356 Engineering Fundamentals
simple machine: A tool that makes work easier,
including the lever, inclined plane, wheel
and axle, screw, wedge, and pulley. (10)
site layout: The description of the specifi c
location of all required facilities, such as
the plant itself, roads, parking, storm water
management, and utilities. (15)
size dimension: A type of dimension that describes
the length, width, and depth of an object. (5)
sketch: A simple drawing used in the idea
generation stage in order to record and
communicate ideas so they can be refi ned
further in the solution creation step. (2)
societal impact: The effects that engineered
products have on the lives of groups of
people, such as housing, safety, food,
communication, and transportation. (16)
Society for Manufacturing Engineers (SME):
The largest professional society for
manufacturing engineers with over 500,000
members in more than 70 countries. (14)
software engineering: The application of
engineering principles to software design.
It is a systematic, quantifi able approach to
software development. (12)
solar cell: A cell that uses light to produce
electricity. (8)
solderless breadboard: A platform ideal for
experimentation and testing circuits before
they are constructed. Components and
leads can easily be moved from one place to
another because no soldering is required to
make connections. (8)
specifi cations: The design requirements of an
engineered solution. (1)
specifi cation sheets: Provide necessary technical
information to the builder or manufacturer
of a product, and include materials, how the
product is to be made, and tolerances. (2)
specifi c constraints: The conditions that are
directly related to the engineering design
problem at hand. (3)
static electricity: The excess of charge on the
surface of an object. (8)
static load: The weight of the structure itself
(known as dead load) and weight added to
the structure under normal use (known as
live load). (9)
statics: The study that deals with the analysis of
loads on objects at rest (or in equilibrium). (9)
strain: The deformation that occurs from
stress. (7)
stress: The amount of force or load that is
applied to a material. (7)
structural analysis: The analysis focused on
ensuring the structure is as effi cient as
possible. (9)
structural frame: The columns and beams used
to build a structure, called a skeleton. (9)
structure: An arrangement of parts built to
remain stable while withstanding forces. (8)
struts: Braces that resist compression. (9)
surface tension: A characteristic almost like a
fi lm on the surface, caused by the molecules
of a liquid tending to be more attracted to
each other than they are to their surrounding
materials. (15)
suspension bridge: The world’s longest bridges,
which utilize tension forces. (9)
switch: An electrical device used to open and
close circuits or redirect current from one
circuit to another. (8)
T
tensile strength: The ability of a material to
withstand a force that pulls the material
apart. (7)
tension: A pulling force that tends to stretch a
material. (9)
thermal conductivity: A material property
determined by how well heat is transferred
through the material. (7)
thermal resistance: The reciprocal of thermal
conductivity. (7)
thermochemical conversion: The bioconversion
process that uses heat to create a chemical
change in biological material. (11)
thermocouple sensors: Temperature sensors
that are made from two different pieces of
conductive material. As the temperature
of the thermocouple increases, it creates a
voltage. This voltage can be measured to
determine the temperature. (15)
thermodynamics: The study of work, energy,
and effi ciency in large-scale systems. (15)