mikedk90

Where do chemical engineers generally work?
Is there more chemistry than physics involved?
Why is chemical Engineering considered harder?

lil_killer129

I don't know. Somehow I find chemistry hard now. I guess they can work in hospitals or labs doing research and stuff. They can also work in schools.

Japher

Where do chemical engineers generally work?

Anywhere something is made/manufactured you will most likely find at least 1 engineer. Most who work as engineers will be found in chemical, oil, or pharmaceutical/biotech manufacturing.

Is there more chemistry than physics involved?

Probably more chemistry (Chem, O. Chem., and P. Chem while only just genrl Phy). Chemical Eng. however is more about transport phenomenae and boundary layer problems which gets into energy, material, and heat transfer issues (balances).

Why is chemical Engineering considered harder?

I don't know. I think maybe the conceptual nature of the subject. Since most schools do not have the money to teach some of what the engineer will do in industry it makes it hard to conceptualize what is being taught, that math requirements don't make it easier either. However, once you niche yourself into an industry you will find that it is easier than school makes it out to be. Though this might be more because you spend a lot of time on that industry/problem.

UCBChemEGrad

True. Also cosmetics and food processing.

True, but most of the problems are physical phenomena related. Chemical engineers at Berkeley had to take three semesters of physics. P. Chem is essentially physics. Thermodynamics is also physics.

More intensive combination of chemistry and physics...the principles are sometimes harder to visualize and therefore more esoteric.

ken285

I frequently hear from chemical engineering students that they had expected the major to have more chemistry than it actually did.