Engineering is the work of designing and building structures, infrastructure, and machines. It is a quintessential applied science, as it harnesses physics, chemistry, and calculus to achieve practical goals such as designing a new museum or a bridge. Learning about engineering is important for understanding the way our world works as well as for developing solutions to make our world work more effectively and efficiently.
Because engineering encompasses such a wide variety of aspects of the built environment, engineers typically become specialized in different areas of the field. Civil engineers, for example, develop public infrastructure such as highways or water treatment systems; mechanical engineers build machines such as electric generators that power our energy systems as well as energy-using equipment such as refrigerators; and electrical engineers are responsible for the design of safe electricity systems for devices and buildings. Engineers may also become project management professionals who supervise the planning and scheduling of delivering on-time engineering projects.