Glossary of engineering

This glossary of engineering terms is a list of definitions about the major concepts of engineering, its sub-disciplines, and related fields.

A

• Absolute electrode potential –
• Absolute motion –
• Absolute pressure –
• Absolute zero –
• Absorbance –
• AC power –
• Acceleration –
• Acid –
• Acid-base reaction –
• Acid strength –
• Acoustics –
• Activated sludge –
• Activated sludge model –
• Active transport –
• Actuator – a motor that translates control signals into mechanical movement.
• Acute angle –
• Adenosine triphosphate –
• Adhesion –
• Adiabatic process –
• Aerobic digestion –
• Aerodynamics –
• Aerospace engineering –
• Afocal system –
• Agricultural engineering –
• Albedo –
• Algae –
• Algebra –
• Algorithm –
• Alkane –
• Alkene –
• Alkyne –
• Alloy –
• Alpha particle –
• Alternating current –
• Alternative hypothesis –
• Ammeter – an instrument that is used to measure current.
• Amino acid –
• Amorphous solid –
• Ampere – amp, a unit that describes the rate of flow of electricity (current).
• Amphoterism –
• Amplifier –
• Amplitude –
• Anaerobic digestion –
• Angular acceleration –
• Angular momentum –
• Angular velocity –
• Anion –
• Annealing (metallurgy) –
• Annihilation –
• Anode –
• ANSI – American National Standards Institute.
• Antigravity –
• Antimatter –
• Antineutron –
• Antiparticle –
• Antiproton –
• Applied engineering –
• Arc length –
• Archimedes' principle –
• Area moment of inertia –
• Arithmetic mean –
• Arithmetic sequence –
• Aromatic hydrocarbon –
• Arrhenius equation –
• Artificial intelligence – the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it.
• Assembly language –
• Atom –
• Atomic mass –
• Atomic number –
• Atomic packing factor –
• Atomic physics –
• Atomic structure –
• Audio frequency –
• Austenitization –
• Automation –
• Automaton – an early self-operating robot, performing exactly the same actions, over and over.
• Autonomous vehicle - a vehicle equipped with an autopilot system, which is capable of driving from one point to another without input from a human operator.
• Avogadro's number –
• Azimuthal quantum number –

B

• Bacteria –
• Balance sheet –
• Barometer –
• Baryon –
• Battery –
• Base –
• Baud –
• Beam –
• Beer–Lambert law –
• Belt –
• Belt friction –
• Bending –
• Benefit–cost analysis –
• Bending moment –
• Bernoulli differential equation –
• Bernoulli's equation –
• Bernoulli's principle –
• Beta particle –
• Binomial random variable –
• Biocatalysis –
• Biochemistry –
• Biology –
• Biomedical engineering –
• Biomimetic. See Bionics.
• Bionics – also known as biomimetics, biognosis, biomimicry, or bionical creativity engineering is the application of biological methods and systems found in nature to the study and design of engineering systems and modern technology.
• Biophysics –
• Block and tackle –
• Boiling point –
• Boiling-point elevation –
• Boltzmann constant –
• Boson –
• Boyle's law –
• Bravais lattice –
• Brayton cycle –
• Break-even analysis –
• Brewster's angle –
• Brittle –
• Brownian motion –
• Bulk modulus –
• Buoyancy –

C

• Calculus –
• Capacitance –
• Capacitive reactance –
• Capillarity –
• Carbonate –
• Carnot cycle –
• Cartesian coordinates –
• Casting –
• Cathode –
• Cathode ray –
• Cell membrane –
• Cell nucleus –
• Cell theory –
• Center of gravity –
• Center of mass –
• Center of pressure –
• Central force motion –
• Central limit theorem –
• Central processing unit –
• Centripetal force –
• Centroid –
• Centrosome –
• Chain reaction –
• Change of base rule –
• Charles's law –
• Chemical bond –
• Chemical compound –
• Chemical equilibrium –
• Chemical kinetics –
• Chemical reaction –
• Chemistry –
• Chloride –
• Chloroplast –
• Chromate –
• Chromosome –
• Circle –
• Circular motion –
• Civil engineering –
• Clausius–Clapeyron relation –
• Clausius inequality –
• Clausius theorem –
• Coefficient of performance –
• Coefficient of variation –
• Coherence –
• Cohesion –
• Compensation –
• Compiler – a computer program that translates a high-level language into machine language.
• Compressive strength –
• Computational fluid dynamics –
• Computer –
• Computer-aided design –
• Computer-aided engineering –
• Computer-aided manufacturing –
• Computer engineering –
• Computer science –
• Concave lens –
• Condensed matter physics –
• Confidence interval –
• Conjugate acid –
• Conjugate base –
• Continuum mechanics –
• Control systems engineering –
• Convex lens –
• Corrosion –
• Cosmic rays –
• Covalent bond –
• Crookes tube –
• Cryogenics –
• Crystallization –
• Crystallography –
• Curvilinear motion –
• Cyclotron –

D

• Dalton's law –
• Damped vibration –
• Darcy–Weisbach equation –
• DC motor –
• Decibel –
• Definite integral –
• Deflection –
• Deformation (engineering) –
• Deformation (mechanics) –
• Degrees of freedom – the extent to which a robot can move itself.
• Delta robot – a tripod linkage, used to construct fast-acting manipulators with a wide range of movement.
• Delta-wye transformer –
• Density –
• Derivative –
• Design engineering –
• Dew point –
• Differential pulley –
• Dispersion –
• Displacement (fluid) –
• Displacement (vector) –
• Distance –
• Doppler effect –
• Drag –
• Ductility –
• Dynamics –
• Dyne –

E

• Economics –
• Elastic modulus –
• Elasticity –
• Electric charge –
• Electric circuit –
• Electric current –
• Electric displacement field –
• Electric generator –
• Electric field –
• Electric field gradient –
• Electric motor –
• Electric potential –
• Electrical potential energy –
• Electric power –
• Electrical and electronics engineering –
• Electrical conductor –
• Electrical insulator –
• Electrical network –
• Electrical resistance –
• Electricity –
• Electrodynamics –
• Electromagnet –
• Electromagnetic field –
• Electromagnetic radiation –
• Electromechanics –
• Electron –
• Electron volt –
• Electron pair –
• Electronegativity –
• Electronics –
• Endothermic –
• Energy –
• Engine –
• Engineering –
• Engineering economics –
• Engineering ethics –
• Environmental engineering –
• Engineering physics –
• Enzyme –
• Escape velocity –
• Estimator –
• Euler-Bernoulli beam equation –
• Exothermic –

F

• Falling bodies –
• Farad –
• Faraday –
• Farad –
• Faraday constant –
• Fermat's principle –
• Finite element method –
• FIRST, or For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology - is an organization founded by inventor Dean Kamen in 1989 in order to develop ways to inspire students in engineering and technology fields.
• Fission –
• Fluid –
• Fluid mechanics –
• Fluid –
• Fluid physics –
• Fluid statics –
• Flywheel –
• Focus –
• Foot-pound –
• Fracture toughness –
• Fraunhofer lines –
• Free fall –
• Frequency modulation –
• Freezing point –
• Friction –
• Function –
• Fundamental frequency –
• Fundamental interaction –
• Fundamental theorem of calculus –
• Fusion –

G

• Galvanic cell –
• Gamma rays –
• Gas –
• Geiger counter –
• General relativity –
• Geometric mean –
• Geometry –
• Geophysics –
• Geotechnical engineering –
• Gluon –
• Graham's law of diffusion –
• Gravitation –
• Gravitational constant –
• Gravitational energy –
• Gravitational field –
• Gravitational potential –
• Gravitational wave –
• Gravity –
• Ground state –

H

• Hadron –
• Half-life –
• Haptic – tactile feedback technology using the operator's sense of touch. Also sometimes applied to robot manipulators with their own touch sensitivity.
• Hardness –
• Harmonic mean –
• Heat –
• Heat transfer –
• Helmholtz free energy –
• Henderson–Hasselbalch equation –
• Henry's law –
• Hertz –
• Hexapod (platform)- a movable platform using six linear actuators. Often used in flight simulators they also have applications as a robotic manipulator.
• Hexapod (walker) - a six-legged walking robot, using a simple insect-like locomotion.
• Hoist –
• Horsepower –
• Huygens–Fresnel principle –
• Hydraulics – the control of mechanical force and movement, generated by the application of liquid under pressure.
• Hydrocarbon –

I

• Ice point –
• Ideal gas –
• Ideal gas constant –
• Ideal gas law –
• Indefinite integral –
• Inertia –
• Infrasound –
• Integral –
• Integral transform –
• International System of Units –
• Interval estimation –
• Ion –
• Ionic bond –
• Ionization –
• Impedance- electrical impedance is the measure of the opposition that a circuit presents to the passage of a current when a voltage is applied.
• Inclined plane –
• Industrial engineering –
• Inorganic chemistry –
• Isotope –

J

• Joule –

K

• Kalman filter – a mathematical technique to estimate the value of a sensor measurement, from a series of intermittent and noisy values.
• Kelvin –
• Kinematics –
• Kirchhoff's circuit laws –
• Kirchhoff's equations –

L

• Laminar flow –
• Laplace transform –
• LC circuit –
• Lepton –
• Lever –
• Light –
• Linear actuator- a form of motor that generates a linear movement directly.
• Linear algebra –
• Linear elasticity –
• Liquid –

M

• Mach number –
• Machine –
• Machine element –
• Machine learning –
• Maclaurin series –
• Magnetic field –
• Magnetism –
• Manufacturing engineering –
• Mass balance –
• Mass density –
• Mass moment of inertia –
• Mass number –
• Mass spectrometry –
• Material properties –
• Materials science –
• Mathematical optimization –
• Mathematical physics –
• Mathematics –
• Matrix –
• Matter –
• Maxwell's equations –
• Mean –
• Measures of central tendency –
• Mechanical advantage –
• Mechanical engineering –
• Mechanical filter –
• Mechanical wave –
• Mechanics –
• Mechanism –
• Median –
• Melting –
• Melting point –
• Meson –
• Metal alloy –
• Metallic bond –
• Mid-range –
• Midhinge –
• Mining engineering –
• Miller indices –
• Mobile robot –
• Mode –
• Modulus of elasticity –
• Molality –
• Molar concentration –
• Molar absorptivity –
• Molar mass –
• Molarity –
• Molding –
• Molecule –
• Molecular physics –
• Moment of inertia –
• Multibody system –
• Multidisciplinary design optimization –
• Muon –

N

• Nanoengineering –
• Nanotechnology –
• Navier–Stokes equations –
• Neutrino –
• Newtonian fluid –
• nth root –
• Nuclear binding energy –
• Nuclear engineering –
• Nuclear physics –
• Nuclear potential energy –
• Nuclear power –

O

• Ohm –
• Ohm's law –
• Optics –
• Organic chemistry –
• Osmosis –

P

• Parallel circuit –
• Parity (mathematics) –
• Parity (physics) –
• Paraffin –
• Particle accelerator –
• Particle displacement –
• Particle physics –
• Pascal's Law –
• Pendulum –
• Petroleum engineering –
• pH –
• Phase (matter) –
• Phase (waves) –
• Phase equilibrium –
• Photon –
• Physical chemistry –
• Physical quantity –
• Physics –
• Planck constant –
• Plasma physics –
• Plasticity –
• Pneumatics – the control of mechanical force and movement, generated by the application of compressed gas.
• Point estimation –
• Polyphase system –
• Power (electric) –
• Power (physics) –
• Power factor –
• Pressure –
• Probability –
• Probability distribution –
• Probability theory –
• Psi particle –
• Pulley –

Q

• Quantum electrodynamics –
• Quantum field theory –
• Quantum mechanics –
• Quantum physics –
• Quark –

R

• Regelation –
• Relative density –
• Relative velocity –
• Reliability engineering –
• Reynolds number –
• Rheology –
• Rigid body –
• Robonaut – a development project conducted by NASA to create humanoid robots capable of using space tools and working in similar environments to suited astronauts.
• Robotics –
• Root-mean-square –
• Root-mean-square speed –
• Rotational energy –
• Rotational speed –

S

• Sanitary engineering –
• Saturation (chemistry) –
• Saturated compound –
• Scalar (mathematics) –
• Scalar (physics) –
• Scalar multiplication –
• Screw –
• Series circuit –
• Servo – a motor that moves to and maintains a set position under command, rather than continuously moving.
• Servomechanism – an automatic device that uses error-sensing negative feedback to correct the performance of a mechanism.
• Shadow matter –
• Shear strength –
• Shear stress –
• Shortwave radiation –
• SI units –
• Simple machine –
• Siphon –
• Solid mechanics –
• Solid-state physics –
• Solid solution strengthening –
• Solubility –
• Sound –
• Special relativity –
• Specific heat –
• Specific gravity –
• Specific volume –
• Specific weight –
• Spontaneous combustion –
• State of matter –
• Statics –
• Statistics –
• Stefan–Boltzmann law –
• Stewart platform – a movable platform using six linear actuators, hence also known as a Hexapod.
• Stiffness –
• Stoichiometry –
• Strain –
• Strain hardening –
• Strength of materials –
• Stress –
• Stress-strain analysis –
• Stress-strain curve –
• Structural analysis –
• Structural load –
• Sublimation –
• Subsumption architecture – a robot architecture that uses a modular, bottom-up design beginning with the least complex behavioral tasks.
• Surcharge – excessive retaining wall load pressure or sewage system overload pressure
• Surface tension –
• Superconductor –
• Superhard material –
• Surgical robot – a remote manipulator used for keyhole surgery

T

• Technical standard –
• Temperature –
• Tensile force –
• Tensile modulus –
• Tensile strength –
• Tensile testing –
• Tension member –
• Thermal conduction –
• Thermal equilibrium –
• Thermal radiation –
• Thermodynamics –
• Theory of relativity –
• Three-phase –
• Torque –
• Torsional vibration –
• Toughness –
• Trajectory –
• Transducer –
• Trigonometric functions –
• Trigonometry –
• Trimean –
• Triple point –
• Trouton's rule –
• Truncated mean –
• Truss –
• Turbine –
• Turbulence –

U

• Ultimate tensile strength –
• Uncertainty principle –
• Unicode –
• Unit vector –
• Unsaturated compound –
• Utility frequency –

V

• Vacuole –
• Vacuum –
• Valence –
• Valence band –
• Valence bond theory –
• Valence electron –
• Valence shell –
• Valve –
• van der Waals equation –
• van der Waals force –
• van 't Hoff equation –
• van 't Hoff factor –
• Variable capacitor –
• Variable resistor –
• Vector space –
• Venturi effect –
• Vibration –
• Viscoelasticity –
• Viscosity –
• Volt-ampere –
• Volt-ampere reactive –
• Volta potential –
• Volumetric flow rate –

W

• Watt –
• Wave –
• Wavelength –
• Wedge –
• Weighted mean –
• Wet-bulb temperature –
• Wheel and axle –
• Winsorized mean –

X

• X-coordinate –

Y

• Y-coordinate –
• Yield –
• Young's modulus –

Z

• Zero Defects –
• Zeroth law of thermodynamics –

See also

• Engineering
• Glossary of areas of mathematics
• Glossary of astronomy
• Glossary of biology
• Glossary of chemistry
• Glossary of physics