An Investigative Project In Chemical Engineering For Secondary School Mathematics Students

Engineering faculties around the world must always work to ensure that they attract high standard students to their courses. Unfortunately prospective students have a poor appreciation of the engineering profession. They are often unaware of the diversity of challenges and opportunities that await them in an engineering career. A number of strategies exist to raise the profile of engineering within secondary schools. One activity involves targeting the students while still at school, with engineering academics either visiting the schools or playing host to the students on campus. An alternative to this is to present to mathematics teachers real engineering design problems that may be solved by the application of relatively simple mathematical concepts. This paper describes a challenge in chemical engineering design which can be answered in the class room by applying logic and a knowledge of the volumes of cylinders and rectangular prisms. The problem can be pitched to different year levels by selecting individual parts and can be undertaken by individuals or as a team exercise. Since originally being presented by the author in 1994, it has been developed into a book, co-written with four practicing mathematical teachers and published by the Mathematical Association of Victoria, the local association of mathematics teachers.