Engineering History and Its Profession

Engineering Profession and
its History
What is Engineering?
- Engineering is the practice and

method of applying scientific and
empirical knowledge to the service
of humanity.
What Do Engineers Do?
- Engineers apply physical and chemical laws and principles and
mathematics to design millions of products and services that we use
in our everyday lives
Engineers consider factors such as cost, efficiency, sustainability,
reliability, and safety in their designs
Engineers perform tests to ensure their designs can withstand the
loads and conditions prescribed
Engineers continue to seek ways to improve existing products and
services
Engineers continue to develop new, advanced materials to make
products lighter and stronger for different applications
Traits of Successful Engineers
- Are problem solvers
Are analytical, detailed oriented, and creative
Have good communication and time management
skills •
Are good team player
Have ability to use modern tools to solve various
engineering problems or to solve problems in various
ways
Are active in the profession and community
Engineering Functions
- Research
Design
Development
Test
Production
Maintenance and operations
Management
Sales
Consulting
Teaching
History
● It originally meant a creator of military engines or also

known as siege engines. However this definition is now
obsolete where it’s not only limited to just machines of war
but also the design and creation of civilian machines and
structures.
● According to Merriam-Webster it is the application of science and

mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of
energy in nature are made useful to people.
● The earliest fields of engineering are military and civil engineering,
where the former focuses on machines of war while the latter focuses
on civilians structures to protect the people and its inhabitants.
Ancient Era
● The earliest civil engineer known by name is
Imhotep. He is believed to be the one that
designed and supervised the construction of
the Pyramid of Djoser.
● This is later followed by the Ancient Greeks

and Romans where who have many notable
achievements in terms of engineering.
Ancient Era
The Antikythera mechanism The Archimedes screw
The Archimedes claw

Middle Age
● Johannes Gutenberg a German

blacksmith, goldsmith, inventor,
printer, and publisher who
introduced printing to Europe with
the printing press. With his
invention, it allowed the mass
production of printed books and
was economically viable for printers
and readers alike.
Middle Age
● Black powder or commonly known

as gunpowder was invented in 9th-
century China and spread
throughout most parts of Eurasia by
the end of the 13th century. It is
the earliest known chemical
explosive
Middle Age
● Waterwheels and Windmills. The earliest

practical wind-powered machines.
● A windmill is a structure used to harness the

power of the wind for purposes like grinding
grain, pumping water, and generating
electricity.
● Water wheels are machines that use the energy

of flowing or falling water (or both) to turn a
wheel. The axle of the turning wheel can then
power other machines to do work.
Industrial Era
● The creation of the steam engine, the

first design was introduced by Thomas
Newcomen in 1712 but was later
improved by James Watt with the
support of Matthew Boulton. His design
became the first practical steam engine,
which was able to save much more fuel
compared to the designs at the time.
Industrial Era
● Michael Faraday was born on 22

September 1791 in south London. He
was a British chemist and physicist
who contributed significantly to the
study of electromagnetism and
electrochemistry.
● In 1831, Faraday discovered
electromagnetic induction, the
principle behind the electric
transformer and generator. It is one of
his most notable contributions, it as
well led to the creation of the very
first electric generator.
Industrial Era
- Nitroglycerin was first invented by Italian

chemist Ascanio Sobrero (1812–1888) in
1846. In its natural liquid state,
nitroglycerin is very volatile. Alfred Nobel
understood this and in 1866 discovered
that mixing nitroglycerin with silica would
turn the liquid into a malleable paste called
dynamite.
- Dynamite expedited the building of roads,

tunnels, canals, and other construction
projects worldwide in the second half of
the 19th century.
Industrial Era
● Sir William F. Cooke and

Charles Wheatstone
successfully demonstrated
the first electrical
telegraph that was
installed between Euston
and Camden Town in
London.
Modern Era
- Joseph Swan, and English

physicist and chemist produced
the first electric lamp, but, he
struggled to maintain a power
source and the filament soon
burned out when the vacuum
was exhausted. It was Thomas
Edison who made the lightbulb
into a practical low current
version. He used a filament
based on a burned sewing
thread.
Modern Era
- Henry Ford was an American
engineer and automobile
manufacturer who created the
Model T and went on to develop
the assembly line mode of
production, which revolutionized
the industry.
- In 1913, Ford launched the
first moving assembly line for the
mass production of the automobile.
This new technique decreased the
amount of time it took to build a
car from 12 hours to two and a half,
which in turn lowered the cost
from $850 to $310 .
Modern Era
- Wilbur and Orville Wright were
American inventors and pioneers
of aviation. In 1903 the Wright
brothers achieved the first
powered, sustained and
controlled airplane flight; they
surpassed their own milestone
two years later when they built
and flew the first fully practical
airplane.
Modern Era
- The stored program, automatically
sequenced computer Kenbak-1 was
considered from some people to be the
first commercially available personal
computer in the world.
- It was created in 1971 by John

Blankenbaker. It was intended to for the
educational and the professional field.
However, it was a struggle to convince
the non-professionals that they could
buy a real computer at this price ($750),
thus only some 40 devices were sold,
mainly to schools.
Modern Era
- Tim Berners-Lee was a , British

computer scientist, generally
credited as the inventor of the
World Wide Web. In 2004 he
was awarded a knighthood by
Queen Elizabeth II of the
United Kingdom and the
inaugural Millennium
Technology Prize (€1 million) by
the Finnish Technology Award
Foundation.
Modern Era
- Steve Jobs, the head of Apple,

in June 2007, launched the
first iPhone which
revolutionise the industry. The
iPhone set in motion
widespread adoption of
smart.In a matter of years,
these smartphones became the
norm.
References:
- ·https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engine
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engineer
https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/engineeringinsociety/chapter/chapter-1/
https://www.hexapolis.com/2015/07/07/4-remarkable-inventions-of-archimedes-that-still
-baffle-us/
https://www.medievalists.net/2014/08/ten-medieval-inventions-changed-world/
https://www.historyhit.com/key-inventions-of-the-industrial-revolution/
https://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000984.htm
https://www.biographyonline.net/scientists/modern-inventions.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXIuMLZqi0Y

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Engineering History and Its Profession

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Engineering Profession and

- Engineering is the practice and

● It originally meant a creator of military engines or also

● According to Merriam-Webster it is the application of science and

● This is later followed by the Ancient Greeks

The Antikythera mechanism The Archimedes screw

The Archimedes claw

● Johannes Gutenberg a German

● Black powder or commonly known

● Waterwheels and Windmills. The earliest

● A windmill is a structure used to harness the

● Water wheels are machines that use the energy

● The creation of the steam engine, the

● Michael Faraday was born on 22

- Nitroglycerin was first invented by Italian

- Dynamite expedited the building of roads,

● Sir William F. Cooke and

- Joseph Swan, and English

- It was created in 1971 by John

- Tim Berners-Lee was a , British

- Steve Jobs, the head of Apple,

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