Hello,
Im currently taking a Calc 3 summer online class right now to get ahead in my engineering courses. Im curious as to how important calc 3 is for engineering? Specifically aerospace/mechanical? The reason im asking is because when i was taking calc 1 and 2, i knew the material pretty well. I feel iffy in calc 3, im getting through it but it doesn’t seem very useful in further engineering compared to other math classes. I know diff eq and calc 1/2 are very important but for aerospace engineering at Penn State calc 3 was only required for one class. (the reason im taking it in the summer) You aren’t even required to get a C or better in it like my other required classes, you just don’t have to fail. My siblings who are currently engineers say that its not important in the future really. So whats the main purpose of Calc 3? I understand the 3d aspect of it but my own college doesn’t even view it very important.
It’s very important. It will be pretty integral to subjects like fluid mechanics.
@boneh3ad What subject in Calc 3 would you say is the most useful/important for future courses in engineering? My brother said partial derivatives. Id love to hear your take because once i come across it in calc 3 i want to make sure i really know that material. Not saying im gonna blow off the other material.
All of it. Partial derivatives, line and surface integrals, divergence and curl, the divergence theorem… It’s all baked into fluids.
I should also mention that heat transfer will definitely use a lot of these topics as well, as will certain portions of solid mechanics and more advanced dynamics classes. That shouldn’t be too surprising, though, as solids and fluids are both part of a larger field called continuum mechanics.