Engineering
Engineering is one of the oldest occupations in history. Without the skills included in this broad field
of engineering, our present day civilization never could have evolved. The first tool makers who chipped
arrows and spears from rock were the forerunners of modern mechanical engineers. The craftsmen who
discover metals in the earth and found ways to refine and use them were the ancestors of mining and
metallurgical engineers, and the skilled technicians who devised irrigation systems and erected the
marvellous buildings of the ancient world were the civil engineers of their time. One of the earliest great
names in history is that of Imhotep designer of the stepped pyramid at Saqqarah in Egypt, built in the
twenty-seventh century BC.
Engineering is often defined as making practical application of theoretical sciences such as physics
and mathematics. Many of the early branches of engineering were based not on science but on empirical
information that depended on observation and experience rather than theoretical knowledge. Those who
devised methods for splitting the massive blocks that were needed to build Stonehenge in England or the
unique pyramids of Egypt discovered the principle of the wedge by trial and error rather than mathematical
calculations. The huge blocks of stones for the pyramids were probably raised into place by means of ramps
of earth that surrounded the structures as they rose; it was a practical application of the inclined plane, even
though the concept was not understood in terms that could be quantified or expressed mathematically.
Quantification has been one of the principal reasons for the explosion of scientific knowledge since
the beginning of the modern age in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Another important factor has
been the development of the experimental method to verify theories. Quantification involves putting the
data or pieces of information resulting from experimentation into exact mathematical terms. It can be
stressed too strongly that mathematics is the language of modern engineering.
The great engineering works of ancient times were constructed and operated largely by means of
slave labor. After the fall of the Roman Empire, there were fewer slaves available in Europe. During the
Middle Ages people began to see devices and methods of work that were more efficient and human. Wind,
water and animals were used to provide energy for some of these new devices. This kind of experimentation
eventually led to what is known as The Industrial Revolution which began in the eighteenth century. First
steam engines and the other kinds of machines took over more and more of the work that had previously
been done by human beings and animals. James Watt, one of the key figures in the early development of
steam engines, devised the concept of horsepower to make it easier for his customer to understand the
among of work his machines could perform. Since the nineteenth century both scientific research and
practical application of his results have scaled.
The mechanical engineer now has the mathematical ability to calculate the mechanical advantage
that results from the complex interaction of many different mechanisms. He or she also has new and
stronger materials to work with and enormous new sources of power. The Industrial Revolution began by
putting water and steam to work; since then machines using electricity, gasoline, and other energy sources
have become so widespread that they now do a very large proportion of the work of the world.
The great engineering works of ancient times were constructed and operated largely by means of
slave labor. During the Middle Ages people began to seek devices and methods of work that were more
efficient and humane. Wind, water, and animals were used to provide energy for some of these new devices.
This led to the Industrial Revolution which began in the eighteenth century. First steam engines and then
other kinds of machines took over more and more of the work that had previously been done by human
beings or by animals. James Watt, one of the key figures in the early development of steam engines, devised
the concept of horsepower to make his customers understand the amount of work his machines could
perform.
Since the nineteenth century both scientific research and practical application of its results have
escalated. The mechanical engineer now has the mathematical ability to calculate the mechanical advantage
that results from the complex interaction of many different mechanisms. He or she also has new and
stronger materials to work with and enormous new sources of power. The Industrial Revolution began by
putting water and steam to work; since then machines using electricity, gasoline, and other energy sources
have become so widespread that they now do a very large proportion of the work of the world.
Exercises
I. Write the meanings of these words.
toolmaker ancestor
evolve techniciandevise
chip erect
forerunner humane
craftsman escalate
II. Answer these questions:
1. Who were the forerunners of modern mechanical engineers?
2. Who were the ancestors of mining and metallurgical engineers?
3. What was used to provide energy for some of the new devices?
4. When did the Industrial Revolution begin?
5. What does the mechanical engineer do now?
