Students could be encouraged or required to generate concrete examples.

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1. The student’s list could include product cost, size, weight, energy consumption, relia-

bility, delivery date, service life, government regulations, ambient environment, safety, etc.Students could be encouraged or required to generate concrete examples.

1.2. There are obviously many possible responses to this exercise. Even the mundane

problem How can I make this room brighter?has solution alternatives such as I could light a candle.I could turn on a light.I could open a window.I could paint the walls a lighter color.

1.3. A highly individual exercise.

1.4. Todd could use the engineering design process to his advantage and read the rest of the

bookEngineering Writing By Designby Rothwell and Cloud.

1.5. A highly individual exercise. For electrical or computer engineering students, a good

place to start iswww.ieee.org.

1.6. Much of this information is now available on line Check, for example,

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineerswww.ieee.org American Society of Mechanical Engineers www.asme.org American Society of Civil Engineers www.asce.org Association for Computing Machinery www.acm.org Optical Society of Americawww.osa.org Audio Engineering Societywww.aes.org Society of Automotive Engineerswww.sae.org 1 (Engineering Writing by Design, 2e Edward Rothwell) (Solution Manual, For Complete File, Download link at the end of this File) 1 / 4

1.7. Visitwww.abet.organd examine the list of “student outcomes” in the document

Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs. At the time of publication of this solution manual, ABET outcome (g) was an ability to communicate effectively This includes oral communication as well as written communication.

1.8. Extensive studies would be required to answer this question factually. However, it

might be expected that the need for good, clear writing has increased as complexity and interconnectedness have increased.

1.9. Although written communication may not receive explicit mention in an ethical code,

the importance of honest, accurate, and clear communication in all forms is still implicit in various individual provisions. For example, under the IEEE Code of Ethics the engineer agrees to disclose promptly factors that might endanger the public or the environment and to be honest and realistic in stating claims or estimates based on available data.One’s ability to do these things (disclose crucial information and state claims realistically) may very well hinge on writing proficiency. Imagine the potential effects of having these things done in a muddled fashion.

1.10. Other possibilities suggested by John M. Lannon in his bookTechnical Writing(Harper

Collins, 1988) include

•Superiority: “Is X better than Y in this situation?”

•Causation: “What are the causes of X?” or “What are the effects of X?”

•Improvement: “Can X be improved?”

•Practicality: “Is X practical in this situation?”

Something likepracticalitycould also be addressed along more specific lines such as •resilience, •safety, and •cost-effectiveness.

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Chapter 2 Clearly Understand the Goal

2.1. In her bookTechnical Writing: Principles, Strategies, and Readings(Allyn & Bacon,

1997) Diana C. Reep discusses the following types of purpose:

• to provide instruction,
• to record information,
• to inform decision makers,
• to inform non decision makers,
• to provide recommendations,
• to persuade,
• to generate interest in a topic.

Students could be encouraged to structure their answers along these lines.

2.2. A highly individual exercise. Some students from the “internet generation” may not

know the difference between a journal and a magazine; these students can benefit greatly from an assignment to speak with a reference librarian.

2.3. Yes, there is no reason to think that just because you understood something all at once,

that your reader can or will do the same.

2.4. A list of signpost headings is given in theQuick Referenceappendix to the book.

2.5. The first definition (about building things) might be appropriate for a kindergarten

class. It could seriously mislead high school or college students, however. The second definition is more or less standard (see your favorite dictionary for a more precise version).The third version might be the most accurate, as many people with the title “engineer” actually do not regularly solve problems using science and math (although they certainly had to do so in order to earn their academic degrees).

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2.6. The phrasesplugging in(forsubstituting) andwent away(forvanished) are not appro-

priate in formal writing.

2.7. A few expected points would be

• Choose the right hammer for the task; there are many different types of hammers that

the student could discuss. The task could be pounding nails, demolition, working with chisels, shaping metal objects, cutting bricks, etc.

• Understand the safety aspects before you start swinging. These include flying debris,

the hammer rebounding back at you, and hitting your fingers.

• Hold the hammer properly (firmly, by its handle, etc).
• Pay attention to what you’re doing.
• Let the hammer do most of the work (don’t swing too hard).

2.8. A highly individual assignment with many possible responses. Here is a table displaying

the point forms of Maxwell’s equations, the fundamental dynamical equations governing the

electromagnetic field:

nameequation Faraday’s Law ∇ ×E=−∂B/∂t Ampere’s Law ∇ ×H=J+∂D/∂t Gauss’s Law ∇ ·D=ρV Magnetic Source Law∇ ·B= 0 The following table provides values ofJn(β), the Bessel function of the first kind, ordern, argumentβ(useful in communication theory).n↓β= 0.5β= 1β= 2 β= 3 β= 4

00.9385 0.7652 0.2239−0.2601−0.3971

10.2423 0.4401 0.5767 0.3391−0.06604

2 0.1149 0.3528 0.4861 0.3641

30.1289 0.3091 0.4302

40.1320 0.2811

50.1321

Tell students to pick something they’re interested in and use their imagination!

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