6.3 Summary of Section 6

• In trying to find solutions to the specific problem of the water-boiler, where the need was for a particular response to a certain temperature change, we have gone into the principles behind the three classes of temperature effect – gradual, accelerating and sudden. This has provided you with mathematical models that are of real use in putting definite numbers to the magnitudes of these effects in any designs that are proposed. The ability to do this is just as important where temperature effects are an unwanted complication, as when the aim is to exploit them.

• Since temperature is an agent of change that may act throughout our engineered world, it is important to realise that knowledge gained here about temperature effects is generally applicable.

• The topic of this course was also a worked example of the problem-solving methodology described in OpenLearn course T207_1 The engineer as problem-solver: the nature of problems. As a practical embodiment of the approach described in more abstract terms before, it helps to demonstrate by experience the logic of the progression from need towards solution.