will need assorted household materials to build your scale, including a couple of different springs to try. You might even find what you need in the closet or toy box.
More Hand-on Summer Challenges
For even more fun engineering and electronics challenges this summer, take a look at the following projects and resources:
- Flippy the Robot Dances (and Falls Apart)
- Cellphone Microscope: Turn a Phone Into a Functional Piece of Scientific Medical Equipment (Science-hack Your Phone: Part 1)
- Cellphone Spectrophotometry: Turn a Phone Into a Functional Piece of Science Equipment (Science-hack Your Phone: Part 2)
- Dance Mania: Build Your Own Dance Pad!
- LED Traffic Glove: Build a Safety Device to Direct Traffic
- Marble Machine
- Balloon-Powered Car Challenge
A Career in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
If you enjoy tackling DIY projects and challenges like the ones listed above, you may want to learn more about STEM careers like these:
- Electrical Engineering Technician
- Mechanical Engineering Technician
- CAD Technician
- Civil Engineering Technician
Not every STEM career requires a four-year or advanced degree. Express Employment Professionals is a company committed to helping job seekers of all ages, including students just entering the job market, locate exciting jobs in areas of interest. Through online resources and a series of Job Genius videos , Express Employment Professionals helps prepare, coach, and guide students through the job seeking and interview process. Learn more on the Express Employment Professionals site .
See also, Exploring, Finding, and Landing STEM Careers .
Categories:
- Science Careers
- Thematic Collections
You Might Also Enjoy These Related Posts:
- Women in STEM! More than 60 Scientists and Engineers for Women's History Month
- Ping Pong Pickup Engineering Challenge—10 Steps to Success
- 8 Wearables Science Projects - Experiment with Wearable Electronics!
- 10 Reasons to Do the Ping Pong Pickup Engineering Challenge
- Learn More About these 35 Scientists for Black History Month
- Build a Water Sensor Circuit for the Tree
- 15+ Coding Activities for Beginners and Beyond
- 10 Robotics Projects with the BlueBot Kit
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- Solving Everyday Problems Using the Engineering Design Cycle
Hands-on Activity Solving Everyday Problems Using the Engineering Design Cycle
Grade Level: 7 (6-8)
(two 60-minutes class periods)
Additional materials are required if the optional design/build activity extension is conducted.
Group Size: 4
Activity Dependency: None
Subject Areas: Science and Technology
NGSS Performance Expectations:
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Engineering connection, learning objectives, materials list, worksheets and attachments, introduction/motivation, vocabulary/definitions, investigating questions, activity extensions, user comments & tips.
This activity introduces students to the steps of the engineering design process. Engineers use the engineering design process when brainstorming solutions to real-life problems; they develop these solutions by testing and redesigning prototypes that work within given constraints. For example, biomedical engineers who design new pacemakers are challenged to create devices that help to control the heart while being small enough to enable patients to move around in their daily lives.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Explain the stages/steps of the engineering design process .
- Identify the engineering design process steps in a case study of a design/build example solution.
- Determine whether a design solution meets the project criteria and constraints.
- Think of daily life situations/problems that could be improved.
- Apply the engineering design process steps to develop their own innovations to real-life problems.
- Apply the engineering design cycle steps to future engineering assignments.
Educational Standards Each TeachEngineering lesson or activity is correlated to one or more K-12 science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) educational standards. All 100,000+ K-12 STEM standards covered in TeachEngineering are collected, maintained and packaged by the Achievement Standards Network (ASN) , a project of D2L (www.achievementstandards.org). In the ASN, standards are hierarchically structured: first by source; e.g. , by state; within source by type; e.g. , science or mathematics; within type by subtype, then by grade, etc .
Ngss: next generation science standards - science, international technology and engineering educators association - technology.
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Do you agree with this alignment? Thanks for your feedback!
State Standards
Massachusetts - science.
Each group needs:
- Marisol Case Study , one per student
- Group Leader Discussion Sheet , one per group
To share with the entire class:
- computer/projector setup to show the class the Introduction to the Engineering Design Cycle Presentation , a Microsoft® PowerPoint® file
- paper and pencils
- (optional) an assortment of scrap materials such as fabric, super glue, wood, paper, plastic, etc., provided by the teacher and/or contributed by students, to conduct the hands-on design/build extension activity
(Have the 19-slide Introduction to the Engineering Design Cycle Presentation , a PowerPoint® file, ready to show the class.)
Have you ever experienced a problem and wanted a solution to it? Maybe it was a broken backpack strap, a bookshelf that just kept falling over, or stuff spilling out of your closet? (Let students share some simple problems with the class). With a little bit of creativity and a good understanding of the engineering design process, you can find the solutions to many of these problems yourself!
But what is the engineering design process? (Listen to some student ideas shared with the class.) The engineering design process, or cycle, is a series of steps used by engineers to guide them as they solve problems.
(Show students the slide presentation. Refer to the notes under each slide for a suggested script and comments. The slides introduce the main steps of the engineering design process, and walk through a classroom problem—a teacher’s disorganized desk that is preventing timely return of graded papers—and how students devise a solution. It also describes the work of famous people—Katherine Johnson, Lee Anne Walters, Marc Edwards, James E. West and Jorge Odón—to illustrate successful examples of using the steps of the engineering design process.)
Now that we’ve explore the engineering design process, let’s see if we can solve a real-world problem. Marisol is a high-school student who is very excited to have their own locker. They have lots of books, assignments, papers and other items that they keep in their locker. However, Marisol is not very organized. Sometimes they are late to class because they need extra time to find things that were stuffed into their locker. What is Marisol’s problem? (Answer: Their locker is disorganized.) In your groups, you’ll read through Marisol’s situation and see how they use the engineering design process to solve it. Let’s get started!
This activity is intended as an introduction to the engineering design cycle. It is meant to be relatable to students and serve as a jumping off point for future engineering design work.
Engineers follow the steps of the engineering design process to guide them as they solve problems. The steps shown in Figure 1 are:
Ask: identify the need & constraints
- Identify and define the problem. Who does the problem affect? What needs to be accomplished? What is the overall goal of the project?
- Identify the criteria and constraints. The criteria are the requirements the solution must meet, such as designing a bag to hold at least 10 lbs. Constraints are the limitations and restrictions on a solution, such as a maximum budget or specific dimensions.
Research the problem
- Learn everything you can about the problem. Talk to experts and/or research what products or solutions already exist.
- If working for a client, such as designing new filters for a drinking water treatment plant, talk with the client to determine the needs and wants.
Imagine: develop possible solutions
- Brainstorm ideas and come up with as many solutions as possible. Wild and crazy ideas are welcome! Encourage teamwork and building on ideas.
Plan: select a promising solution
- Consider the pros and cons of all possible solutions, keeping in mind the criteria and constraints.
- Choose one solution and make a plan to move forward with it.
Create: build a prototype
- Create your chosen solution! Push for creativity, imagination and excellence in the design.
Test and evaluate prototype
- Test out the solution to see how well it works. Does it meet all the criteria and solve the need? Does it stay within the constraints? Talk about what worked during testing and what didn’t work. Communicate the results and get feedback. What could be improved?
Improve: redesign as needed
- Optimize the solution. Redesign parts that didn’t work, and test again.
- Iterate! Engineers improve their ideas and designs many times as they work towards a solution.
Some depictions of the engineering design process delineate a separate step—communication. In the Figure 1 graphic, communication is considered to be incorporated throughout the process. For this activity, we call out a final step— communicate the solution —as a concluding stage to explain to others how the solution was designed, why it is useful, and how they might benefit from it. See the diagram on slide 3.
For another introductory overview of engineering and design, see the What Is Engineering? What Is Design? lesson and/or show students the What Is Engineering? video.
Before the Activity
- Make copies of the five-page Marisol Case Study , one per student, and the Group Leader Discussion Sheet , one per group.
- Be ready to show the class the Introduction to the Engineering Design Cycle Presentation , a PowerPoint® file.
With the Students
- As a pre-activity assessment, spend a few minutes asking students the questions provided in the Assessment section.
- Present the Introduction/Motivation content to the class, which includes using the slide presentation to introduce students to the engineering design cycle. Throughout, ask for their feedback, for example, any criteria or constraints that they would add, other design ideas or modifications, and so forth.
- Divide the class into groups of four. Ask each team to elect a group leader. Hand out the case study packets to each student. Provide each group leader with a discussion sheet.
- In their groups, have students work through the case study together.
- Alert students to the case study layout with its clearly labeled “stop” points, and direct them to just read section by section, not reading beyond those points.
- Suggest that students either taking turns reading each section aloud or read each section silently.
- Once all students in a group have read a section, the group leader refers to the discussion sheet and asks its questions of the group, facilitating a discussion that involves every student.
- Encourage students to annotate the case study as they like; for example, they might note in the margins Marisol’s stage in the design process at various points.
- As students work in their groups, walk around the classroom and encourage group discussion. Ensure that each group member contributes to the discussion and that group members are focused on the same section (no reading ahead).
- After all teams have finished the case study and its discussion questions, facilitate a class discussion about how Marisol used the engineering design cycle. This might include referring back to questions 4 and 5 in “Stop 5” to discuss remaining questions about the case study and relate the case study example back to the community problems students suggested in the pre-activity assessment.
- Administer the post-activity assessment.
brainstorming: A team creativity activity with the purpose to generate a large number of potential solutions to a design challenge.
constraint: A limitation or restriction. For engineers, design constraints are the requirements and limitations that the final design solutions must meet. Constraints are part of identifying and defining a problem, the first stage of the engineering design cycle.
criteria: For engineers, the specifications and requirements design solutions must meet. Criteria are part of identifying and defining a problem, the first stage of the engineering design cycle.
develop : In the engineering design cycle, to create different solutions to an engineering problem.
engineering: Creating new things for the benefit of humanity and our world. Designing and building products, structures, machines and systems that solve problems. The “E” in STEM.
engineering design process: A series of steps used by engineering teams to guide them as they develop new solutions, products or systems. The process is cyclical and iterative. Also called the engineering design cycle.
evaluate: To assess something (such as a design solution) and form an idea about its merit or value (such as whether it meets project criteria and constraints).
optimize: To make the solution better after testing. Part of the engineering design cycle.
Pre-Activity Assessment
Intro Discussion: To gauge how much students already know about the activity topic and start students thinking about potential design problems in their everyday lives, facilitate a brief class discussion by asking students the following questions:
- What do engineers do? (Example possible answers: Engineers design things that help people, they design/build/create new things, they work on computers, they solve problems, they create things that have never existed before, etc.)
- What are some problems in your home, school or community that could be solved through engineering? (Example possible answers: It is too dark in a community field/park at night, it is hard to carry shopping bags in grocery store carts, the dishwasher does not clean the dishes well, we spend too much time trying to find shoes—or other items—in the house/garage/classroom, etc.)
- How do engineers solve problems? (Example possible answers: They build new things, design new things, etc. If not mentioned, introduce students to the idea of the engineering design cycle. Liken this to how research scientists are guided by the steps of the scientific method.)
Activity Embedded Assessment
Small Group Discussions: As students work, observe their group discussions. Make sure the group leaders go through all the questions for each section, and that each group member contributes to the discussions.
Post-Activity Assessment
Marisol’s Design Process: Provide students with writing paper and have them write “Marisol’s Design Process” at the top. Direct them to clearly write out the steps that Marisol went through as they designed and completed their locker organizer design and label them according to where they fit in the engineering design cycle. For example, “Marisol had to jump back to avoid objects falling out of their locker” and they stated a desire to “wanted to find a way to organize their locker” both illustrate the “identifying the problem” step.
- Which part of the engineering design cycle is Marisol working on as they design an organizer?
- Why is it important to identify the criteria and constraints of a project before building and testing a prototype? (Example possible answers: So that the prototype will be the right size, so that you do not go over budget, so that it will solve the problem, etc.)
- Why do engineers improve and optimize their designs? (Example possible answers: To make it work better, to fix unexpected problems that come up during testing, etc.)
To make this a more hands-on activity, have students design and build their own locker organizers (or other solutions to real-life problems they identified) in tandem with the above-described activity, incorporating the following changes/additions to the process:
- Before the activity: Inform students that they will be undertaking an engineering design challenge. Without handing out the case study packet, introduce students to Marisol’s problem: a disorganized locker. Ask students to bring materials from home that they think could help solve this problem. Then, gather assorted materials (wood and fabric scraps, craft materials, tape, glue, etc.) to provide for this challenge, giving each material a cost (for example, wood pieces cost 50¢, fabric costs 25¢, etc.) and write these on the board or on paper to hand out to the class.
- Present the Introduction/Motivation content and slides to introduce students to the engineering design process (as described above). Then have students go through the steps of the engineering design process to create a locker organizer for Marisol. Inform them Marisol has only $3 to spend on an organizer, so they must work within this budget constraint. As a size constraint, tell students the locker is 32 inches tall, 12 inches wide and 9.5 inches deep. (Alternatively, have students measure their own lockers and determine the size themselves.)
- As students work, ask them some reflection questions such as, “Which step of the engineering design process are you working on?” and “Why have you chosen that solution?”
- Let groups present their organizers to the class and explain the logic behind their designs.
- Next, distribute the case study packet and discussion sheets to the student groups. As the teams read through the packet, encourage them to discuss the differences between their design solutions and Marisol’s. Mention that in engineering design there is no one right answer; rather, many possible solutions may exist. Multiple designs may be successful in imagining and fabricating a solution that meets the project criteria and constraints.
Engineering Design Process . 2014. TeachEngineering, Web. Accessed June 20, 2017. https://www.teachengineering.org/k12engineering/designprocess
Contributors
Supporting program, acknowledgements.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER award grant no. DRL 1552567 (Amy Wilson-Lopez) titled, Examining Factors that Foster Low-Income Latino Middle School Students' Engineering Design Thinking in Literacy-Infused Technology and Engineering Classrooms. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Last modified: October 23, 2020
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7 Surprising Ways Engineering Has Solved Everyday Problems
We live in a hacking culture where we break down and repurpose everything from IKEA furniture to power tools, redesigning them to fill a need or solve a problem for which they were not originally intended. By applying some of the basic design-cycle steps of Ask, Research, Imagine, Plan, Create, Test and Improve, engineering-minded product designers are turning what might have once been considered science fictional solutions into reality.
By sharpening your engineering skill set , you can put yourself in a unique position to address some pervasive everyday problems. Which would you like to take on? For a little inspiration, take a look at some real-world everyday challenges, big and small, that have been alleviated by some rather innovative engineering solutions.
Squeezing Out the Last Drop of Liquid
We’ve all experienced the frustration of attempting to squeeze the last drop of ketchup or toothpaste from their containers. That could end very soon, all thanks to a unique slippery coating that keeps thick, gooey substances from sticking to solid surfaces.
Called LiquiGlide, this material was initially was created to line oil and gas pipelines to protect against buildup. 1 It worked so well that the team developing this technology at MIT decided to explore other commercial applications for it. They researched and tested different combinations of materials to create new variations of LiquiGlide, including food-grade and medical-grade versions. These can help reduce product waste and enable viscous liquid medications to efficiently empty from tubes to improve proper dosing.
Holding Hot Coffee Without Spilling It
The coffee cup sleeve: With such deceptively simple design and such obvious value, it’s hard to believe it wasn’t invented sooner than it was, back in 1991. The idea was born two years prior, when piping hot coffee in a paper to-go cup burned the hands (and subsequently spilled on the lap) of future Java Jacket founder Jay Sorensen.
Sorensen did considerable research on the potential market demand for such a product, the kinds of materials that could be used to cost-effectively create it and the most successful physical design. He produced and tested several iterations of the sleeve before landing on the prototype that is still used today. 2 Now, the nearly ubiquitous coffee cup sleeves are helping save the fingers (and laps) of countless hot-java-drinking commuters—not to mention engineers.
A Far-Reaching Solve for Getting the Group Shot
By freeing us from having to rely on a willing passerby to take a group photo in front of a tourist attraction or a silhouette shot against a stunning sunset, the selfie stick has certainly made an impact in today’s social-media-savvy world.
Wayne Fromm didn’t invent camera-on-a-stick technology, but in 2005 he did patent a version that could hold almost any camera and, eventually, nearly any smartphone. 3 That’s the version that began to resonate with consumers worldwide.
Since then, the original selfie stick concept has evolved into several iterations by Fromm and other manufacturers to answer the demand for more uses—including ones that extend telescopically at the push of a button so you can fit more people or more background into your shot, that allow you to snap a shot via Bluetooth without needing to set the camera timer, or that take blur-free photographs and video while skydiving or partaking in other action sports.
Walking Your Way to Health at Work
Dr. James Levine, a medical doctor who researches obesity, found that sitting for several hours at a time negatively impacts our health much more than initially thought, even for those who regularly go to the gym. He argued that our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, fueled by demands at work requiring us to be at our desks, has contributed to a culture of people with poor posture, lack of energy, and increased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Levine came up with a rather unusual solution: He rigged a used treadmill under a raised bedside tray. 4 Perhaps this prototype he created in 1999 wasn’t the most attractive setup, but its goal was clear: to give people a way to be active while working and help reduce sitting-related health risks.
Levine worked with a manufacturer to produce the first official treadmill desk, released in 2007. Today, many companies promoting a healthier workplace offer employees the option to have such a desk instead of a traditional one.
Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
Sophia Velastegui, an influential engineer in the technology sector, applied several engineering design steps early in her career to conquer a common phobia: speaking in front of a crowd. 5
Velastegui did this by:
- Identifying specific problems to address: her shyness and fear of public speaking
- Looking into ways to work on them (such as volunteering to speak at company meetings)
- Setting up a plan of action to overcome her shyness with strangers: research people to meet at conferences, contact them, choose discussion topics and maintain regular contact
- Continuing to improve her speaking and networking skills through constant practice
Velastegui’s process improved her public speaking—and her confidence and management skills—so thoroughly that it has been invaluable to her rise through desirable positions at top companies. Not only that, she was named to Business Insider's list of most powerful female engineers in 2017.
Eating With Confidence, Without Spilling
Many of us take the simple act of feeding ourselves for granted. But for anyone with trembling hands, it can be a frustrating struggle to keep food on a fork or spoon long enough to reach their mouth without it winding up on the table or their clothing. Liftware Level™ utensils were created by inventors with loved ones experiencing such limitations.
Liftware uses sensor technology that makes real-time adjustments to accommodate any mild-to-severe shaking and trembling movements. 6 This improves accessibility and independence for those suffering from conditions such as Parkinson’s disease.
Liftware developers are taking their testing to a new level: They created an app that records motion data using an accelerometer sensor found in smartphones. They use this data when creating prototypes for versions of other common products that can be used by people with disabilities.
Diagnosing Deep Gastrointestinal Diseases
In 1981, inspired by a friend experiencing small intestine pain with no apparent source, rocket engineer Gavriel Iddan wondered if there was a way to create a “missile”—complete with a camera—that could be launched into the intestine to snap photographs in order to help physicians make accurate diagnoses.
Applying his knowledge of rocket engineering to a completely unrelated problem led to his invention of the ingestible camera. “PillCam” actually took 17 years to become reality, thanks to Iddan’s diligence and the development of micro cameras, transmitters and LED lights that could fit into a large pill-sized capsule. 7
Now the diagnostic standard, doctors can properly identify conditions that are deep in the digestive tract, areas previously unreachable by other nonsurgical methods.
Discover Your Next Step
Put your engineering skills to use.
The world is full of countless challenges waiting for that one solution to be created or tweaked that can make life just a little easier, healthier or better. What problems are you planning on tackling with an engineering approach? What inefficiencies are you improving? And better yet, how many more opportunities might present themselves as you continue to hone your engineering expertise?
Using your engineering knowledge, there’s no limit to what you can do. Explore our online graduate engineering degree programs at Case Western Reserve University to get started improving the world around you today.
- Retrieved on September 8, 2018, from liquiglide.com/
- Retrieved on September 8, 2018, from smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-the-coffee-cup-sleeve-was-invented-119479/
- Retrieved on September 8, 2018, from businessinsider.com/wayne-fromm-is-the-inventor-of-the-modern-selfie-stick-2015-8
- Retrieved on September 8, 2018, from newyorker.com/magazine/2013/05/20/the-walking-alive
- Retrieved on September 8, 2018, from businessinsider.com/how-this-engineer-hacked-her-career-and-became-a-gm-at-microsoft-2018-2
- Retrieved on September 8, 2018, from launchforth.io/blog/post/invention-spotlight-liftware-level/2335/
- Retrieved on September 8, 2018, from epo.org/learning-events/european-inventor/finalists/2011/iddan/impact.html
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Engineering Problems: 5 Hot Challenges for Future Engineers
- October 26, 2020
- EngineeringClicks
- Engineering at heart is focused on solving problems
- Earth has many challenges coming up in the future that will need to be overcome
- Many issues centre on our the planet Earth, with energy, water and the planet’s health itself coming into question
- With the help of engineers, our precious planet will continue to prosper and grow
There are a multitude of engineering problems currently in the world and they will have to be faced over the coming years, and for many years to come. These challenges are related to healthcare, energy sources, security and the environment among many more. However all of these issues have the common goal of improving humans’ everyday quality of life.
Engineering is centered around facing and solving technical challenges. It is an engineers job and responsibility to tackle these challenges and keep humanity ahead of the curve, so to speak.
The engineering problems include, but are not limited to the following:
Alternative Energy
The contribution of alternative energy and fuel sources at the moment total at 6%, which is not nearly enough to counteract the damage that fossil fuels are causing. BP estimates that by 2035, 45% of the total energy consumed on planet earth will be generated by renewable and alternative sources.
Clean Water
Water covers 75% percent of the earth, but shockingly only 3% of this water is drinkable. Furthermore, 67% of the drinkable water is frozen at both of the planet’s polar ice caps! Making sure the water is clean and accessible to everyone is one of the human race’s most basic needs, unfortunately as of 2019 2 billion people have high water stress in their area. Almost half of the total population on earth experiences water shortages at least once every month.
Solar desalination plants, like the one set up In Kenya by GivePower , have begun to help this problem by desalinating seawater and producing enough fresh water for up to 25,000 people a day.
Climate Change
Climate change is one of the biggest problems in the modern world, and it is a problem not just limited to engineers. Engineers will more than likely be the source of the solution in the limited time that is available to them. The United Nations (UN) has stated that we have until 2030 to make the necessary changes to avoid irreversible damage to the planet. Emissions need to be reduced by 45% before that time, and reach zero-net emissions by 2050.
Disasters like the 2018 California wildfires and food shortages are now linked to our changing climate, and engineers are frantically searching for methods of reducing our emissions output. Reducing pollution generated by large companies, ensuring future generations of engineers have a focus on the environment and using alternative energy sources to satisfy our energy needs are just some of the methods employed by current engineers.
Cyber Security
Computers and electronics have become an integral part of the world, but this comes with a downside. They are privy to our entire life and all of the private information that comes with it. Cyber crime has become a very real threat in recent times and it is evolving as time goes on. It can destroy lives and businesses by taking everything that a person or entity has.
Encouraging Young Engineers
One main issue that the next generation of engineers will have to face is infrastructure. Especially in America and in other parts of the world, the infrastructure is either old or non-existent. The real challenge will be finding ways to improve the existing infrastructure in developed areas while not causing any further problems to the existing issues that commuters face.
One particular area of focus is the difference in how individuals react to the same treatment. This will result in personalised strategies and medicines for defeating drug-resistant illnesses, and along with new systems of processing genetic information engineers will improve healthcare and help to overcome the future challenges associated with it.
As with all engineering innovation and creations, the problems that engineers face are also endless and will continue until the end of time. Engineers have made a huge difference to the modern world, and will continue to influence it in a positive way in the future. Once there are problems to be solved, there will always be work for an engineer!
Do you have anything to add to this list? What do you think about the future problems that engineers face? Let us know with a comment down below!
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Global Challenges: Engineering Solutions
As we collectively learn the lessons from our handling of a global pandemic, there is an increasing awareness of the need to be prepared for the big issues our planet faces through the 2020s. In particular, what can engineers do to combat some of the known challenges that we will face?
Here we look at 3 global and interconnected societal challenges and ask what engineers can do to help solve them.
1. Population growth and urban density: Smart Cities
The increase in global population will have a dramatic impact on the planet and how we live in it. The United Nations (UN) has projected that there will be 9.7 billion inhabitants by 2050, which is a significant increase of 24% from the current population of 7.8 billion in less than 30 years.
Additionally, the UN estimates that since 2007, more people have lived in urban areas compared to rural settings. This trend of migration from rural to urban will continue well into the future and these two impending and seemingly unstoppable projections will create many issues which peoples around the world will have to resolve. Among them are water shortages, food scarcity, environmental degradation, ageing infrastructure, lack of housing and transportation.
For example, in one of the most densely populated cities, Singapore, engineers have integrated smart technologies and sensors which analyse solar, wind and shade to optimise the urban planning space. Additionally, to ease traffic flow through the small island city state, they use smart speed cameras to adjust the timing of traffic lights to moderate the flow of vehicles.
The merging of technology and infrastructure is replicated in other parts of the world. Dubai for example, is creating and embedding an advanced digital infrastructure across the city to connect buildings, energy sources, water supply and waste water disposal to produce more sustainable homes, leisure facilities and offices. Globally, engineers from the fields of civil , electrical , mechanical , and other disciplines are working collaboratively to bring about solutions. For future houses and offices, they are ensuring that they are built using sustainable materials, use less energy to light and heat the rooms, and recycle as much of the used water as possible.
Whether it is in housing and offices, or creating a smarter way to park your car, improved traffic flow, developing a smart power grid, or intelligent street lighting systems, creating a smart city ecosystem is one of the most incredible solutions engineers are coming up with to respond to the challenge of a growing population and increased urbanisation.
2. Transportation and Mobility: CAVs, EVs and intelligent transport systems
As more people live in urban areas, a related challenge is how they can move around, how goods and products are transported, and how we can do all this without increasing air pollution and harming the environment. The EU’s “ Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy ” sets out plans and targets to achieve some of this in Europe. From zero-emission vehicles and automated transportation, to seamless mobility, the tasks ahead are clear.
To bring about a transformative transportation system, engineers are preoccupied with cutting edge developments and ground-breaking projects. The technology behind Electric vehicles (EVs) have been with us for a while and engineers will continue to work on the power needs and capacity of cars, busses, trucks and lorries etc. As the growth in the uptake of EVs continue, there is a need for better power grid management to allow for all those car owners to charge up their vehicles in the evening, and also have more electric charging points across the urban and rural infrastructure – this increased energy demand will require more (renewable) power.
In the meantime, connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs) are being developed that can not only talk to each other, but also with the surrounding infrastructure. Engineers working in car manufacturing and technology companies are advancing new autonomous smart vehicle functions that will really impact how people and products move about.
While the reality of fully connected, autonomous and electric vehicles on our high streets may be some way off, the next steps to connect them together and with the surrounding infrastructure will challenge engineers and programmers alike. From system engineering, automotive control systems, renewable power generation and multi-modal transport system optimisation, engineers are developing and executing the different elements required to meet this societal challenge.
3. Climate change: Engineering a healthier, cleaner environment
The impact of human behaviour and activity on the planet’s environment has been tracked for many years, and the issue of climate change is without doubt one of the biggest challenges we face. For societies to develop solutions that not only minimise the impact of climate change, but help reduce and reverse its effect, engineers will have to play a major role.
Developed and developing countries will require different engineered solutions. People having to deal with coastal flooding and heavy rainstorms, compared with those suffering from extreme heatwaves and droughts will, in turn, require different solutions.
Engineers will be at the heart of achieving net zero - to reach a balance between the amount of global greenhouse gases produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. Examples also include material engineers developing new products to replace plastic bags or chemical engineers working with environmental engineers to grow palm oil without increasing deforestation of rainforests or destruction of homes. Power, electrical and mechanical engineers are at the forefront of developing clean, renewable energy with solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps and biofuels.
The list goes on and on, as does the range of global challenges climate change poses. Engineering and engineers will definitely have a role to play in combating this most important of societal threat.
Future solution providers
It is evident that our future challenges will require engineers to develop and deliver solutions. It is also evident that there is a global shortage of engineers to carry out these roles and the pipeline of recruits is patchy to say the least (due to an image issue, an ageing workforce and lack of a diverse talent pool coming through). The need to engage young people (future solution providers) with engineering and then to provide them with a fulfilling career is, in itself, a challenge that many countries face around the world. It is, however, a task that is a prerequisite,if we are to collectively meet the challenges of accelerated urbanisation, smart mobility and damaging climate change.
Also Interesting
9 great projects for engineers with household items.
Engineers have a knack for making everyday household items unique creations. Be it a catapult, a trebuchet, or something else entirely, the possibilities are truly endless. With the right tools, a bit of imagination, and some knowledge of physics, engineering enthusiasts can make something extraordinary with just items found around the house. You don't need much money or fancy materials to start creating, so why not get creative and put your engineering skills to the test? Here are some great projects that you can do with household items.
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10 major engineering challenges of the next decade
1. Upgrading the sagging U.S. infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives our aging infrastructure a D+ grade and estimates that $3.6 trillion dollars must be invested by 2020 to bring our roads , bridges , water , electrical and sewage systems to proper safe working order.
2. Educating first world engineers to understand how to solve third world problems . The Renewable Resources Journal reports that the world’s population will grow by 2 billion over the next two decades, 95% of this in developing or underdeveloped countries. Engineers must learn new ways to solve problems in these countries.
3. Promoting green engineering to improve sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint in manufacturing . According to the U.S. Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, manufacturing in the U.S. produced 19,237 trillion BTUs and 1,071 million metric tons of carbon dioxide .
4. Identifying viable alternative energy sources. The contributions to our energy production from renewables and other new fuel sources are growing at 6% per year according to BP and will contribute 45% of the increment in energy production by 2035.
5. Rethinking how the city looks and works. 54% of the world’s population lives in cities. Europe leads the way in sustainability , with seven out of the world’s top 10 most sustainable cities, according to the ARCADIS Sustainable Cities Index.
6. Making STEM more appealing to young students. By 2018, the United States will have more than 1.2 million unfilled STEM jobs. Meanwhile, according to a UCLA study, 40% of students enrolled as STEM majors switched subjects or failed to get a degree.
7. Safeguarding our personal data and wealth from cyberattacks . 34% of data breaches happen at financial institutions; 11% target retail companies; while 13% target government institutions , according to the 2014 Data Breach Investigation Report.
8. Addressing climate change through engineering innovation. Six of the 10 cities with the largest annual flood costs by 2050 are in India and China. Three are in the U.S.: New York, Miami and New Orleans.
9. Feeding our growing population through cutting-edge bio-engineering and agricultural innovations . The U.N. warns that we must produce 60% more food by 2050 to keep up with demand, but how do we do this sustainably? Food and water access will be major issues in the future, and research must begin now.
10. Improving our health and well-being through life sciences, nanotechnology & bio-engineering . Administration on Aging, by 2060 the population of Americans aged 65 and older will have more than doubled in size from 2011. This puts a lot of pressure on new drug creation and also on innovative engineering techniques to deliver drugs .
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Resource Library | Activity : 45 mins
Resource library activity : 45 mins, engineering solutions to freshwater problems.
Students brainstorm solutions to location and water-based issues and discuss how these issues were addressed by engineering projects.
- Engineering
1. Distribute a Student Engineering Projects List handout to each student.
Explain to students that, as a class, you will examine one location and water-based problem, brainstorm potential solutions for this problem, and discuss how engineering was used to actually solve this problem. Then, in groups, students will go through the same process for another project.
2. Introduce the basic problem at the site of one of the projects.
Write the basic problem on the board for one of the projects that you identified in advance from the list that is included on both the Teacher Engineering Project List handout and the Student Engineering Project List handout.
3. Ask students to brainstorm factors that may be important in considering how to address this basic problem.
Below the basic problem, write “Geographic and Environmental Factors” and “Human Factors.” Write an example under each: under “Geographic and Environmental Factors,” write “climate.” Under “Human Factors, write “political issues.” Then ask the students to brainstorm other factors that may be important in considering how to address this problem.
4. Ask students to brainstorm solutions to the problem.
Write “Potential Solutions” on the board. Encourage students, when they are suggesting solutions, to consider the geographic, environmental, and human factors that they have just brainstormed. Ask: What are ways in which the basic problem could be solved? Do these solutions account for the environmental, geographic, and human factors that we brainstormed? Possible answers depend on the specific problem discussed but for energy related problems could include ideas such as using solar or wind energy; for water accessibility issues could include ideas such as building wells, using ocean, waste or rain water; and for water storage ideas could include building tanks, digging ponds, filling tanks, and many other responses.
5. Reveal to students how this problem was actually solved.
Read, display, or hand out the description of the solution from the Teacher Engineering Projects List.
6. Discuss how engineering solved this location and water-based problem.
Ask: How does the engineering solution solve the basic problem? Does this solution leave any environmental and/or human factors unaddressed? If so, which? How are your proposed solutions and the actual solution different from or similar to one another? Refer to the group discussion questions on the Teacher Engineering Projects List for topics specific to each project.
7. Introduce the next project.
With students, read through the other projects on the Engineering Projects List handout. Use voting or consensus methods to have students select another project from the handout. Ask one student to read aloud the basic problem of the selected site. Write this problem on the board. Explain to students that they all will work on the same project in their small groups.
8. Ask students to brainstorm in groups.
Ask students to split into groups of two or three and choose a scribe. Tell students to brainstorm factors that might be important in considering how to address this problem. Ask students to consider the Group Discussion Question(s) listed below this project on the Student Engineering Project List handout. After discussing this question or questions, students should brainstorm potential solutions to the problem. The scribe should write the factors and potential solutions down on a sheet of paper.
9. As a class, share factors and potential solutions.
Ask for a representative from each group to share the group’s work aloud. Write factors and potential solutions on the board as each representative is speaking.
10. Reveal and discuss how engineers solved this problem.
After each group has had an opportunity to present their findings and solution, read the description of the solution from the Teaching Engineering Projects List handout.
11. Engage students in a concluding discussion.
Use the following or similar questions to engage students in a concluding discussion. Ask: How did the engineering solution solve the basic problem? Does this solution leave any environmental and/or human factors unaddressed? If so, which? And, what is the potential impact or outcome of leaving this factor unaddressed? Regarding your small group solutions, in what ways did they differ from one another? How did they differ from the actual solution?
Formal Assessment
Have each student select one of the remaining problems and conduct research on the problem and factors impacting the problem. Ask students to prepare a report or presentation proposing a solution to the problem, based on their research.
Extending the Learning
Have upper-level students (grades 11-12) work in pairs or small teams on one of the projects. Ask students to do background research on the project and lead their own class discussions based on how the engineering solution addresses the problem.
Subjects & Disciplines
Learning objectives.
Students will:
- Examine different location and water-based problems
- Explore the geographic, environmental, and human factors related to location and water-based problems
- Discuss examples of how engineering can be used to solve location and water-based problems
Teaching Approach
- Inquiry-based learning
Teaching Methods
- Brainstorming
- Cooperative learning
- Discussions
Skills Summary
This activity targets the following skills:
- Communication and Collaboration
- Global Awareness
- Answering Geographic Questions
- Organizing Geographic Information
Connections to National Standards, Principles, and Practices
National council for social studies curriculum standards.
- Theme 3 : People, Places, and Environments
National Geography Standards
- Standard 14 : How human actions modify the physical environment
- Standard 15 : How physical systems affect human systems
- Standard 4 : The physical and human characteristics of places
National Science Education Standards
- (9-12) Standard F-6 : Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges
What You’ll Need
Materials you provide.
- Student Handout: Student Engineering Project List
- Teacher Reference: Teacher Engineering Project List
- Whiteboard, chalkboard, or chart paper
Resources Provided
The resources are also available at the top of the page.
Physical Space
- Large-group learning
- Small-group learning
Background Information
An engineer is a person who applies a wide range of science knowledge and skills, problem-solving, information technology expertise, and mechanical expertise to design and build complex products, machines, systems, or structures. Engineers are problem-solvers. Engineering has given us many of the systems and products we rely on daily. Items such as the cars we drive to school, the computers on which we do research, and even the complex systems that bring water and electricity to our homes were all engineered. Engineers apply a wide range of science knowledge and skills, problem-solving, and information technology and mechanical expertise to design and build complex products, machines, systems, or structures. Engineering often involves complex designs that have to be broken down into smaller chunks and problem-solved. Consider reviewing this engineering process worksheet . All water that flows off land takes pollutants with it. The polluted water flows into small bodies of water that ultimately lead to larger bodies of water and the ocean. The availability of freshwater is an issue of global significance. It is important to emphasize this to students as you consider why particular projects were developed in certain areas.
Prior Knowledge
- Water Systems
- Renewable Energy Systems
Recommended Prior Activities
the rapid increase of algae in an aquatic environment.
process of converting seawater to fresh water by removing salt and minerals.
process of separating solid material from liquids or gases.
suitable for drinking.
likely to change with the seasons.
use of resources in such a manner that they will never be exhausted.
Articles & Profiles
- National Geographic: In Your Watershed
Instructional Content
- National Geographic: Engineering Inspirations from Nature
- The Tremendous Travels of Trash
- City of Aurora's purification system
Tips & Modifications
Modification.
Throughout the activity, assess student engagement based on amount and quality of participation. When students are brainstorming aloud and in groups, assess answers based on students’ inclusion of support, or WHY they made that particular suggestion.
When planning the lesson, educators should allot about 15-20 minutes for discussion of each project.
Media Credits
The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.
Molly Emmett, English language arts educator, Grades 9-12
Justine Kendall, National Geographic Society Elaine Larson, National Geographic Society Elizabeth Wolzak, National Geographic Society Samantha Zuhlke, National Geographic Society
Jessica Shea, National Geographic Society
Factchecker
Johnna Flahive, National Geographic Society Standards and Practices
For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service . If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. They will best know the preferred format. When you reach out to them, you will need the page title, URL, and the date you accessed the resource.
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Related Resources
Freshwater Ecosystem
Freshwater is a precious resource on the Earth's surface. It is also home to many diverse fish, plant, and crustacean species. The habitats that freshwater ecosystems provide consist of lakes, rivers, ponds, wetlands, streams, and springs. Use these classroom resources to help students explore and learn about these places.
Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted 17 sustainable development goals designed to transform our world by 2030. The sixth goal is to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. According to the United Nations, one in three people live without sanitation. A lack of sanitation and sanitary waste management systems can reduce a community's access to clean water, and lack of access to clean water can allow diseases to run rampant, sometimes creating epidemics of water-borne infectious agents. Learning about how freshwater systems work in the wilderness, rural communities, and urban centers can help us better understand the challenges of providing clean water and sanitation to people around the world.
Slowing the Spread
Using the engineering design process, students research solutions for stopping the spread of germs, discuss barriers to these solutions, and consider how to overcome these problems. They simulate the spread of germs, model how soap kills germs, and observe high-touch areas. In groups, students pick a problem to solve, explore existing solutions, and brainstorm solutions.
Developing Our Germ-Stopping Solutions
Students learn the next step of the engineering design process—plan by selecting a solution—and reflect on an unsuccessful attempt at trying something difficult. They read and discuss a children’s book about overcoming obstacles, like Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty. In groups, students review their research and proceed with their best solution.
The Engineering Design Process Taco Party
When engineers set out to solve a real world problem, they go through an engineering design process in much the same way you would throw an impromptu taco party. In this animated video, learn how engineers design and test different prototypes.
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21 Simple Solutions To Everyday Problems You Didn’t Know You Needed Until Now
Why are all of these not being used everywhere in the world. These simple solutions to everyday problems we all face are so obvious, it’s mind boggling to me that I don’t see these every day, come on world! Why no one is funding these. Sometimes you don’t need an electric car or to fly to mars, sometimes, you just want to pump your gas without getting the site of the car wrong.
The list below shows some of the smartest yet simplest ideas I ever saw, but they all have something in common, they solve an everyday problem that is really really annoying in a beautiful simple way. Have a look and share your favorite one.
1. This chair with a notch cut into it for your bag
2. This car radio that doesn’t play until you put your seatbelt on
3. This great solution for a Pringles snack, never again put your hand in the tube
4. This awesome mirror with a heated section in the middle so it doesn’t steam up when you shower
5. This sewing kit that comes pre-threaded
6. This gum that comes with a tiny post-it paper so you can throw your gum away when done
7. This vending machine for dogs
The 15 Most Unusual Strange Jobs In The World That Will Make You Say Huh
31 i see stupid people memes that will make you feel better about yourself, 8. this vending machine only for mustered.
9. This Korean patrol station where the pumps hang from the roof, so it doesn’t matter which side your patrol cap is. GENIUS!
10. This school who think about their students
11. This dutch supermarket that lets you test the various toilet papers before you buy
12. This classic phone box that have been repurposed as a defibrillator
13. the tie of the future
14. This restaurant that has buttons for service
15. This USB stick that shows how much space has been used
16. This awesome bike jacket that has breaks lights and indicators
17. This USB that’s made out of paper
18. This fruit which has a sticker that tells you the optimum color for best taste
19. This school desk that has pedals in it to encourage kids to stay active
20. This bathroom mirror with TV in it
21. Awesome sidewalk that has a message that shows only when it rains, thanks to hydrophobic liquids
Source: Imgur
Famous Last Meals of Death Row Inmates – Interesting Choices
20 super healthy smoothies you need inside you right now, awesome daily staff.
One of our many staff writers who preferred to keep his privacy. We have a team of writers and contributors that publish content from time to time writing about entertainment, food and more.
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- Steps in solving ‘real world’ engineering problems
- Steps in solving well-defined engineering process problems
Engineering Problem Solving ¶
Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well-informed just to be undecided about them. —Laurence J. Peter
Steps in solving ‘real world’ engineering problems ¶
The following are the steps as enumerated in your textbook:
Define the problem
List possible solutions
Evaluate and rank the possible solutions
Develop a detailed plan for the most attractive solution(s)
Re-evaluate the plan to check desirability
Implement the plan
Check the results
A critical part of the analysis process is the ‘last’ step: checking and verification of the results.
Depending on the circumstances, errors in an analysis, procedure, or implementation can have significant, adverse consequences (NASA Mars orbiter crash, Bhopal chemical leak tragedy, Hubble telescope vision issue, Y2K fiasco, BP oil rig blowout, …).
In a practical sense, these checks must be part of a comprehensive risk management strategy.
My experience with problem solving in industry was pretty close to this, though encumbered by numerous business practices (e.g., ‘go/no-go’ tollgates, complex approval processes and procedures).
In addition, solving problems in the ‘real world’ requires a multidisciplinary effort, involving people with various expertise: engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, legal, marketing, product service and warranty, …
Exercise: Problem solving
Step 3 above refers to ranking of alternatives.
Think of an existing product of interest.
What do you think was ranked highest when the product was developed?
Consider what would have happened if a different ranking was used. What would have changed about the product?
Brainstorm ideas with the students around you.
There is also an important aspect of real-world problem solving that I haven’t seen articulated before and that is the idea that the ‘quality’ of the analysis and the resources expended should be dependent on the context.
This is difficult to assess without some experience in the particular environment.
How ‘Good’ a Solution Do You Need?
Some rough examples:
10 second answer (answering a question at a meeting in front of your manager or vice president)
10 minute answer (answering a quick question from a colleague)
10 hour answer (answering a request from an important customer)
10 day answer (putting together information as part of a trouble-shooting team)
10 month answer (putting together information as part of the design for a new $200,000,000 chemical plant)
Steps in solving well-defined engineering process problems ¶
These steps could correspond to those needed to solve a textbook problem or part of the analysis for item 4 above.
Draw a diagram if one is not already available.
Write all known quantities (flow rates, densities, etc.) in the appropriate locations on the diagram. If symbols are used to designate known quantities, include those symbols on the diagram.
Identify and assign symbols to all unknown quantities and write them in the appropriate locations on the diagram.
Select a basis if needed: If no flow rates are known, assume a convenient value for one of the flow rates as a basis of calculation (e.g, \(\SI{100}{lbmol/s}\) , \(\SI{100}{kg/hr}\) , etc.).
Determine the appropriate set of equations needed to solve for the unknown quantities. In order to solve for all of the unknowns, the number of equations must equal the number of unknowns. The steps below can be used to obtain the desired set of equations.
Construct the material balance equation(s):
Start with the general equation (so you don’t forget something)
Discard terms that equal zero in your specific problem
Replace remaining terms with more convenient forms (because of given information or selected symbols)
Construct equations to express other known relationships between variables (Remember, the total number of equations must equal the number of unknowns).
Solve algebraically and then numerically: Solve algebraically for the desired parameters and then determine their values.
A glaring omission in this procedure is a check of the answer.
Exercise: Checking results
How do you know your answer is right and that your analysis is correct?
This may be relatively easy for a homework problem, but what about your analysis for an ill-defined ‘real-world’ problem?
Engineer Dee's Blog
How to solve any problem in engineering in three basic steps.
An engineering student is always bombarded with numerical and worded problems that need step-by-step solutions to arrive to the answers. Solving these problems enable learning of the subject matter at hand with an aim to apply the principles in real life. After all, that’s what engineering is for.
But how does one approach a problem correctly? Just follow these three basic steps:
State the given.
Particularly for worded problems, the first critical step in solving any engineering problem is to gather the given information and known quantities.
There will be cases that your professor will feed you with values you don’t need to confuse or test your ability to separate what is needed in the problem. But sometimes, there are values that are not provided like the value of g or pi which are also essential. It has to be made sure as well that all the values belong to the same system of units, like in measurements feet versus meter, kilogram versus pound, so convert the values right away as necessary to avoid confusion later.
Moreover, do not forget the so-called boundary conditions, or constraints that apply to the problem.
Find the required.
The problem usually states explicitly what it is looking for, so focus on that. It is recommended to assign a symbol for the unknown.
Write it so you would not forget including the unit. It’s just like setting a goal that you need to arrive to.
Show the solution.
It sounds simple, but a solution is more than just a computation – it needs to have first a free body diagram (FBD), or a sketch complete with labels to be able to visualize the variables in aid of interpreting the problem.
Even if it is not needed, as the one who solves the problem it might give you a better understanding of the given values. Name and label the parts of the sketch accordingly.
Based on the FBD, the next questions you need to ask yourself are the following, not necessarily in particular order:
- What principles or formulas are to be applied in this problem?
- What could be the underlying assumptions or conditions?
- Is there only one way to interpret the problem or one way to solve it?
- Can the sketch be simplified further?
Once everything has been settled and simplified, do the math algebraically then numerically with the calculator. It pays to be careful to press the right buttons, so at this point there is no reason to make a mistake if you are doing the correct math.
You can perform several computations with your mind having the confidence with your arithmetic, but then this could be prone to human error. Each level of the equation should be written to avoid this and even the most basic 3×3 is to be done in a calculator to make sure it is the correct answer 9.
To complete the solution, box the final answer for it to be identified right away, which should be in line with the “required” item previously defined. In some cases, it might need to be presented in graph or tables.
But before submission, double check each step of the solution. Always.
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How to Solve Engineering Problems
Introduction: How to Solve Engineering Problems
These Instructables have been created in order to help young, aspiring engineers develop a critical skill set that will help them through their schooling and throughout their careers. This skill set will become a repetitive process that can be applied over and over again to any problem that they may encounter at any time. These instructions are not limited to only engineers however, as many professionals or other students can find these useful for solving problems in their respective fields. For the purpose of this Instructable, I will walk you through the generic steps that should be taken in this process and then I will solve an engineering related problem using these steps. The picture below shows how complex a design can be, but using the following method can take something this complex and break it into simpler parts while keeping it a beautiful design. Thanks to http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/2518751632_53119dfd58.jpg for providing the picture!
Step 1: Materials Needed
For a majority of these problems, only a few things are needed to help you solve them. They are a calculator, scale, paper, and pencil. This may sound like very little supplies but it really is all that one needs. I would recommend a scientific calculator for these problems since they will most likely contain equations that are too difficult to be handled by a simple calculator. Any kind of paper will work but grid paper is generally the most useful so you can keep things organized vertically and horizontally. If you do not have a scale, a plain ruler will suffice. The scale/ruler will help you keep your schematic drawings neat and easy for both you and your professor/boss to follow.
Step 2: Problem Statement
Once you have collected everything that you need to solve the problem, you need to read through it. This is a vital step in the overall process. Numerous young engineers have a tendency to simply scan the problem, but this poses a problem since they end up missing information that would likely make the problem simpler. The best thing to do for this step is read the problem thoroughly and to read it twice, making sure that you have gathered all the information.
Step 3: Given/Find
After reading through the problem two or three times, it is important for you to extract all the necessary information. List out what you have or what is given to you. This can be constraints, variables, values, or even equations that link some of the variables together. It is important for you to list all these things so that you will not have to continuously scan the problem over and over looking for certain values. After you list your given information, make sure you understand what is being asked. For most problems (like the one I am working through), it is directly asked to you to find something. Make sure you write this down as you are working to ensure you do not solve something you do not need.
Step 4: Assumptions
Once you have completed the previous steps, you need to make a list of acceptable assumptions for your problem. It is important to remember to work easier not harder! Assumptions allow you to make your complex problem a simpler model which will give results that are just as valid. However, it is also important that you do not make assumptions that will make your results unacceptable. This is the most difficult step of the skill set to grow accustomed to. It takes time, practice, and patience to understand what assumptions become acceptable and what ones do not!
Step 5: Schematic Drawings
Once you have read through the problem, defined what was given and what needs to be found, and listed your assumptions, you need to create a schematic. The schematic drawing or drawings allow you to physically see what is happening in the problem. This can help you as you begin to go through your equations and analysis, as well as helping you verify your answers once you get them. You will be able to go back and check your values to ensure that everything.
Step 6: Equations/Analysis
This step is the one that most young engineers immediately jump into when trying to solve problems. However, as you have seen, this should be one of the last steps that are taken. For this step, first write out the equations that you will be using. There is no need to solve them just yet, write out the equations in their variable form. This will allow you to make sure you have all the information you need to solve that equation. If you do not, you will need to find another equation or equations that solve for the unknown variable/variables. The second part of this step is to actually solve your equations, whether it is one equation or five equations simultaneously. In some instances, your question may ask for multiple variables or it may just ask for one variable. This is where all of your work finally begins to make sense and you can see how your problem is finishing up. Solving should be one of the easier steps, all you should have to do is plug the values into your calculator and get the results.
Step 7: Results
Here is the step that everyone just wants to get to! You finally get to see your results for all of the work that you have put in. It is important to make sure that your results are easy to see, so a lot of people prefer either a double underline under the result or a box around it. This makes it easy to find and leaves no question as to what your answer might or might not be.
Step 8: Verification
After you have completed all steps up to this point, you only have one left! Verifying your answer is a big step for a couple of different reasons. One reason that it is so important to verify your results is to make sure that your answer makes sense. For example, if a flow should be in the positive x-direction, a negative answer would imply that the flow is going opposite of what it should. It is also important to verify your results to make sure that your answer has proper units. It would not be a legitimate answer if you had units for velocity (m/s) for a problem where you were trying to solve for a force (N). The last reason it is important to verify your results is that it is a good habit to get into before you enter the workplace. Here, you will need to make sure your answers are right and that they make sense since you can be held accountable for your work.
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3 years ago
Very good approach in solving engineering design problem. I really like it. I have a problem that I have been trying to solve, can I get help?
Question 3 years ago on Step 2
Please I need guide to solving this problem
11 years ago on Introduction
Once I believed I wanted to be an electrical engineer, but decided against it in favor of becoming a pastor. Thank you for a glimpse of what is involved in solving engineering problems, although this is not from anything electrical. I was especially interested in the latter parts dealing with verifying the solution. In many situations I am distressed at myself for doing something too quickly and arriving at an erroneous solution to a problem.
12 years ago on Step 8
Wow! Amilte, This is one of the problems I solved on my Heat and Mass transfer course at the technikon. Thanks, I do my continous practice almost everyday where I select at least 3 problems per day. Thanks once again
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Engineering Management Institute
The Four Types of Problems Engineers Must Solve
June 24, 2019 By EMI
The Four Types of Problems Engineers Must Solve is a guest blog by Kyle K. Cheerangie, P.E.
In your engineering work, problems will arise under four basic categories, namely:.
- General problems that have already been solved by someone in your company (i.e. calculations that can be solved using already developed spreadsheets).
- General problems that have not been solved by someone in your company, but there are known ways for solving them throughout the industry (i.e. time-sheet management software that integrates project budgets).
- Problems that seem unique at first, but upon further investigation, fall under categories one or two.
- Specific problems that neither your company nor the industry has solved.
Categorize Your Problems to Increase Your Effectiveness in Solving Them
The goal of this post is to help you detect the problems that engineers must solve, but also to help you categorize your problems into one of these four categories as a first step towards solving them.
Category 1 Problems
These problems should have generic solutions. To increase productivity, develop practices, policies or templates stored in a common library for you and your team to reference when Category 1 problems arise. This common library of solutions will also help to create a decentralized approach to making decisions. Anyone on your team may utilize the required materials to solve these Category 1 problems, freeing up time for the manager. With this approach, delegation becomes easier.
Category 2 Problems
These problems should be solved in consultation with others, either outside or inside your company. These problems, often get downgraded to Category 1, once the full breadth of the problem is understood.
Category 3 Problems
These problems are tricky. They are often Category 2 Problems in disguise. They appear to be unique, and new to you and your firm, but if you dig deeper, you’ll often see that they are not. You will be able to draw analogies between these problems and Category 2 problems, and in doing so, utilize the same problem solving process for the first two categories. For example, you might have a new client that is non-responsive. You can think back to similar situations with clients, and realize that all you need to do is change the mode of communication. Maybe this client doesn’t send emails, he or she only communicates via text message. One of your Category 1 standard processes might be to confirm the best form of communication with all new clients. Problem solved.
Category 4 Problems
These are the big problems, the unique problems, the messy problems that provide the greatest opportunity to improve your career, your company, and the industry as a whole. It’s the problems that can define a lifetime of work. These are the truly rare societal challenges: Clean water. Advanced transportation. Global warming. Sustainable energy. Every engineer should have one Category 4 problem they have identified, defined and are committed to solving over the course of their careers. These are the game changers.
“We must open the doors of opportunity. But we must also equip our people to walk through those doors.”by Lyndon B. Johnson
>> action item << make a list of problems you are encountering today and classify them., about kyle k. cheerangie, p.e..
He gained high success early in his career through conscientious development of the skills necessary to succeed in the field, in the office, and with the client. His proven track record on mega design-build projects makes him a sought-after resource on complex highway designs and the go-to Engineer of Record for one the nation’s most agile tolling agencies.
Through his website EngineerJournals.com , Kyle disseminates the practices that lead to his success, through bite-sized action-oriented directions, meant to lead his readers from good performance to outstanding achievements.
We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share about problems engineers must solve.
Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.
- If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download. Download the Productivity Routines
To your success,
Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP Engineering Management Institute Author of Engineer Your Own Success
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75+ Best-Ever MATLAB Projects Ideas | Engineering Projects
As you know that scientists and engineers work on MATLAB to solve problems(mathematical, computational), design, and implement algorithms. Many students work on MATLAB in college or University, and all students are very excited to implement it. If you are learning MATLAB or want to test your skills, then you should implement it on MATLAB projects. So, here we provide the 75 best-Ever Matlab projects ideas.
In 2004, MATLAB had around 1 million users across industry and academia. Now, Millions of users are working on MATLAB. So, MATLAB is very important for industry or academia. Users come from engineering, economics, and science.
Sometimes you are confused about Matlab because of not implementing projects. If you want an expert in MATLAB, you should focus on projects because it helps to improve your skills.
Introduction To MATLAB
Table of Contents
MATLAB short form is “MATRIX LABORATORY” developed by Mathworks. MATLAB is a programming platform for engineers and scientists that allows matrix manipulation, implementation algorithms, analysis, and designing systems and products, interfacing with programs written in other languages(C, C++, Java, Fortran). It has a lot of built-in commands and functions that are used to solve a particular problem such as mathematical calculations, numerical, and others
MATLAB is used in many applications, such as control systems, communications, machine learning, image and video processing, computational finance, and computational biology. However, if you want to know the uses of Matlab , then you can check this blog out.
In MATLAB, you can first take ideas from research, then develop enterprise applications and embedded devices. You can develop applications in Simulink and Model-based design.
75+ Best-Ever Matlab Project Ideas
Here we cover all MATLAB projects, including engineering, image processing, and others. Projects are helpful for your career because it helps in your job and skills, and you can choose Matlab projects in your final year in this article.
Basic MATLAB Projects For Beginners
- Automatic Vehicle Counting and Classification
- Automate Certificate Generation
- Log Sensor Data in MS Excel
- Hybrid Median Filter design
- Attendance Marking System using MATLAB
- High-Speed Railways Automation
- Analyze and Design an Antenna
- Audio Compression using Wavelets
- Color and Texture Based Image Retrieval System
- Fake Currency Detection
- JPEG Compressor
- Real-Time Face Detection
- Digital FIR Filters
- Realtime Control of a Mobile Robot
- MATLAB-based Diameter Measurement of the Object
Mechanical Engineering MATLAB Project Ideas
- Strategies for Co-operated Wood Chip Fired and Municipal Waste Fired Combined Heat and Power Plants
- Simulation of Emission-Related Faults on a Diesel Engine
- Analysis of Compliance Maps with MATLAB Toolbox
- Thermal Simulation of Hybrid Drive System
- Mild Hybrid System in Combination with Waste Heat Recovery for Commercial Vehicles.
- Robotics Projects
Electrical Engineering MATLAB Project Ideas
- Animations of Light through MATLAB & Arduino
- Microwave Remote sensing of SMAP
- Multi-Agent system design also for an interconnected power system restoration
- Dynamic Modeling & Simulation of Electric Submersible
- MATLAB-based Circuit Design Calculator
- System-level power estimation using power monitors
- Controlling Equipment using MATLAB
MATLAB Mini Projects
Here are some of the best MATLAB mini-projects:
- System of Access Control.
- A robot that fights fires.
- The PCO meter.
- Sprinkler system for fires.
- TENS machine.
- The lights are magnificent.
- Overspeed Control System for Vehicles.
- Highway warning light.
- Energy consumption indicators are utilized.
- GSM-based path-finding system.
- Solar-powered Vapour Absorption System Design.
- Robotic Gripping Claw with Automatic.
- A digital-to-analog converter.
- HAN (Human Area Networking).
- CCU Simulator.
Civil Engineering MATLAB Projects Ideas
- Analogy Between Equilibrium of Structures and Compatibility of Mechanisms
- System Identification of Vehicle Dynamics and Road Conditions Using Wireless Sensors
- Train-Bridge Interaction on Freight Railway Lines
Electronics Engineering MATLAB Projects Ideas
- Design of FIR FILTER using a symmetric structure
- Detection of Smart Alcohol System Intended for CAR
- Validation of Microsoft Kinect for Use in Detecting Balance Impairment in ACL-Repaired Patients
- Breast Cancer Detection
- Barcode Decoder using Microcontroller
- Economic and Emission dispatch using algorithms .
- Remote Operated Vehicle with Infinite Range
- Hydropower Plant Models
- IR Remote Control for Multi-Channel
- Single-phase SPWM (Unipolar) inverter
- Incorporated Circuit Tester
- Cellular Voting Machine using a Microcontroller
- Anti-Theft Alarm system for Vehicles
Computer Science MATLAB Projects Ideas
- Optical Character Recognition
- Video Surveillance System
- Performance and Robustness Analysis of Co-Prime and Nested Sampling
- Computer Vision and Image Processing Techniques for Mobile Applications
- Digital Imaging
- IoT Analytics System Development
- Data Analyzation & Visualization
- Bug Tracking System
- Low-Cost Wireless Internet
- Software Architecture for Controlling Multi-Bot
MATLAB Image Processing Projects
- Face recognition
- Image Compression
- Pedestrian detection
- Image Fusion using Curvelet & Wavelet
- Gesture recognition
- Segmentation of IRIS
- License plate recognition
- Image Filtering based on Linear & Morphological
- Extraction of Brain Tumor using MRI Images
Get More MATLAB Projects Ideas From Statanalytica.com
Hope you choose MATLAB project ideas in this blog. These Matlab projects will help your confidence, skills, and knowledge. If you have any difficulty choosing MATLAB project topics, you can contact us at any time. Our professional writers are available for suggestions, Matlab projects ideas .
Here are some of the benefits of taking MATLAB project help that you can hire us.
- Professional Guidance
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So, you can contact us anytime and impress your teacher or professor by choosing a good Matlab project topic.
Q1. What is the application of MATLAB?
MATLAB is a programming language created by Mathworks. The language has been applied use in engineering, science, and data analysis. It is most commonly used in the fields of signal processing, communications systems, control systems, digital image processing, circuit design, and testing. Matlab can be applied to many different types of problems with its wide-ranging capabilities. It can solve problems that are impossible to solve using simpler languages like C++ or Java.
Q2. Who invented MATLAB?
MATLAB stands for “matrix laboratory.” The software was developed in 1979 by Cleve Moler and then worked at the National Bureau of Standards. At the time, Moler was working on linear algebra problems for engineers, and a way to simplify complex calculations. Moler developed MATLAB using Fortran to make it easier to do linear algebra computations with matrices, large numbers, and complex numbers.
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Using algebra to solve engineering problems
These resources support the use of algebra to solve engineering problems with particular reference to the:
use of equations to solve engineering problems
manipulation of equations to change the subject
simplification of equations and functions
quadratic equations
simultaneous linear equations
- partial fractions
interpret changes in engineering systems from graphs
expressing equations of a straight line, trigonometrical and exponential functions using graphs
rules of indices and laws of logarithms, including changing the base
In some cases the mathematical concepts are those found in the GCSE mathematics syllabus, but the application of these concepts in an engineering concepts requires skills beyond GCSE level. It is vital that students have the ability to apply the mathematics they know in unfamiliar and more challenging contexts. This will thoroughly test their mathematical understanding in preparation for tackling extension tasks at level 3 in other areas of the mathematics curriculum
Air Tracking of a Ground Object
Quality Assured Category: Engineering Publisher: MEI
Students are asked the question: "How can a camera, mounted on a helicopter, be used to track the location of a ground-based object?"
The discussion of ideas will touch on many different aspects of mathematics including 2D and 3D co-ordinates, the calculation of distance and vectors, but the main focus of this activity is the algebraic skills of being able to:
- understand how 2D and 3D co-ordinate geometry is used to describe lines, planes and conic sections within engineering design and algebra
- understand the methods of linear algebra
- know how to use algebraic processes
- comprehend translations of common realistic engineering contexts into mathematics
There are two interactive files to accompany the tasks. The first practises using the scalar product, the second graphs the distance from a fixed point to a helicopter moving in a straight line.
Calculating Power of JCB Dieselmax Engines
Quality Assured Category: Engineering Publisher: Royal Academy of Engineering
This resource shows the application of mathematics in mechanical engineering and construction machinery. Students encounter the formulae used to calculate the power of the engine which was used to power the JCB Dieselmax LSR car to a world land speed record of 350mph in August 2006.
The activities cover:
- the calculation of power
- the plotting of engine power vs engine speed
- calculating the equation of a straight line
Extension activities require students to:
- create a spreadsheet to plot automatically the power curve of an engine
compare the power curves of a turbocharged engine and a non-turbo charged engine
Detailed notes and examples are provided, together with learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
Functions and Graphs
Quality Assured Category: Mathematics Publisher: Mathcentre
These resources cover aspects of functions and graphs often used in the field of engineering. They include descriptions of the hyperbolic function and identities, the logarithm function and its graph as well as the graphs of the trigonometric functions.
Comprehensive notes, with clear descriptions, for each resource are provided, together with relevant diagrams and examples. Students wishing to review, and consolidate, their knowledge and understanding of functions and graphs will find them useful, as each topic includes a selection of questions to be completed, for which answers are provided.
Power Demand
One important area of civil engineering is electrical power production. In order to plan for future building, which may take many years to prepare, design and construct, demand forecasts are often used to indicate the quantity and size of new power stations required.
Students are asked: "How can you predict future power requirements? " To solve the problem, students are required to complete a table by substituting values into a formula and plot a graph. The interactive file can be used to demonstrate some of the important aspects of growth and decline. The activity offers good opportunities to consolidate work on geometric progression.
The mathematics covered in this activity are:
- be able to write the rule for a sequence in symbolic form
- change the subject of a formula
- be able to plot data
- be able to draw a graph by constructing a table of values
- solve problems using the laws of logarithms
- solve problems involving exponential growth and decay
F1 Challenge
Quality Assured Category: Engineering Publisher: Centre for Science Education
In this set of teaching materials students are required to build and modify a model F1 car. The challenge involves the construction and testing of a scale model F1 car powered by compressed gas.
Teachers' notes and the starter activity are included. Note that the web address for the F1 challenge is www.f1inschools.co.uk which provides the latest information about the challenge and the resources available. Video clips that might be used in the starter activity are available from this website.
In the starter activity students have to decide whether their design is built for speed or acceleration.
Students are required to consider friction, mass, and streamlining to help in the construction of an effective vehicle. Skills of measurement, analysis, and application are required in order to simulate acceleration.
Students then calculate the energy of moving objects to show how important it is to understand how the mass of the model and the energy of the gas engine will influence speed. Students use distance-time graphs, use formulae connecting force, mass and acceleration and analyse graphical data in order to refine and improve the design for the model car.
Formula One Race Strategy
This resource shows the application of mathematics within F1 racing. Students are required to use mathematical models to develop race strategy, deciding how much fuel cars will start the race with and the laps on which the car will stop to refuel and change tyres.
Students deal with formulae, rates such as fuel consumption, the effects of weight on these rates, and lap times. Extension activities require students to use the solution to an integral formula to calculate different stint times and to analyse different strategies.
Detailed notes and examples are provided and there are extension activities for students to complete, together with learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
Heat Loss from Buildings
Quality Assured Category: Mathematics Publisher: MEI
In this activity, students are asked the question: "How can the most efficient design be determined, taking both building and running costs into account?"
Students consider thermal conductivity of different materials graphically to help decide which material should be used. There follows an explanation of the concept of kilowatt hours.
A video accompanies the resource explaining thermal conductivity.
The mathematics covered in this activity is:
- solve problems involving area, perimeter and volume
- use scale drawings
- work with formulae for the areas and perimeters of plane shapes
- work with formulae for surface areas and volumes of regular solids
- be able to draw graphs by constructing a table of values
- be able to extract information from a graph
Understanding the Motion of the Wheels
This activity features the application of mathematics within the field of mechanical engineering by exploring the design and construction of wheels, to be used to challenge a land speed record. These principles also apply in engines and gear-boxes, which typically consist of rotating machinery and understanding the loads imposed on components is of great importance for safety considerations.
The mathematics used by students in this activity includes:
- using frames of reference
- parametric equations of a circle and cycloid
- the calculation of velocity and acceleration to explore acceleration
- the equations relating to forces and stresses on a wheel
These resources cover a wide range of algebraic topics, many of which are used in the field of engineering. The topics covered are:
- solving linear equations
- solving simultaneous equations
- solving quadratic equations
- dealing with inequalities
- the modulus symbol
- graphical solutions of inequalities
- the laws of logarithms, the exponential function and solving equations
- Sigma notation
- rearranging formulas
- factorials and
- the laws of indices
Comprehensive notes, with clear descriptions, for each resource are provided, together with relevant diagrams and examples. Students wishing to review, and consolidate, their knowledge and understanding of algebraic principles will find them useful, as each topic includes a selection of questions to be completed, for which answers are provided.
Rearranging Equations
Quality Assured Category: Engineering Publisher: Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS)
These materials cover two sessions designed to take students through the basic principles of manipulating and solving equations. The students work through building an equation, checking the equation, and solving the equation. They are then asked to create their own equation and swap it with a partner to be ‘undone’ step. Finally, students move to an activity which uses cards to further reinforce how equations are rearranged.
The resource includes detailed lesson plans and teacher notes for the sessions which are designed that students are able to:
- develop confidence with the notation used in equations develop the use of brackets by creating and solving equations
develop the skills needed to change the subject of a range of different equations
- develop an understanding of the nature of an equation and the principles that are applied when rearranging them
- learn from each other
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
When students tackle an engineering design challenge, they are encouraged to brainstorm, design, build, test, problem solve, troubleshoot, tinker, innovate, and iterate. The 11 engineering design challenges below offer high school students a blend of complexity, real-world science, and problem solving.
For even more fun engineering and electronics challenges this summer, take a look at the following projects and resources: Flippy the Robot Dances (and Falls Apart) Cellphone Microscope: Turn a Phone Into a Functional Piece of Scientific Medical Equipment (Science-hack Your Phone: Part 1)
Engineers follow the steps of the engineering design process to guide them as they solve problems. The steps shown in Figure 1 are: Ask: identify the need & constraints Identify and define the problem. Who does the problem affect? What needs to be accomplished? What is the overall goal of the project? Identify the criteria and constraints.
7 Surprising Ways Engineering Has Solved Everyday Problems 28 Sep We live in a hacking culture where we break down and repurpose everything from IKEA furniture to power tools, redesigning them to fill a need or solve a problem for which they were not originally intended.
The engineering problems include, but are not limited to the following: Alternative Energy It is essential for the health of this planet that alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower etc. continue to grow and provide an increasing percentage of the energy consumed around the globe.
Here we look at 3 global and interconnected societal challenges and ask what engineers can do to help solve them. 1. Population growth and urban density: Smart Cities. The increase in global population will have a dramatic impact on the planet and how we live in it.
10 major engineering challenges of the next decade D+ 1. Upgrading the sagging U.S. infrastructure. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives our aging infrastructure a D+ grade and estimates that $3.6 trillion dollars must be invested by 2020 to bring our roads, bridges, water, electrical and sewage systems to proper safe working order. 2.
1. Distribute a Student Engineering Projects List handout to each student. Explain to students that, as a class, you will examine one location and water-based problem, brainstorm potential solutions for this problem, and discuss how engineering was used to actually solve this problem. Then, in groups, students will go through the same process ...
1. This chair with a notch cut into it for your bag 2. This car radio that doesn't play until you put your seatbelt on 3. This great solution for a Pringles snack, never again put your hand in the tube 4. This awesome mirror with a heated section in the middle so it doesn't steam up when you shower 5. This sewing kit that comes pre-threaded 6.
Steps in solving 'real world' engineering problems ¶. The following are the steps as enumerated in your textbook: Define the problem. List possible solutions. Evaluate and rank the possible solutions. Develop a detailed plan for the most attractive solution (s) Re-evaluate the plan to check desirability. Implement the plan.
How to Solve Any Problem in Engineering in Three Basic Steps An engineering student is always bombarded with numerical and worded problems that need step-by-step solutions to arrive to the answers. Solving these problems enable learning of the subject matter at hand with an aim to apply the principles in real life.
The best thing to do for this step is read the problem thoroughly and to read it twice, making sure that you have gathered all the information. Ask Question Comment Download Step 3: Given/Find After reading through the problem two or three times, it is important for you to extract all the necessary information.
Some solutions that have come from the design engineering process are light-emitting diode (LED) and solar lighting as well as automated lighting systems. These solutions reduce energy...
It's the problems that can define a lifetime of work. These are the truly rare societal challenges: Clean water. Advanced transportation. Global warming. Sustainable energy. Every engineer should have one Category 4 problem they have identified, defined and are committed to solving over the course of their careers. These are the game changers.
It is most commonly used in the fields of signal processing, communications systems, control systems, digital image processing, circuit design, and testing. Matlab can be applied to many different types of problems with its wide-ranging capabilities. It can solve problems that are impossible to solve using simpler languages like C++ or Java.
First, we need to calculate the length of the curve: L = θ/360 * 2 * π * R. where: θ = angle subtended by the arc in degrees. R = radius of the curve. To find θ, we can subtract the azimuth of the tangent at PT from the azimuth of the tangent at PC: θ = 763 - 517. θ = 246 degrees.
Problem: We don't change our toothbrush in time, we tend to over-use them. We don't floss our teeth. Solution: A toothbrush that contains toothpaste and floss thread in its handle. A switch will move the toothpaste from inside the handle over the bristles.
Engineering is all about solving problems using math, science, and technical knowledge. Engineers have solved a lot of problems in the world by designing and building various technologies....
Using algebra to solve engineering problems. These resources support the use of algebra to solve engineering problems with particular reference to the: expressing equations of a straight line, trigonometrical and exponential functions using graphs. rules of indices and laws of logarithms, including changing the base.
In this section, we shall study how we can use the derivative to solve problems of finding the maximum and minimum values of a function on an interval. We begin by looking at the definition of the minimum and the maximum values of a function on an interval. Definition : Let f be defined on an interval I containing 'c'