JHELLIAN MAE C.

MALAPITAN
BSCE 1B/ CE III

CHAPTER 1: PROBLEM

1.1 Observe your own surroundings. What are some of the engineering achievements that
you couldn’t do without today?

ANSWERS:

Some of the engineering achievements are:

1. Electricity
2. Water supply
3. Electronics
4. Radio and Television
5. Agriculture mechanization
6. Internet and Network

1.2 Using the Internet, find the appropriate organization for the following list of
engineering disciplines. Depending on your personal interests, prepare a brief two-page
report about the goals and missions of the organization you have selected.

● Bioengineering ● Electronic engineering

● Ceramic engineering ● Environmental engineering
● Chemical engineering ● Industrial engineering
● Civil engineering ● Manufacturing engineering
● Computer engineering ● Materials engineering
● Electrical engineering ● Mechanical engineering

ANSWERS:

Bioengineering: Bio-Medical Engineering Society (BMES)

To serve as the lead society and professional home for biomedical engineering and
bioengineering.

Goals:
● Holding top-quality scientific meetings
● Publishing the highest-quality journals in the field for the communication
and exchange of state-of-the-art knowledge at the frontier of biomedical
engineering and bioengineering.

Mission:
 ● The Biomedical Engineering Society promotes a collaborative and
inclusive community to advance human health through education,
discovery, and translation.

The Mission of the BMES is to build and support the biomedical engineering
community, locally, nationally and internationally, with activities designed to communicate
recent advances, discoveries, and inventions; promote education and professional
development; and integrate the perspectives of the academic, medical, governmental, and
business sectors.

Biomechanical engineering is specifically dedicated to applying the scientific of

knowledge mechanical systems and engineering to biology and the human body. One of the
many needs that drive this biomedical subfield is society’s need for more advanced
equipment and machinery.

A BME's career is not as well known as that of others. It could be because it sounds
difficult, which makes people less interested, or because people simply do not care.
Although, what they do is quite outstanding; helping people with disabilities by making
prosthetics or coming up with a replaceable for lost organs or limbs is a big thing. Without
biomedical engineers, doctors would not have been able to save as many lives as they have
till now.

1.3 To increase public awareness about the importance of engineering and to promote
engineering education and careers among the younger generation, prepare and give a
15-minute Web-based presentation at a mall in your town. You need to do some
planning ahead of time and ask permission from the proper authorities.

ANSWERS:
The engineering education system has been constantly re-examined and
re-energized. Engineering fundamentals have been and will continue to be the core of the
engineering curriculum. But because engineers now operate in a world where their
accomplishments are often more limited by societal considerations than by technical
capabilities, they are engaging in a wider range of activities throughout their professional
lives.

Thus, engineering education must take into account the social, economic, and
political contexts of engineering practice. Students learn teamwork and communication
skills, as well as how to acquire new knowledge and skills on their own. Because many
modern engineering projects require a combination of several disciplines, students also
need exposure to the integrative field of systems engineering.

Engineers and their practices, in my opinion, have been encouraged for one primary
reason: to benefit humanity. We are constantly interacting with our surroundings in
modern society. We harvest and extract all the resources that we need to sustain human life
and culture human empires. However, it is the engineer's responsibility to minimize the
effects of damage on the surrounding ecosystems and to design necessary infrastructure
that is both efficient and safe.

It is the role of the engineer to protect the environment and the people within it.
Engineers strive to benefit the people of the present by constructing efficient structures
that improve transportation and living habits. By extension, engineering is planning for the
continuous growth of the human population and providing sufficient resources for future
generations.

Engineers must be efficient, taking into consideration construction costs, time, and
the wellness of people. In this regard, they serve as a model for mult-itaskers everywhere!
Engineers must ensure the safety of its users when designing a skyscraper or bridge. Panic
and extreme stress are caused by collapses. In a sense, adequate engineering ensures not
only support but also comfort. Engineering can provide many solutions, not just to the
infrastructure issues we have, but also to the re-modelling of public services.

1.4 If your introduction to engineering class has a term project, present your final work at a
mall at the date set by your instructor. If the project has a competitive component, hold
the design competition at the mall.

- N/A

1.5 Prepare a 15-minute oral presentation about engineering and its various disciplines,
and the next time you go home present it to the juniors in your high school. Ask your
college engineering department and engineering organizations on your campus to
provide engineering-related brochures to take along.

ANSWERS:

Engineering and various Disciplines:

Engineering is the discipline, art and profession of acquiring and applying technical,
scientific, and mathematical knowledge to design and implement materials, structures,
machines, devices, systems, and processes that safely realize a desired objective or
invention.

Disciplines:

1. Chemical Engineering – As the name implies, chemical engineers use the principles
of chemistry and basic engineering sciences to solve a variety of problems related to
the production of chemicals and their use in various industries, including the
pharmaceutical, electronic, and photographic industries. Most chemical engineers
are employed by chemical, petroleum refining, film, paper, plastic, paint, and other
related industries. Chemical engineers also work in metallurgical, food processing,
biotechnology and fermentation industries. They usually specialize in certain areas
such as polymers, oxidation, fertilizers, or pollution control.
 2. Civil Engineering - Civil engineering is perhaps the oldest engineering discipline. As
the name implies, civil engineering is concerned with providing public
infrastructure and services. Civil engineers design and supervise the construction of
buildings, roads and highways, bridges, dams, tunnels, mass transit systems, and
airports.
3. Electrical and Electronic Engineering - Electrical and electronic engineering is
the largest engineering discipline. Electrical engineers design, develop, test, and
supervise the manufacturing of electrical equipment, including lighting and wiring
for buildings, cars, buses, trains, ships ,and aircrafts; power generation and
transmission equipment for utility companies; electric motors found in various
products; control devices; and radar equipment.
4. Mechanical Engineering - The mechanical engineering discipline, which has
evolved over the years as new technologies have emerged, is one of the broadest
engineering disciplines. Mechanical engineers are involved in the design,
development, testing, and manufacturing of machines, robots, tools, power
generating equipment such as steam and gas turbines, heating, cooling, and
refrigerating equipment, and internal combustion engines.

1.6 This is a class project. Prepare a Web site for engineering and its various branches. Elect
a group leader, then divide up the tasks among yourselves. As you work on the project, take
note of both the pleasures and problems that arise from working in a team environment.
Write a brief report about your experiences regarding this project. What are your
recommendations for others who may work on a similar project?

ANSWERS:

Engineers apply scientific principles to design or develop structures, equipment, or

processes. Engineering encompasses several disciplines. Traditionally, the main branches of
engineering are chemical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and
mechanical engineering, but there are many other areas of specialization.
● Engineering is a huge discipline. In general, an engineer applies scientific knowledge
to solve practical problems and design equipment and processes.
● Engineering students typically study one of the main branches of engineering:
chemical, electrical, civil, and mechanical.
● Many more disciplines are available, with more described over time. Examples
include aerospace engineering and computer engineering.

Some of the list are more popular in disciplines of engineering. This is by no means a
complete list. In fact, most schools will have only the traditional disciplines available as
majors. There are many more engineering branches, with more being developed all the
time as new technologies develop. . However, within these disciplines, you will most likely
be involved in research or coursework that encompass several others. You may also notice
that there is a great deal of overlap among disciplines.
1.7 This is a team project. Prepare a Web-based presentation of the history and future of
engineering. Collect pictures, short videos, graphs, and so on. Provide links to major
engineering societies as well as to major research and development centers.

ANSWERS:

History of Engineering:
It has been pretty well agreed that the words 'ingenuity' and 'engineering' in English
and 'ingéniosité' and 'ingénierie' in French are linked to the same Latin word-root and that
the verb 'to engineer' means 'to be ingenious.' So the kinds of things engineers have done
have been generally ingenious. And the word 'engine' means 'an ingenious and useful
device.

Introduction In prehistoric times, men and women had to be ingenious in order to

survive hunger, enemies, climate and, later, the tyranny of distance. So there have always
been 'engineers' around, many of whom were involved in activities we would not associate
with engineering today. They were rather involved in hunting, farming, fishing, fighting,
implement- and tool-making, transportation and many other things.

Engineering tools from around 3000 BC, the pace of development quickened. After
simple tools came the development of wedges, wheels and levers, the use of animals to
carry and draw loads and of fire to work metals, the digging of irrigation canals, and
open-pit mining.
1.8 This is a class project. Each of you is to ask his or her parents to think back to when they
graduated from high school or college and to create a list of products and services that
are available in their everyday lives now that were not available to them then. Ask them
if they ever imagined that these products and services would be available today. To get
your parents started, here are few examples: cellular phones, ATM cards, personal
computers, airbags in cars, price scanners at the supermarket, E-Z Passes for tolls, and
so on. Ask your parents to explain how these products have made their lives better (or
worse).

ANSWERS:

There has been a tremendous leap in technologies available today compared to what
existed a quarter century ago, some of the products and services available today which
revolutionized the everyday life are
- Cars with increased safety precautions like airbags, ABS, ESP which have made
travelling safer.
- Improved and advanced communications like satellite phones, GPS, 4th generation
cellular network which have acted as the frontiers for global development
 - Advanced drugs and new methods of medical treatments like Radiology,
chemotherapy, whose wide spread usage has cured considerable masses of the
effected population
- Global products and services are available to every nook and corner of the world
vastly improving the choices available to the general public as a result of
globalization.

1.9 This is a class project. Each of you is to compile a list of products and services that are
not available now that you think will be readily available in the next 50 years. Compile a
complete list and present it to the class. You can post your findings on Problems 8 and 9
to my Web page, so that the rest of the country can look at your results.

- N/A

1.10 Perform a Web search to obtain information about the number of engineers
employed by specific area and their mean salaries in recent years. Present your findings
to your instructor.

ANSWERS

The starting salaries of engineers are significantly higher than those of bachelor's
degree graduates in other fields. The outlook for engineering is very good. Good
employment opportunities are expected for new engineering during 2008-2015. Most
engineering degrees are granted in electrical, mechanical, and civil engineering. Year after
year, engineering jobs are paid the highest average starting salary. One thing is certain:
engineers will continue to play a major role in shaping the world of tomorrow. The bottom
line: it is well worth the time and effort it takes to become an engineer.

1.11 If you are planning to study chemical engineering, investigate what is meant by each of
the following terms: polymers, plastics, thermoplastics, and thermosetting. Give at least ten
examples of plastic products that are consumed every day. Write a brief report explaining
your findings.

ANSWERS

Polymers:
A polymer is a large molecule (macromolecule) composed of repeating structural units
typically connected by covalent chemical bonds.

While polymer in popular usage suggests plastic, the term actually refers to a large class of
natural and synthetic materials with a wide variety of properties typically associated with
plastics.
Because of the extraordinary range of properties accessible in polymeric materials, they
play an essential role in everyday life.

A simple example is polyethylene, whose repeating unit is based on Ethylene. Most

commonly the continuously linked backbone of a polymer used for the preparation of
plastics consists mainly of carbon atoms.

The list of synthetic polymers includes synthetic rubber, Bakelite, neoprene, nylon, PVC,
polystyrene, polyethylene, polypropylene, poly-acrylo-nitrile, PVB, silicone, and many more.

Plastics:
The mass use of plastic started in the 1950s and has steadily grown ever since. Today, more
than 300 million tons of plastic are produced annually.

The popularity of plastic is due not only to its low production costs but also its numerous
practical characteristics, including its low weight, acid resistance, and flexibility. In
addition, plastic’s flexible properties encourage technological innovations
and—particularly in the fields of medicine, building technology, and aircraft and
automobile manufacturing—lead to new solutions, improvements, and comfort.

Plastics consist of long molecular chains, known as polymers, created by linking the same
repeated building element (monomer). Synthetically produced plastics are made from
mineral oil, coal, or natural gas. A total of 4 percent of the worldwide production of oil and
gas is destined for the manufacture of plastics.

In addition to synthetic plastics there are also the semi-synthetics that are made from
natural polymers such as cellulose. Today, organic plastics made from sustainable raw
materials are being produced in increasing amounts.

The most common types of plastics, known as the mass plastics, are: polyethylene,
polypropylene, PVC, polystyrene, PET, and polyurethane.

1. Plastic Grocery Bags 6. Disposable Coffee Cups

2. Plastic Straw 7. Plastic Gloves
3. Plastic Water Bottles 8.Polystyrene
4. Plastic Wrap 9. Plastic Utensils
5. Ziploc Baggies 10. Sachet

Thermoplastics
Thermoplastics are a class of polymers that can be softened and melted by the
application of heat, and can be processed either in the heat-softened state (e.g. by
thermoforming) or in the liquid state (e.g. by extrusion and injection molding).
Thermoplastics are polymers that can be softened through heating before being
processed and then left to cool and harden. Once cooled, they show no changes in
chemical properties, meaning they can be re-melted and re-used several times.
Thermosetting

Thermoset materials are defined as materials that will undergo or have undergone a
chemical reaction by the action of heat, catalyst, ultraviolet light, etc., resulting in a
relatively infusable state.

1.12 If you are planning to study electrical engineering, investigate how electricity is
generated and distributed. Write a brief report explaining your findings.

ANSWERS

Electricity generation is the process of creating electricity from other forms of

energy.
The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820’s and
early 1830’s by the British scientist Michael Faraday. There are many different types of
electricity generators. He made the first electricity generator called a Faraday disk, which
operates on this relationship between magnetism and electricity and which led to the
design of the electromagnetic generators that we use today.

Electricity is generated by the movement of a loop of wire, or disc of copper between

the poles of a magnet. Electricity is most often generated at a power plant by
electromechanical generators, primarily driven by heat engines fueled by combustion or
nuclear fission but also by other means such as the kinetic energy of flowing water and
wind. Other energy sources include solar photovoltaics and geothermal power.

Electricity is delivered to consumers through a complex network. Electricity is generated

at power plants and moves through a complex system, sometimes called the grid, of
electricity substations, transformers, and power lines that connect electricity producers
and consumers.

Power plants generate electricity that is delivered to customers through transmission and
distribution power lines. High-voltage transmission lines, such as those that hang between
tall metal towers, carry electricity over long distances to meet customer needs. Higher
voltage electricity is more efficient and less expensive for long-distance electricity
transmission. Lower voltage electricity is safer for use in homes and businesses.
Transformers at substations increase (step up) or reduce (step down) voltages to adjust to
the different stages of the journey from the power plant on long-distance transmission lines
to distribution lines that carry electricity to homes and businesses.

1.13 Electric motors are found in many appliances and devices around your home. Identify
at least ten products at home that use electric motors.
ANSWERS

Motors have also influenced how we live at home, especially when it comes to doing house
chores. Here are some surprising examples of household appliances and devices that
use electric motor technology

Computer
- One of the most common household appliances ever since the dawn of the Internet!
Computers do in fact sport motors, even if at first glance it doesn’t seem to have any
moving parts. The motors have to do with its hard disk drives. It ‘spins’ the platters
in a drive and read the data stored on them. The cooling fans that wick hot air away
from the inside of the unit also requires motors to spin.
Refrigerator
- Another common household appliance, the refrigerator needs small motors to
operate its compressor. This compresses the refrigerant chemical into a liquid to
create the cold temperature that helps preserve fresh goods. Air conditioners work
in a similar fashion.
Microwave oven
- There’s also a motor in the microwave oven, a kitchen appliance used to heat
leftovers and thaw out frozen goods. It’s mainly in the turntable mechanism that
slowly rotates your food as the microwave itself starts the heating process.
Washing machine
- A washing machine needs a heavy-duty motor to be able to do its job— cleaning
your dirty laundry! For twin-tub machines that have a washing tub and a spin dryer
tub, two motors are needed. The front-loading machines on the other hand generally
just make do with one.
Vacuum cleaner
- This ever-reliable device requires a powerful suction motor to ‘suck in’ dust and dirt
off floors and carpets. Some models even allow for the flow of air to be reversed.
This allows you to use your cleaner as a blower in a hurry.
Smartphone
- Yes, that pocket-sized computer in your bag or pocket does have a couple of motors
inside it too! One of them is easy to find— the one that gives your phone its vibration
function. There’s also one in your phone’s camera lens to help it focus, zoom as well
as stabilize the image.
Electric toothbrush
- This automated wonder that lets us clean our teeth quickly and thoroughly also has
a micro motor in it. This makes the bristle head vibrate and spin at the touch of a
button.
Electric fan
- The alternative to the air conditioner has one of the largest motors ever made to be
operated inside a home. Depending on its size and make, it can be the loudest as
well. No one can deny though how energy- and cost-efficient it is in bringing down
the temperature on a hot and humid afternoon.
Heaters
 - The warmth from the engine goes from the radiator to the heater core, which
basically acts as a heat exchanger. It allows coolant to flow through, and this flow of
coolant is regulated by the heater control valve. As the engine's heat is carried by
coolant into the heater core, the device starts to get warm.
Mixer
- For a mixer grinder, we use UNIVERSAL MOTOR. This motor is used in other home
appliances too like refrigerators, fans, etc. The universal motor is an electric motor
that can operate on either AC or DC power and uses an electromagnet as its stator to
create the magnetic field

1.14 Identify at least 20 different materials that are used in various products at home.

ANSWERS

A material is a substance that people find useful such that it is produced for economic
reasons. Materials are commonly used to produce parts, components and products. They
are also used to build infrastructure, buildings and landscapes. Materials can also be
consumed in processes such as farming, manufacturing and logistics.

The following are common types of material.

1. Plastic- A broad category of organic compounds that are molded into a wide variety
of parts, components, products and packaging. Plastic is inexpensive and highly
versatile and is widely used. It is often negatively perceived as plastic waste
commonly ends up in waterways and oceans with chemicals from plastic leaching
into water and ending up in food.
2. Metals- Metals and alloys such as iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, tin, nickel, silver,
gold, steel, brass and bronze.
3. Wood - Products of woody plants including pine, spruce, oak, elm, cherry, maple,
linden, ash, bamboo, rattan and cork. Wood used in construction serves to sequester
carbon. It is also a renewable and sustainable resource if forests are managed
responsibly.
4. Paper - A highly processed wood product that is used in a wide variety of products
such as boxes, packaging, books and toilet paper.
5. Natural Textiles - Flexible natural materials used in clothing, furniture and a variety
of other products. Natural textiles include cotton, wool, flax, silk, hemp and
cashmere. Textiles are fibers that are typically formed into long threads and woven
into cloth.
6. Synthetic Textiles - Textiles produced from chemicals include polyester, acrylic,
nylon, spandex and carbon fibre.
7. Leather - A durable and flexible material made from animal skin, mostly cattle.
8. Fibers - Other fiber materials beyond textiles. Natural fibers such as wood fiber are
often used to make other materials such as paper and wood products. Synthetic
fibers include metallic fibers, carbon fiber, fiberglass and optical fiber.
9. Glass - is a solid material that is often based on the chemical compound silica that is
a naturally occurring type of sand. Glass is valued for its transparency and hardness
and is used to make a wide range of products including windows, glassware and
fibre optic cables.
10. Chemicals - These include fine chemicals, specialty chemicals, organic chemicals,
inorganic chemicals, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Common uses of
chemicals include plastics, synthetic fibers, synthetic rubber, dyes, paints, coating,
fertilizers, pesticides, cosmetics, soaps, cleaning agents and medicines. Chemicals
are also used in mining, manufacturing and agricultural processes.
11. Composite Materials - Combining materials with different properties to produce
materials that are strong, light and/or cheap. Examples include reinforced concrete
composed of steel and concrete, composite wood made from wood fiber and
adhesives, reinforced plastic such as plastics strengthened with carbon fiber and
ceramic matrix composites made with ceramics and metal.
12. Minerals - naturally occurring chemical compounds. These include talc, gypsum,
calcite, fluorite, apatite, quartz, topaz and corundum.
13. Stone - are solid aggregates of minerals such as flint, granite, limestone, sandstone
and gems. Small rocks such as gravel and sand are also common materials.
14. Concrete - A composite material made with chemicals, water, minerals, gravel,
crushed rocks and sand. Concrete production emits significant amounts of carbon
dioxide. However, in theory concrete could be used to sequester carbon.
15. Plaster - A material that is similar to concrete for use in interiors. Often made from
gypsum, lime or cement. Plaster is not a strong material that is not used for
load-bearing structures. It is easy to shape and is somewhat softer than concrete.
16. Ceramic - A category of non-metallic hard material that includes earthenware,
stoneware, porcelain, bone china and boron carbide.
17. Rubber - Natural and synthetic rubbers valued for their stretch ratio, resilience and
waterproof qualities.
18. Foam - Materials that have an internal structure that traps air such that they are
lightweight. Foams have a variety of applications such as thermal insulation, sound
proofing and padding for furniture.
19. Semiconductor - A semiconductor is a type of material that is valued for its
electrical properties. Semiconductor materials aren't exactly a conductor such as
gold or a insulator such as glass but fall somewhere in-between. They are often
made from silicon with controlled impurities added to change the properties of the
material for different applications. Semiconductors are primarily used in electronics
including computing units and solar panels.
20. Rare-earths - A collection of metals that have various industrial uses. There are 17
rare-earth elements namely cerium, dysprosium, erbium, europium, gadolinium,
holmium, lanthanum, lutetium, neodymium, praseodymium, promethium,
samarium, scandium, terbium, thulium, ytterbium and yttrium. Despite their name,
most rare-earths are plentiful in the Earth's crust but concentrated deposits of
rare-earths that are inexpensive to extract and refine are relatively rare.
1.15 If you are planning to study civil engineering, investigate what is meant by dead load,
live load, impact load, wind load, and snow load in the design of structures. Write a brief
memo to your instructor discussing your findings.

Dead load:

In mechanical and structural engineering, dead load is a kind of forces exerted on an object.
The concept is used especially where analysis of real-world objects is required.

A 'load' is any type of force exerted on an object, which may be in the form of an
"unrevealed weight" (gravitational force), and a pressure etc.

Dead loads are weights of material, equipment, or components that are relatively constant
throughout the structure's life. Permanent loads are a wider category that includes dead
loads but also includes forces set up by irreversible changes in a structure's constraints.
For example: Loads due to settlement, the secondary effects of pre-stress or due to
shrinkage and creep in concrete.

Also, dead loads are not limited to walls, floors, roofs, ceilings, stairways, built-in partitions,
finishes, cladding and other similarly incorporated architectural and structural items, and
fixed services

Live Load:

Live loads, also known as imposed loads, are usually temporary, changeable and dynamic.
These include loads such as vehicle traffic, occupants, furniture and other equipment. The
intensity of these loads may vary depending on the time of day, for example an office
building may experience increased live loads during week-day work hours but much
smaller loads during the night or at weekends.

Live loads may be concentrated or distributed and may

involve impact, vibration or acceleration.

Wind load:
Wind loads can be applied by the movement of air relative to a structure, and analysis
draws upon an understanding of meteorology
and aerodynamics as well as structures. Wind load may not be a significant concern for
small, massive, low-level buildings, but it gains importance with height, the use of
lighter materials and the use of shapes that my affect the flow of air, typically roof forms.

Where the dead weight of a structure is insufficient to resist wind loads,

additional structure and fixings may be required.
A building's design wind speed is usually determined from historical records using
extreme value theory to predict unusual wind speeds that may occur in the future.

Particular effects that may need to be considered might include:

● Corner streams or jets that occur around the corners of buildings.
● Vortex shedding that occurs in the wake of a building.
● Through-flow, or passage jets, that occurs in a passage through a building or small
gap between two buildings.

In complex situations, it may be necessary to undertake wind

tunnel testing of building forms to assess the change in air flows caused by the presence of
a structure. Increasingly, analysis is also possible using computational fluid
dynamics software.

Impact Loads:
Impact loads are sudden or rapid loads applied on a structure over a relatively short period
of time compared with other structural loads. They cause larger stresses in structural
members than those produced by gradually applied loads of the same magnitude. Examples
of impact loads are loads from moving vehicles, vibrating machinery, or dropped weights.
In practice, impact loads are considered equal to imposed loads that are incremented by
some percentage, called the impact factor.

Snow load:
This is the load that can be imposed by the accumulation of snow and is more of a concern
in geographic regions where snowfalls can be heavy and frequent. Significant quantities of
snow can accumulate, adding a sizeable load to a structure.
The shape of a roof is a particularly important factor in the magnitude of the snow load.
Snow falling on a flat roof is likely to accumulate, whereas snow is more likely to fall of a
steeper the roof pitch This may be similar issues in areas of
heavy rainfall where ponding may occur.

1.16 This is a group project. As you can see from our discussion of the engineering
profession in this chapter, people rely quite heavily on engineers to provide them with safe
and reliable goods and services. Moreover, you realize that there is no room for mistakes or
dishonesty in engineering! Mistakes made by engineers could cost not only money but also
more importantly lives. Think about the following: An incompetent and unethical surgeon
could cause the death of at most one person at one time, whereas an incompetent and
unethical engineer could cause the deaths of hundreds of people at one time. If in order to
save money an unethical engineer designs a bridge or a part for an airplane that does not
meet the safety requirements, hundreds of peoples’ lives are at risk!

Visit the Web site of the National Society of Professional Engineers and research
engineering ethics. Discuss why engineering ethics is so important, and explain why
engineers are expected to practice engineering using the highest standards of honesty and
integrity. Give examples of engineering codes of ethics. Write a brief report to your
instructor explaining your findings.

ANSWERS

Continuous growth of science and technology during the latter half of the
19th century and the early 20th century meant more and more people were affected by the
technological advancements.
As the influence of technology and the comforts offered to the common man grew, so did
the destructive effects of engineering as seen in the structural failures such as bridge
collapse.

● Engineers are held to high standards with their work, certainly higher than most
other careers. But they should also be held to high ethical standards, to ensure all
their work isn’t harming people, or eroding public trust in our institutions.
Engineers are now an integral part of how the world functions on a
minute-to-minute level. They build the computers that hold data about our schools,
hospitals, and governments. They build the security that keeps that data safe from
hackers. They build the systems that guide our planes, that schedule our trains that
keep us safe from harm. This is an important undertaking, and because of the
profound impact it has on human society, one that should be approached with ethics
in mind.

● Honesty and integrity are two of the most important values that engineers must
uphold. The engineering code of professional ethics demands that engineers be
honest in all their dealings, both with the clients and employers, as well as the
public. Engineers must follow an ethical code of conduct to ensure that they are
honest in all their transactions. And they must also maintain the integrity of the
engineering profession by not engaging in any fraudulent or deceptive activities.

● When engineers keep to the code of ethics, even when faced with a problem or other
distractions in their work, they will remain honest. Engineers are entrusted with the
task of working on projects that impact our daily lives. Whether it is engineering a
bridge, designing an aircraft, building a power plant, or managing engineering
teams, engineers have the power to shape the world around us.

● An engineering code of ethics (or engineering code of professional ethics) is a set of

principles that establishes professional conduct and moral guidelines that
professional engineers are obligated to follow. These principles require engineers to
protect public safety, put the interests of clients and employers ahead of their own,
and conduct themselves in an honest and ethical manner at all times. Engineering
codes of ethics help foster public trust in the engineering profession which allows
engineers to innovate and develop new technologies to improve our modern society.