What’s an engineer?

An engineer is a person who creates solutions to solve problems. They determine what the problem is and brainstorm ideas to help solve it.

Anything that is built must first be planned out. This is done by engineers. Using math and science, engineers can create things like:

Towers

A tower is a tall, narrow building that is free standing or forms part of a building such as a castle or church. It can have a function like a water tower or a radio tower.

Bridges

A bridge is a structure carrying a road, path, railroad, or canal across a river, ravine, road, railroad, or other obstacle.

Mazes

A maze is a network of interconnecting pathways that have a starting and ending point. Most mazes have a single starting point and a single end point.

Roller Coasters

A roller coaster is an amusement park attraction that consists of a light railroad track with many tight turns and steep slopes, on which people ride in small, open cars.

Engineers follow a specific process when coming up with solutions to problems. This is sometimes called the “design process.” Engineers also must keep in mind the cost and timing of their solutions in order to find the best fit.

Sometimes there are many solutions to a problem and an engineer has to figure out which one is best. Engineers may also run into problems and need to try many different ideas before they find a solution that solves their problem.