Mechanical engineering involves using physics and chemistry to design, construct, use, and maintain mechanical systems. Mechanical engineers need to understand mechanics, kinematics, fluid mechanics, energy, and pneumatics. They design everything from car manufacturing equipment to robots and weapons. They use computer-aided engineering and design programs to save time and effort. Mechanical engineering is a collection of subdisciplines, including mechanics, kinematics, and drafting. Many universities offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering.
Mechanical engineering is a very broad field of engineering that involves the use of physics and chemistry for the design, construction, use and maintenance of various mechanical systems. Mechanical engineers must be familiar with a broad range of scientific topics, such as mechanics, kinematics, fluid mechanics, energy, and pneumatics. In general, they must also have a strong understanding of mathematics, as many projects involving mechanical engineering are deeply rooted in mathematics.
Many different professions and fields benefit from mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineers are involved in the design of everything from car manufacturing equipment to robots and weapons. Despite being among the oldest engineering disciplines, mechanical engineers are still researching new methods and materials to improve their field. One particular area of interest to mechanical engineers is nanotechnology, a discipline that attempts to apply microscopic particles to practical tasks. Another area of interest is mechatronics, which attempts to combine mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and software engineering into one cohesive field.
Colleges and universities around the world offer bachelor’s degrees in engineering. In most cases, it takes a student four to five years to complete the coursework necessary to obtain the degree. Coursework usually involves rigorous work in statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, drawing, instrumentation, and many other studies in the areas of science and design. Students are usually required to complete many engineering projects during their time in college. Some students go on to pursue master’s degrees in mechanical engineering or related fields.
Modern mechanical engineers use many different tools to complete their projects. Computer-aided engineering (CAE) programs and computer-aided design (CAD) programs allow engineers to design and even test many of their ideas on computers, saving them a lot of time and effort. The use of computers has greatly reduced engineering costs for most engineering firms and has enabled engineers to complete their work much more effectively. Learning and using CAE programs has become a central part of the field.
Mechanical engineering is not a single, well-defined field; it is a collection of many different subdisciplines that combine to allow engineers many different tools to solve engineering problems. Disciplines such as mechanics, kinematics and drawing are all essential parts of the field. Mechanics is the study of forces and their effects on matter. Kinematics is a discipline that focuses on the motion of bodies and systems while ignoring the causes of motion. Drafting is a field that specializes in creating instructions for manufacturing parts.
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