What is engineering?

On the road to becoming an engineer, we must

understand some very basic but extremely important
aspects of engineering like what engineering actually
means, what its scopes and applications are, what an
engineer does. In simple words, engineering means the
study of science for practical applications in tackling real
life problems. Whenever a problem arises which cannot be
solved by using only the theory of science, there comes
the need for an engineer. An engineer uses his/her
knowledge of science and solves problems, its as simple
as that. However, there is much more to it. An engineer
has to be precise and make assumptions only if extremely
necessary. An engineer should be open to different ways
to obtain solutions to a problem and not be stuck on a
single solution, beacause many-a-times, the simplest
solution is never the best.
Based on the work that an engineer does, a number of
branches in engineering have been created. Some of
them are mechanical engineering which deals with all
kinds of machines, electrical engineering which deals with
electrical components in machines, computer science and
engineering which takes into account the study of
computers and computer programming, civil engineering
which is all about design and construction of buildings,
bridges, and so on.

What is mechanical engineering?

A very concise definition of mechanical engineering is that
it is the branch of engineering which deals with the
design, construction and use of all kinds of machines. A
machine is an object which reduces human efforts. A
machine can be simple like a pulley, a wheel or a lever but
it can also be a lot complicated like the lathe or the milling
machine. We are surrounded by machines. Even the most

difficult and tiresome jobs can be completed with ease if

we use machines for them. It is the work of a mechanical
engineer to design and build machines which can be used
to do jobs which arent easy for humans to do. There is an
infinite scope of invention and innovation in the field of
mechanical engineering because there will always be
problems which would need machines to solve them.

Tackling problems in daily life by

application of mechanical
engineering
In our hostel or in the college campus, we come face to
face with a number of difficulties which can be avoided if
we have a sound knowledge of engineering and if we are
ready to spend some time and resources on them. Some
of them that we discussed in the class are as follows:
i. In the hostel, we are provided with tables and chairs
which are very unfortable to sit and study for long
periods of time. It would be much easier for us to
study on the mattress over the bed. However, writing
is still difficult. To solve this problem, what we can do
is design a C-shaped rigid table whose bottom slides
under the bed and top is over the bed. This is
somewhat similar to what they use in the hospitals to
provide food to the patients. Another way can be to
desigh adjustable tables and/or adjustable beds.
ii.

Since our college campus is still under construction,

the roads become very muddy during rain and it
become a pain for the workers to clean them from. It
would be very helpful if we design a route follower
robot of some kind attached with a cleaning
apparatus which would automatically clean the roads
from time to time.

iii.

We observe that the construction labourers carry

heavy materials like bricks and sand over their heads
to transport them wherever needed. It would be very
helpful if a trolley were provided to them to make
their task easier and simpler.

iv.

The desks and benches in the classroom are very

sturdy and uncomfortable to sit over long periods pf
time. We could use our knowledge of mechanical
engineering to design new kinds of desks and
benches which are comfortable and adjustable to the
needs of each student.

Important definitions
1. Statics: It is the branch of mechanics which deals with
the study of forces in a body at rest or in other words, in
equilibrium.
2. Dynamics: Its is the branch of mechanics that concerns
with the study of forces on a body in motion.
3. Kinematics: It is the branch of mechanics that deals with
only the motion of a body and not the forces acting on it. It
concerns wit the displacement, velocity and acceleration
of the body.
4. Mechanism: It is kind of like an input output device in a
machine. A number of parts are assembled in such a way
that motion imparted to one of the bodies causes
constrained and predictable motion of other bodies.
5. Machine: It is a mechanism or a combination of
mechanisms which not only imparts motion but also
converts mechanical energy into work.
6. Engineering Mechanics: Solution of problems involving
common engineering elements by the application of
mechanics/physics is engineering mechanics.

7. Theory of Machines: It is the branch of mechanical

engineering which deals with the study of motion of
various machines and machine components.
8. Fluid Mechanics: Similar to engineering mechanics, it is
the study of forces as well as motion concerning fluids, eg.
water, air, etc.