The word engineer sounds like a fancy word, but an engineer is simply someone who designs and tests things. The word “engineer” comes from the Latin word ingeniare which means “cleverness”.
In fact, almost anything that has ever been designed, created, or put together was “engineered”. When you build a blanket fort, for example, that involves problem-solving and engineering. While a professional engineer solves much more complicated problems than how to build a blanket fort, engineering is all about designing, building, and testing things.
What is an engineer?
Engineers are people who invent, design, manufacture, and test things. They use math and science to figure out how to design or build things like buildings, bridges, or airplanes. They also test out new ideas to see if they will work. Being an engineer is about imaging what is possible and seeing if you can use science and math to make it happen.
There are many different types of engineers. They all use skills like problem-solving and creativity, but they use their skills in different ways. Some engineers may build machines, others might design roads or bridges, while others might create new medical devices. But, they all use science and math to solve problems.
Let's learn about some of the most popular types of engineers.
Civil Engineer - A civil engineer is someone who designs, plans, builds, or maintains buildings, bridges, roads, or public structures. They are responsible for constructing new highways, or making sure a bridge is safe to drive over. They are also responsible for designing things like airports, water and sewer systems, dams, and tunnels
Aerospace Engineer - Aerospace engineers design and test planes, rockets, jets, and vehicles. Aerospace engineers may work for NASA, an airline, or an automotive manufacturer. They build cars, trains, aircraft, and spacecraft using math, science, and computers.
Mechanical Engineer - Mechanical engineers design, build, and test machines or mechanical systems. This can be anything from building elevators to roller coasters to engines, refrigerators--you name it. They work on everything from design and manufacturing to safety testing.
Chemical Engineer - A chemical engineer makes and tests products made up of chemicals. They use chemistry, biology, physics, and math to create and test new products. They might make new chemical products, fuels, medicines, food, or other products.
Electrical Engineer - An electrical engineer works with electricity and design systems or devices that use electricity. They design, test, and manufacture things from electric motors to semiconductors. They also design and test electrical parts that go into cars and planes.
Biomedical Engineer - Biomedical engineers design and develop medical devices, products, and even artificial organs and prosthetic devices. They study how biology and math and use their knowledge to create and test all types of medical equipment and technology.
Software Engineer - A software engineer designs, creates, and tests computer systems and applications. They design software programs for smartphones, video games, and other technology devices.
Agricultural Engineer - Agriculture engineers help farmers with growing food. They may design new farm equipment, help develop better seeds to grow plants from, or come up with better solutions for harvesting and storing food that is farmed.
Did you know science and math could be used in so many ways? What type of engineer is most interesting to you?
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