2.9: Quick Check

Quick Check

1. Pick any engineered system you interact with daily. Name at least three engineering disciplines that contributed to its design.
2. A student says, "I want to be an engineer but I don't know what kind." What are two better questions they could start asking themselves? Why?
3. Looking at the salary table in §2.4, explain why a student might rationally choose mechanical engineering over petroleum engineering despite the ~$40,000/year difference in median wage.
4. Name two engineering disciplines that evolved historically out of older ones. Why did the split make sense?
5. Describe one functional role from §2.5 and explain why that role might appeal to someone who likes hands-on work. Then pick a role that might appeal to someone who prefers big-picture coordination.
6. All engineering disciplines share an obligation to public welfare. Give one example, real or hypothetical, of how that obligation might apply differently in civil engineering than in software engineering.
7. [Stretch] Suppose your current top two discipline choices are, say, mechanical and computer engineering. Design a first-year and second-year course plan that would keep both options open. What foundational courses would you prioritize?

Answers — click to expand

1. Answers will vary. One possible example is a smartphone. Electrical engineers contributed to the circuits, antennas, sensors, battery systems, and power management. Computer engineers and software engineers contributed to the processor architecture, operating system, apps, security, and communication protocols. Materials engineers contributed to the glass, metals, polymers, semiconductors, and battery materials. Mechanical engineers contributed to the enclosure, thermal management, durability, and manufacturability.
2. Two better questions are:
   1. What kinds of problems do I want to work on? This shifts the decision from job title to purpose: transportation, energy, robotics, medicine, electronics, infrastructure, software, aerospace, manufacturing, or environmental systems.
   2. What kinds of tools and work environments do I enjoy? Some students enjoy coding, some like physical systems, some like lab testing, some like design modeling, and some like field work or project coordination.

   These questions are better because engineering disciplines are not just labels. They represent different problem domains, tools, materials, constraints, and work settings.

3. A student might rationally choose mechanical engineering over petroleum engineering because salary is only one factor. Mechanical engineering is a broad discipline connected to many industries, including aerospace, automotive, energy, robotics, HVAC, manufacturing, biomedical devices, and consumer products. That breadth can create more flexibility if one industry slows down.

   Petroleum engineering may have a higher median wage, but it is a smaller and more industry-specific field. A smaller field can mean fewer total openings, more geographic concentration, and more exposure to changes in energy markets. Mechanical engineering may offer a better fit for the student's interests, more transfer options, more job-market flexibility, and a wider range of long-term career paths.

4. One example is aerospace engineering, which evolved partly from mechanical engineering as flight, propulsion, aerodynamics, and spacecraft systems became complex enough to require specialized study. The split made sense because aircraft and spacecraft involve specialized constraints such as lift, drag, stability, propulsion, lightweight structures, and extreme operating environments.

   Another example is computer engineering, which grew from electrical engineering and computer science as digital hardware, microprocessors, embedded systems, and hardware-software integration became central technologies. The split made sense because modern computing systems require engineers who understand both circuits and software.

5. Answers will vary depending on the roles listed in §2.5. A role that may appeal to someone who likes hands-on work is a test engineer or manufacturing engineer. These roles often involve prototypes, equipment, measurements, troubleshooting, production processes, and real physical systems.

   A role that may appeal to someone who prefers big-picture coordination is a systems engineer or project engineer. These roles focus on how parts of a system fit together, how requirements are managed, how teams coordinate, and how technical decisions affect the overall project.

6. In civil engineering, the obligation to public welfare might involve designing a bridge, building, road, or water system with adequate safety factors, code compliance, drainage, seismic resistance, and long-term durability. If a civil engineer ignores a structural or environmental risk, the public could be physically harmed.

   In software engineering, the obligation to public welfare might involve protecting user data, preventing security vulnerabilities, avoiding biased or unsafe automated decisions, and ensuring reliability in critical systems. If software controls medical devices, vehicles, financial systems, or public infrastructure, a software failure can also create real public harm, even though the work may not look physical at first.

7. Answers will vary. For a student trying to keep mechanical engineering and computer engineering open, the priority should be foundational courses that count toward both or support both.

   A reasonable first-year plan would prioritize Calculus I and II, calculus-based Physics I, an introductory engineering course, and an introductory programming course. If available, the student should also complete general education requirements that transfer broadly.

   A reasonable second-year plan would prioritize Calculus III, Differential Equations, calculus-based Physics II, circuit analysis, and a second programming or computer science course. To keep mechanical engineering open, the student should consider statics, materials science, and CAD/engineering graphics. To keep computer engineering open, the student should consider digital logic, discrete structures, linear algebra, and additional programming.

   The key is to verify transfer requirements early using a counselor and articulation resources, because the best plan depends on the target university.