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  • Profile picture of PiPoe

    PiPoe posted an update 5 years, 3 months ago

    A question for engineers…
    It is my understanding that engineering seeks ‘perfection’; however, this ‘perfection’ requires approximations to work. Can someone explain why approximations are necessary?
    Thanks much.

    • Profile picture of toddb
      toddb replied 5 years, 3 months ago

      Not sure who you heard that from or where you may have read it, but that is not true. Engineering does not seek ‘perfection’. Engineering is about trying to find that balance point between product requirements, cost, and producibility. Everything physically built is approximate because every part has tolerance. Nothing can be built exact because ‘exact’ is infinite in nature. As an example, a 100 ohm resistor is not 100 ohms. It has a range that is specified by a tolerance. There are usually several tolerance ranges available. It’s the engineer’s job to figure out which tolerance will be acceptable for their circuit design based on customer requirements, cost, producibility, and maintainability.