They even work on the soles of your sport shoes, the compact disks which give you so much listening pleasure, and the chocolate coating on your favorite candy. To do these things, chemical engineers need to understand chemistry, and also physics, mathematics, and other physical and natural sciences, such as biology or geology. To help them understand the impact of technology on society, they may also study economics, political science, and even a little psychology. In one way or another, you've experienced this activity in your math courses. When your geometry teacher tells you that a farmer has a field that is 800 feet long and 600 feet wide, and asks you to calculate the amount of fencing required to enclose that field, that's modeling.
All engineers use creativity to convert real problems into solvable mathematical equations.
Today's chemical engineers are also comfortable working with computers and can communicate their findings clearly. Chemical engineering is a way of approaching problems and solving them. By successfully applying chemical principles, chemical engineers produce useful materials at a reasonable cost, and in the safest manner possible. Chemical engineers are concerned not just for themselves and their employers, but also for their neighbors.