What is a mecanical engineer?

Answer 1

A Mechanical Engineer is a person engaging in works related to designing mechanical parts (designing in the sense that parts are calculated to see if it can withstand perpetual loadings ensuring its operational safety,the nature of loading a machine part is designed to sustain,etc.) and the design,operation and maintenance of powerplants.

Mechanical Engineering is a broad field not just about machines but also about power generation such that specialization is required in higher learning.

Answer 2

Hi,

I am a mechanical engineer, so here's my version.

Mechanical Engineering degrees typically include courses in physics, chemistry, calculus (and usually several higher level math classes, like stats and linear algebra, etc.), fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, heat transfer, statics, dynamics, a few materials science courses, systems, controls, and others. Most degrees also include design courses - these days mostly involving Computer Aided Design, and in a lot of cases manufacturing classes and programming classes. You could pretty much go to any university's website and see the courses described.

Professionally, mechanical engineers end up doing all sorts of jobs with the material we're taught. Typically people start to specialize as they approach graduation. If you like the mechanical side you might end up designing products - from small things like packaging to larger things like cars or airplanes. People that get interested in fluids, thermo, or heat transfer could end up working on power plants, etc.
There are all kinds of other things you can get into as well - I've found the ME degree to be very versitile.

With that said, in order to be a "Professional Engineer" in many states, you don't need to have an engineering degree. People that have learned their trade over years of doing it - and can pass the PE test can say that they're an engineer. If they pass the Mechanical Engineer part of the test, then they could say that as well. I don't actually know anyone that's ever done this though!

The ASME is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. You can read their version of this answer here:
http://www.asme.org/Education/PreCollege/Resources/Technology_Which_Path_Take.cfm

Enjoy!

Answer 3

A person who actually invents or designs some type of machinery or device (e.g., cars, planes, factory machines). They usually don't build them in mass production, rather they create/design them so then others can build them.