Do you use all the calculus you learn in your engineering education?

Question

Do you use all the calculus you learn in your engineering education in your career as an engineer? I am making an A in Calculus II, but doing solids of revolution is really annoying.

Answer 1

No, of course not.  I don't even use all the words I learned in English, either.  You use what you need, and forget the rest.

That is life!

Answer 2

In short. Yes

Answer 3

You use the same ideas you learn in calculus a lot in engineering. Solids of revolutions are often used for nontrivial density calculations in materialis analysis. Best is always to learn as much as you can. You'd be surprised at how many baby calc things turn out useful later.

Answer 4

I'm about to start my junior year in engineering, and I am currently taking Differential Equations. I would say that engineers use most of what we learn from calculus I-III, but probably not every last thing. I can't say that I have put solids of revolution into practice nor do I foresee doing so. Derivatives, integrals, exponentials, limits, series, etc etc is all used pretty frequently, and some of it is used in Diff Eq which is in turn used in other engineering courses. But yeah, calc is really important for engineering. (Your focus in engineering, ie mechanical, civil, etc, may determine in some part what you will and wont use, but for the most part you need to know it all). I only got a B in Calc2 though, so keep up the good work!

Answer 5

Not all of it.

I've never once used the "Mean Value Theorem".

Answer 6

What happens is you go to one job and you need,say, differential equations, because your doing simulation work. That's pretty much all you use everyday. Then you change jobs and you use lots of trig and/or algebra. If you're lucky enough to get into research, you'll need every thing you learned,and more. Math and physics are the tools for the engineer.Take the plumber, He doesn't use every tool he has in his truck on every job but he damned sure must have it handy when he does need it!  An extra math course you take may be the reason your hired over 7 other guys. GOOD LUCK!