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Mechanical Engineering
Name: Derek
Status: Student
Age: 17
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
I am extermely interested in mecahnical engineering, so I
like the idea of working with the tecnology of new motors. Am I looking in
the right field to be able to get into these extremely interesting motors,
or should I look into a different field? And could you recommend any good
collages for this field in the stae of Maine?
Replies:
Mechanical engineering is a great field to get into if you are interested in
motors, which I assume you mean automotive engines. Technically, engines
and motors are different. Engines convert one form of energy into another,
like chemical energy of gas into mechanical energy. Motors transfer power
into work, like electrical power into mechanical work. That is, they take
power that has already been created and transfer that power into mechanical
work.
Engine design deals with both the physical design of the engine, i.e. the
parts that go into it, and the thermodynamics of the combustion, i.e. how
the chemical energy of the gas is converted to usable energy. You'll learn
both in mechanical engineering (ME), plus a whole lot more.
As for your second question, I really don't know of any schools in Maine
since I am in the Midwest (Illinois). I suggest you go talk to your
guidance counselor at your high school, and check with your librarian at
your local library. At the library you can look in magazines (like U.S.
News and World Report) for ratings of colleges. The main thing (no pun
intended) to look for in an engineering school is ABET accreditation. ABET
is an accreditation standard across the US that states that the university
follows a certain curriculum that other engineering schools follow. It is a
way of insuring that certain standards are met across the US.
The second
thing to look at is whether or not they have a ME program. Most engineering
schools will most likely have a ME, a civil engineering (CE), and an
electrical engineering (EE) program. Usually the more programs a school
offers, the better off you are (more diversity in curriculum).
Good luck and happy hunting.
Anonymous
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Update: June 2012
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