Mechanical vs Electrical Engineering
Electrical and mechanical engineering are two different streams in the field of engineering that is a broad term encompassing many other disciplines such as computer, telecommunication, civil, mining, information technology, and so on. Students having passed their 10+2 and desirous of becoming an engineer remain confused between these two streams of engineering. This is because students want to choose the discipline that provides them with better career prospects. This article takes a closer look at mechanical and electrical engineering fields to come up with their differences for the readers.
Mechanical Engineering
This is one of the oldest branches of engineering along with civil engineering. It is a broad subject that finds applications in nearly all industries whether it is automobiles, ships, airplanes, robotics, or any other industry. Even the medical world makes heavy use of mechanical engineering for making medical devices. You must have seen images of mechanical engineers wearing helmets working inside plants and outside projects. This gives an impression that mechanical engineers work like labor in industries. However, this is not a correct perception as mechanical engineers spend most of their time inside air-conditioned chambers behind computers designing machines and improving upon the efficiency of existing machine and tools.
Students pursuing mechanical engineering study thermodynamics, flow of liquids, designing of machines, structural analysis, material science etc. However, mechanical engineering is not confined to these basic concepts and today a mechanical engineer is required to work in many industries such as transport, aviation, biomechanics, shipping, biotechnology, and so on.
Electrical Engineering
As the name implies, electrical engineering deals with study of electricity, its distribution and transmission. Students are concerned with power generation systems and their problems in transmission and distribution and motor control. This is a field of engineering that developed after the invention of electricity and the development of laws of electricity by Michael Faraday. The main objective of electrical engineers is to make more efficient use of electricity to produce energy. One has to study about electrons, electromagnetic waves, circuits, programming, signals, solid states, etc. There is also overlap with electronics engineering a lot in case of electrical engineering.
Mechanical Engineering vs Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical engineering is more concerned with machines, and their efficiency whereas electrical engineering is more concerned with electricity and power generation systems.
• Mechanical engineering is less abstract as students can see what they are studying whereas electrical engineering is more abstract and talks about waves that cannot be seen.
• Mechanical engineering is an older branch of engineering than electrical engineering that evolved rapidly after the invention of electricity and the development of its laws by Michael Faraday.
• Electrical engineering is more theoretical and involves a lot of math than mechanical engineering.