Gears, Gadgets, and God’s Design: Mastering the Engineering Merits!

Engineers solve problems using science and math to create new things or make things work better. Engineers devise solutions; inventing and constructing technological wonders that improve the quality of life.

• The material in this Merit supplement details & discusses
  • types of engineer; an engineer's attributes (abilities); and type of the work that an engineer engages.
  • greatest inventions & inventors; the top engineering achievements in the 20th Century. A lot of these accomplishments came to fruition during WW II.
  • examples of Biomimicry: the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.
  • Problem-solving process: defining the problem and methods resulting in a best solution.
  • Problems: water tank (pressure);o Center of Gravity (applications in hiking and aviation)
  o Beam analysis and rope-bridge: rope force.
  o Trajectory (path) of baseball and bullets
  o Impulse & Momentum (baseball bat; nailing)
  o Impact force (axe splitting wood)
  o Bicycle: travel distance in one revolution of the crank pedal.

Unit conversion reference table: standard quantities and conversion to metric units.

Unlike a regular individual, engineers see life through the lens of optimization, always searching for ways to enhance efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability. They also show remarkable resilience in the face of adversity, continuously adapting and reworking solutions to tackle unforeseen problems. Therefore, an engineer's life is defined by constant innovation and problem-solving, standing as a testament to human ingenuity and perseverance.

The Drafting Merit supplement has examples to assist in being able to ‘read’ a drawing. Drafters prepare technical drawings and plans used by production and construction workers to build everything from manufactured products such as toys, toasters, industrial machinery, and spacecraft to structures such as houses, office buildings, and oil and gas pipelines. Interpreting drawing information is a valuable skill in many occupations.

Aviation Merit blends engineering principles with the rich history of aircraft development. Also, the Drafting Merit supplement has aircraft drawings.

Man has dreamed of flight; watching birds in their boundless freedom soaring throughout the skies. Man has a desire for that sense of freedom and the thrill of adventure and exploration. Studying the birds, man created a machine that mimics the basic flying principles of birds. Man has also used that same technology to generate electricity (wind turbines).

Air superiority makes our world a safer place. The attached information sheet lists many of the aircraft that were created to dominate the air space and to keep peace. Keep reaching for the skies.