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Mechanical Engineer
Designs and builds machines, engines, and mechanical systems — from robots to rockets.
Did you know?
More than 50 paper clip designs were patented before 1899, yet the classic Gem paper clip most of us use was never patented.
How subjects help
- Mathematics: Calculate how much stress a gear or shaft can take before it bends or snaps.
- Physics: Work out forces, heat and motion so an engine runs smoothly without overheating.
- Chemistry: Pick metals and plastics that won't rust, melt or crack inside a hot engine.
- Art & Design: Sketch a machine part and model it on screen so others can see how it fits together.
A famous name
James Watt: Scottish engineer whose improved steam engine of the 1760s-70s helped power the Industrial Revolution.
Try it yourself: Take apart a click pen
- Click the pen a few times and guess what is happening inside. Draw your guess.
- Twist the pen apart slowly over a table so no small parts roll away. Lay every piece out in order. (Keep the little spring away from young children.)
- Draw each part and label what you think it does: spring, ink tube, clicker.
- Put it back together, but leave one part out. Does it still work? Try each part in turn to find which ones really matter.
Engineers and mechanics take machines apart ("reverse engineering") to learn how the parts work together, find what failed and design simpler versions.
Adapted from TeachEngineering (University of Colorado Boulder): Disassemble a Click Pen.
Also try: Test surfaces on a sliding ramp.
Known for it in
USA, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland