14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
999 Nonquantitative Problems, February 14, 2005
This review is from: 999 Nonquantitative Problems for FE Examination Review (Paperback)
This is an excellent text for approximately 25% of the questions
tested on the Fundamentals of Engineering Examination. The examiners test theory by posing situations and asking for the
optimal solution. For instance, a discharging motor
would present an exothermic reaction in theory. A melting iceberg would present an endothermic reaction. The distinction
would lie in a tremendous release of energy (exothermically)
as opposed to absorbing energy to melt an iceberg (endothermic).
In statics, a rigid body (by its nature) experiences no unbalanced forces. In dynamics, rotational motion describes
the motion of a particle around a circular path. In materials
science, materials with low values of thermal expansion are
desirable for Pyrex ceramics. Bernoulli's equation is a
conservation of energy equation. In thermodynamics, the heat
of fusion for a pure substance is the energy required to melt
the substance.In chemistry, the amount of energy absorbed when
a substance enters a solution is called the endothermic heat of
solution. Remember , an endothermic reaction ; such as a melting
iceberg, absorbs heat in order to melt the ice. The property of
a device that defines how well it stores an electric charge is
known as capacitance. A modem converts data from digital to
analog signals and back again. A means of obtaining an equation
describing a physical phenomenom without actually understanding the physical mechanism is dimensional analysis.
All of the above questions have a single characteristic in
common. The answers require verbalizing the concept without
any particular numeric calculation required. This typifies
approximately 25% of the questions tested on the FE.
The best way to handle these types of problems is to do some
heavy reading of the texts in order to grasp fully the basic
definitions . In addition, it is necessary to do as many problems
as time will allow . Problem solving will help candidates develop
educated hunches to apply to a plethora of situations posed
on the FE examination. The exam has 180 or so problems.
No candidate can hope to finish the exam. Most candidates
will complete a high percentage of the questions with enough
time left to review marginal answers and attempt the remainder
of the exam. The Whitehead text will assist in developing
the judgmental skills to recognize correct choices without
utilizing too much exam time. I passed the FE exam utilizing
the Potter text alongside Whitehead's text and several other
review texts. Lastly, it is important to understand the
guidebook handed out during the exam. Sometimes, questions
are derived directly from the guide. These are the "gifts"
for candidates who take the time to review the material
thoroughly. This is not an easy exam; however, it is doable
for a reasonably well-prepared candidate. No matter what the
others are doing, do not leave this exam early. Utilize every
minute to complete the exam, review the answer sheet and
recompute answers as necessary. It is critical to begin the
review session early-perhaps 3-4 months before the administration
of the FE exam. Good luck ! Remember that approximately
1 in 20 working engineers has passed this exam so that it is
a credential worth earning.
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