Engineering 101 Lecture 1 Quiz

Introduction to Engineering

• Course: Engineering 101
• Facilitator: Bismark Aboagye
• Background: PhD (Research Student) Electrical Engineering, M.Tech (Power Systems Engineering)
• Research Areas: DPG, PM, SGSD
• Contact: 0265634177
• Email: (missing)
• Institution: Accra Institute of Technology, The University of the future

Lecture 1: Genesis & Evolution of Engineering

• Students should understand the history of engineering, science, and technology.
• They should comprehend the historical impact on current engineering.

The Ages

• Hesiod (c. 750-650 BC), a Greek poet, identified 5 ages.
• Golden Age (1710-650 BC): Harmony, no work; peace.
• Silver Age (1674-1628 BC): Peacefully built.
• Bronze Age (1628-1472 BC): War, tools
• Heroic Age (1460-1103 BC): Demigods, noble deeds, Elysium
• Iron Age (1103 BC - Present): Disaster, like modern Greece

History of Engineering

• Engineering evolved over centuries as a practical art & profession.
• Its roots trace back to the dawn of civilization.
• Progress parallels mankind's progress.
• Ancient people experimented with and controlled natural resources.
• Developed knowledge of maths and science.
• Applied knowledge to solve practical problems (irrigation, roads, buildings)

Engineering in Early Civilizations: Mesopotamia

• Civilizations emerged in the land between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
• First recorded engineering works include canals, temples, and city walls
• Mesopotamia was often attacked from various directions.
• Significant rulers included Babylonians and Assyrians.
• The 60-unit numerical system (still used) and astrolabe were created.

Engineering in Early Civilizations: Egypt

• Ancient Egypt had skilled engineers/architects consulted by rulers.
• They built irrigation systems, monumental structures like pyramids, and surveying techniques.
• The Nile River played a critical role; yearly flooding necessitated land boundary reestablishment.
• Rope surveying techniques for accurate measurements were employed.
• Extensive systems of dykes, canals, and drainage systems were developed.
• Engineers created large, enduring structures such as palaces.
• The first monumental building structures using stones and mathematical planning.
• Pyramids evolved from early Mastabas.
• Mastabas contained rooms for storage, food, and weapons.

Engineering in Early Civilizations: The Greeks

• The Greeks excelled in abstract logic and reasoning.
• Great advancements in art, philosophy, and literature.
• Less focus on a practical application of engineering principles.
• First significant artificial harbors were built (like at Samos)
• The Pharos lighthouse in Alexandria, one of the wonders of the ancient world.

Engineering in Early Civilizations: The Romans

• Rome’s engineering was rooted in conquest & exploitation.
• Extensive, colonial possessions led to greater infrastructure.
• Remarkable, large public works like arenas, roads, aqueducts, temples, town halls, and forums
• Roman society valued large structures, and great achievements and progress
• Divided Roman history into two periods: the Republic and the Empire.

Engineering in the Middle Ages

• Following the fall of Rome, modest engineering progress occurred.
• Gothic cathedrals showcased daring skeleton stone construction.
• The invention and improvement of machines like windmills and water wheels occurred
• Medieval castles displayed impressive engineering designs.

Advancement of Science: Circa A.D. 1300–1750

• Advancements in printing, transportation, and communications.
• Canal locks, navigation, and shipbuilding technologies
• Scientists from this period greatly improved upon and refined the knowledge of previous discoveries
• Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press.
• The work of scientists like Leonardo da Vinci and Nicolaus Copernicus was crucial.

Advancement of Science: Circa A.D. 1750–1900

• The 18th and 19th centuries saw significant progress in mining, manufacturing, and transportation.
• James Watt's improved steam engine, along with the work of Matthew Boulton
• Coal began to replace wood as a primary fuel source in iron production.
• Major developments in electricity and electronics, such as Volta's battery , Faraday's induction experiments and improvements in the design and application of electrical components, such as the incandescent bulb by Thomas Edison along with the development of the alternating current system by Nikola Tesla
• Engineers achieved heavier-than-air flight.

Engineering in the Twentieth Century

• Early 20th century witnessed the rise of air travel, thanks to the Wright brothers.
• Construction of significant water resource projects, including the Hoover Dam
• The development of nuclear power emerged.
• Advances in electronics, such as the transistor, transformed many aspects of engineering.

Summary

• Further improvements in technologies
• Greater reliance on scientific discovery and technological advances.
• Greater understanding and use of alternative energy sources.
• Further development of transportation technologies.
• Further development of better, improved, and safer structures.
• Handling and disposal of waste materials.
• Improved and further engineering of public works, infrastructure, and projects