Thinking Like an Engineer An Active Learning Approach

by Stephan, Elizabeth A.; Park, William J.; Sill, Benjamin L.; Bowman, David R.; Ohland, Matthew W.

• ISBN13: 9780132766715
• ISBN10: 013276671X
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Spiral Bound
• Copyright: 2012-01-11
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

THINKING LIKE AN ENGINEER: AN ACTIVE LEARNING APPROACH is specifically designed to utilize an active learningenvironment for first year engineering courses. This text is ideal for an introduction to engineering. In-class activities include collaborative problem-solving, computer-based activities, and hands-on experiments, encouraging guided inquiry. Homework assignments and review sections reinforce and expand on the activities. Content can be customized to match the topic organization in your course syllabi.

Author Biography

Elizabeth A. Stephan is the Director of the General Engineering Program at Clemson University.  She earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from The University of Akron.  During her undergraduate work, she completed a cooperative education experience with Dow Chemical in Midland, MI, conducted research on coal purification methods, and was named the College of Engineering Outstanding Senior.  After graduation, she was employed by Boride, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemical in Traverse City, MI, specializing in high-performance ceramics.  She returned to The University of Akron on a College of Engineering Fellowship, earning her PhD in Chemical Engineering focusing on multiphase transport processes.  She has taught at The University of Akron and Wayne College, and served in several post-doctoral positions.  She joined the faculty at Clemson in January, 2002 in the General Engineering Program, assuming the role of Director in 2007.  Beth has served as a national official as a district director in Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society, since 1996.  She is the chief advisor for the South Carolina Alpha Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, and an advisor for the Clemson chapter of Alpha Omega Epsilon, a professional sorority. 

 

David R. Bowman has been teaching in the General Engineering Program at Clemson University since January, 2006.  He earned his degrees from Clemson University, including a BS and MS in Computer Engineering and is currently pursuing a PhD.  A member of ASEE, David has experience in the design and development of software tools for engineering education research and pedagogy.  During his undergraduate and graduate work, David hosted All Screams Considered, an award winning radio show on WSBF-FM, whose name apes the popular NPR program All Things Considered.  In addition to broadcasting, David enjoys performing music on acoustic, electric, and bass guitars.

 

William J. Park is currently an associate professor in the Engineering and Science Education Department at Clemson University. Following a few years as a cattle farmer, he completed three degrees at Clemson University:  a BS in Ornamental Horticulture with a particular emphasis on xerophytic plants, an MS in Electrical Engineering focusing on electronic music synthesis, and a PhD in Electrical Engineering conducting research in electronic counter-counter measures. Bill is currently faculty advisor for a student team renovating a very large 1970’s vintage electronic organ, and is a moderately accomplished pianist.

 

Benjamin L. Sill is Alumni Professor Emeritus of Civil Engineering, having retired in 2008 after 32 years at Clemson University. He earned a BS and MS from N.C. State University in Aerospace Engineering and a PhD from Virginia Tech in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. Before he joined Clemson, Ben was employed by the Naval Ordnance Station, Indian Head, MD, and by Duke Power Company, Charlotte, NC. At Clemson, he was a founder of Clemson’s Wind Load Test Facility. Beginning in 1999 he served as the Director of Clemson’s General Engineering Program. In 2007, he helped establish a new Engineering and Science Education Department at Clemson, and served as its chair until his retirement.  He is the recipient of numerous teaching and research awards, including the prestigious Clemson Class of 1939 Award.  Outside the university, he gives numerous presentations with topics ranging from humorous to educational – including talks on ancient coins, old maps, wildflowers, houseplants, snakes, birds, and hurricanes. Ben has authored three bird books, has published technical articles on snakes, frogs, fish, volleyball, and bromeliads and has created and registered many new bromeliad hybrids.

 

Matthew W. Ohland is currently an associate professor of Engineering Education at Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN.  He earned a BS in Engineering and a BA in Religion from Swarthmore College, MS degrees in both Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida. Matt was an NSF postdoctoral fellow for science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education and joined the faculty of General Engineering at Clemson University in 2001.  In 2006, he joined the faculty at Purdue University. He was the 2002-2006 National President of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.  He currently serves as the Chair of the Educational Research and Methods division and an ABET Program Evaluator for the American Society of Engineering Education, on the Administrative Committee of the IEEE Education Society, and as the Chair of the Steering Committee of the IEEE Transactions on Learning Technology.

Table of Contents

PREFACE ix
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xvii
Part 1 ENGINEERING ESSENTIALS 1
ENGINEERING IS AN . . . ITCH! 3
CHAPTER 1 EVERYDAY ENGINEERING 6
1.1 CHOOSING A CAREER 6
1.2 CHOOSING ENGINEERING AS A CAREER 7
1.3 NAE GRAND CHALLENGES FOR ENGINEERING 9
1.4 CHOOSING A SPECIFIC ENGINEERING FIELD 12
1.5 GATHERING INFORMATION 20
1.6 PURSUING STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES 22
REVIEW QUESTIONS 32

CHAPTER 2 ETHICS 36
2.1 ETHICAL DECISION MAKING 37
2.2 PLAGIARISM 42
2.3 ENGINEERING CREED 43
2.4 SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY 44
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 46

CHAPTER 3 DESIGN AND TEAMWORK 53
3.1 THE DESIGN PROCESS 53
3.2 BRAINSTORMING IN THE DESIGN PROCESS 55
3.3 EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: PERIOD ANALYSIS 55
3.4 CRITERIA AND EVALUATION 58
3.5 SUSTAINABILITY 64
3.6 WORKING IN TEAMS 65
3.7 PROJECT TIMELINE 72
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 74
MINI DESIGN PROJECTS 75

CHAPTER 4 ENGINEERING COMMUNICATION 79
4.1 BASIC PRESENTATION SKILLS 80
4.2 SAMPLE PRESENTATIONS 82
4.3 BASIC TECHNICAL WRITING SKILLS 85
4.4 COMMON TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION FORMATS 89
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 95
REVIEW QUESTIONS 102

CHAPTER 5 ESTIMATION 107
5.1 GENERAL HINTS FOR ESTIMATION 110
5.2 ESTIMATION BY ANALOGY 112
5.3 ESTIMATION BY AGGREGATION 112
5.4 ESTIMATION BY UPPER AND LOWER BOUNDS 113
5.5 ESTIMATION USING MODELING 113
5.6 SIGNIFICANT FIGURES 114
5.7 REASONABLENESS 117
5.8 NOTATION 122
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 124
REVIEW QUESTIONS 127

CHAPTER 6 SOLVEM 128
6.1 DEFINING SOLVEM 128
6.2 REPRESENTING FINAL RESULTS 134
6.3 AVOIDING COMMON MISTAKES 134
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 138
REVIEW QUESTIONS 141

Part 2 UBIQUITOUS UNITS 143
HOW I STUDY 144
HOW ATTITUDES ARE ASSESSED: FOUR PROFILES 145
HOW MBTI HELPS INDIVIDUAL AND TEAM INTERACTIONS 147

CHAPTER 7 FUNDAMENTAL DIMENSIONS
AND BASE UNITS 153
7.1 THE METRIC SYSTEM 154
7.2 OTHER UNIT SYSTEMS 157
7.3 CONVERSION PROCEDURE FOR UNITS 157
7.4 CONVERSIONS INVOLVING MULTIPLE STEPS 160
7.5 CONVERSIONS INVOLVING “NEW” UNITS 164
7.6 DERIVED DIMENSIONS AND UNITS 166
7.7 EQUATION LAWS 168
7.8 CONVERSION INVOLVING EQUATIONS 171
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 173
REVIEW QUESTIONS 179

CHAPTER 8 UNIVERSAL UNITS 182
8.1 FORCE 182
8.2 WEIGHT 183
8.3 DENSITY 186
8.4 AMOUNT 190
8.5 TEMPERATURE 193
8.6 PRESSURE 196
8.7 GAS PRESSURE 202
8.8 ENERGY 204
8.9 POWER 207
8.10 EFFICIENCY 209
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 215
REVIEW QUESTIONS 224

CHAPTER 9 DIMENSIONLESS NUMBERS 231
9.1 COMMON DIMENSIONLESS NUMBERS 231
9.2 DIMENSIONAL ANALYSIS 233
9.3 RAYLEIGH’S METHOD 237
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 245
REVIEW QUESTIONS 249

Part 3 SCRUPULOUS WORKSHEETS 255
TIME MANAGEMENT 257
GOAL SETTING, BE REALISTIC 259

CHAPTER 10 EXCEL WORKBOOKS 262
10.1 CELL REFERENCES 263
10.2 FUNCTIONS IN EXCEL 266
10.3 LOGIC AND CONDITIONALS 273
10.4 LOOKUP AND DATA VALIDATION 280
10.5 CONDITIONAL FORMATTING 284
10.6 SORTING AND FILTERS 287
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 294
REVIEW QUESTIONS 304

CHAPTER 11 GRAPHICAL SOLUTIONS 318
11.1 GRAPHING TERMINOLOGY 318
11.2 PROPER PLOTS 319
11.3 AVAILABLE GRAPH TYPES IN EXCEL 326
11.4 GRAPH INTERPRETATION 328
11.5 MEANING OF THE LINE SHAPES 332
11.6 GRAPHICAL SOLUTIONS 337
11.7 AUTOMATED CALCULATIONS: ITERATION 342
11.8 AUTOMATED CALCULATIONS: SLIDER BARS 345
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 348
REVIEW QUESTIONS 358

CHAPTER 12 MODELS AND SYSTEMS 370
12.1 LINEAR FUNCTIONS 372
12.2 LINEAR RELATIONSHIPS 374
12.3 POWER FUNCTIONS 390
12.4 EXPONENTIAL FUNCTIONS 393
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 398
REVIEW QUESTIONS 405

CHAPTER 13 MATHEMATICAL MODELS 424
13.1 SELECTING A TRENDLINE TYPE 424
13.2 INTERPRETING LOGARITHMIC GRAPHS 433
13.3 CONVERTING SCALES TO LOG IN EXCEL 440
13.4 DEALING WITH LIMITATIONS OF EXCEL 442
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 449
REVIEW QUESTIONS 455

CHAPTER 14 STATISTICS 465
14.1 HISTOGRAMS 466
14.2 STATISTICAL BEHAVIOR 469
14.3 DISTRIBUTIONS 472
14.4 CUMULATIVE DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS 478
14.5 STATISTICAL PROCESS CONTROL (SPC) 480
14.6 STATISTICS IN EXCEL 487
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 492
REVIEW QUESTIONS 500

Part 4 PUNCTILIOUS PROGRAMMING 509
SOME ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS 510
HOW I LEARNED TO PROGRAM . . . 511
HOW I LEARNED TO PROGRAM . . . 512

CHAPTER 15 ALGORITHMS 515
15.1 SCOPE 515
15.2 WRITTEN ALGORITHMS 517
15.3 GRAPHICAL ALGORITHMS 519
15.4 ALGORITHM BEST PRACTICES 524
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 531
REVIEW QUESTIONS 533

CHAPTER 16 PROGRAMS AND FUNCTIONS 535
16.1 PROGRAMMING BASICS 535
16.2 PROGRAMS 539
16.3 MATRIX OPERATIONS 545
16.4 FUNCTIONS 549
16.5 DEBUGGING MATLAB CODE 553
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 555
REVIEW QUESTIONS 561

CHAPTER 17 INPUT/OUTPUT IN MATLAB 564
17.1 INPUT 564
17.2 OUTPUT 567
17.3 PLOTTING 570
17.4 POLYFIT 576
17.5 STATISTICS 582
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 587
REVIEW QUESTIONS 594

CHAPTER 18 LOGIC AND CONDITIONALS 600
18.1 TRUTH TABLES 600
18.2 BINARY NUMBERS 603
18.3 LOGIC AND RELATIONAL OPERATORS IN MATLAB 604
18.4 CONDITIONAL STATEMENTS IN MATLAB 605
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 610
REVIEW QUESTIONS 616

CHAPTER 19 LOOPING STRUCTURES 624
19.1 for LOOPS 624
19.2 while LOOPS 630
19.3 APPLICATION OF LOOPS: CELL ARRAYS AND CELL MATRICES 632
19.4 APPLICATION OF LOOPS: EXCEL I/O 636
19.5 APPLICATION OF LOOPS: GUI 643
IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES 656
REVIEW QUESTIONS 660

UMBRELLA PROJECTS
BREAKEVEN ANALYSIS: SMALL PARTS 668
TRENDLINE ANALYSIS: HOOKE’S LAW 672
TRENDLINE ANALYSIS: PENDULUMS 675
TRENDLINE ANALYSIS: BOUNCING SPRINGS 680
MATHEMATICAL MODEL ANALYSIS: CANTILEVER BEAMS & CLEAN WATER 686
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: CONFIGURATION MATTERS 695
MATLAB MINI-PROJECT: SECURING CYBERSPACE 699
MATLAB MINI-PROJECT: ADVANCE PERSONALIZED LEARNING 705
MATLAB MINI-PROJECT: DO YOU WANT TO PLAY A GAME? 709
MATLAB PROJECT: IMAGE PROCESSING 712
MATLAB PROJECT: DMV LINES 715
MATLAB PROJECT: DESIGNING A BETTER VACUUM 719
ANSWERS 724
INDEX 736