There is a lot to know about physics, and early on, a great deal of time must be spent learning theory, and applying it to solve simple problems. As such, a student cannot be faulted for thinking that a few equations, pencil and paper, and a calculator, are all the tools necessary to complete real world engineering problems.
In real life, when one is designing anything from a bridge to a car, today’s engineering problems are solved with two overlapping methods. The first method is analytical, and the second is numerical.
The analytical method is similar to the approach taught in science courses. The complex problem is simplified via good approximations – it is transformed into something that can be solved with a pencil and paper. Problem solving of this sort gives the engineer a rough estimate of what the result might look like in the end. It gives a sense of direction for where the design might be headed; it is sometimes called a ‘first cut’, or an ‘order of magnitude solution’.
However, the majority of an engineer’s problem solving time is spent using numerical methods imbedded in virtual tools. There are many software tools for every field of engineering that allow the user to solve very complex problems with a high degree of precision. At the click of the mouse, a simulation calling on some governing equations of physics can be run on whatever design you have fed to the software in whatever environment you desire. Want a picture of the stress distribution in the body of a roller coaster car as it travels along a track? There is a virtual tool for that. Want to see the temperature distribution within a satellite as it orbits the Earth? There is a virtual tool for that too.
