Engineering is a discipline that deals with the “art” or science of applying scientific knowledge to solve practical problems, usually in the areas of commerce and industry. Scientists ask the “why” of a question, then research the answer; in contrast, engineers want to know how to solve the problem and then how to implement the solution. But it’s not always easy to separate the two. Often a scientist has to use engineering basics (such as building special equipment for research), and engineers often have to do scientific research.

The word engineer (as well as engine) developed from the Latin root ingeniosus (“skilled”); in some languages, such as Arabic, the word for engineering also means “geometry.” The various branches of engineering include aerospace, agriculture, architectural, biomedical, computer, civil, chemical, electrical, environmental, mechanical, petroleum, and material science.