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What Engineers Do: Defining a Problem

with Atlas

Atlas the friendly robot guide stands at a bright workshop table, pointing to a sticky-note board full of problems, sketches, and a small cardboard prototype.

Define what a problem is in engineering using your own words
Identify the criteria that tell you a solution is good
List the constraints that limit how you can solve a problem
Separate criteria from constraints in a real example
Explain why engineers define a problem before building

Key terms

problem: a thing people want to fix
criteria: what a good solution must do
constraint: a limit you must stay inside
solution: the idea that solves the problem

Start With the Problem

Engineers do not start by building. First they think hard about a problem people want solved. A problem is something that bugs people. A good example is a school garden that dries out when nobody waters it. Naming the problem clearly is the first step. If you do not know the real problem, you might build something that does not help. So engineers slow down and define the problem before they pick up any tools.

Criteria and Constraints

Next, engineers write the criteria. Criteria are the things a good solution must do to win. For the garden, the solution must water the plants even on weekends. Then they list the constraints. Constraints are limits you must stay inside, like your materials, your money, and your time. Maybe you only have cardboard, string, five dollars, and one week. Criteria say what success looks like. Constraints say what you may use.

Worked examples

Is 'the backpack must keep books dry' a criterion or constraint?

Ask what the solution must DO.
Keeping books dry is a job, not a limit.

Answer: It is a criterion, because it is what the solution must do.

Is 'you can only use recycling-bin materials' a criterion or constraint?

Ask if this limits your materials.
It limits what you may use.

Answer: It is a constraint, because it limits your materials.

Hi, I'm Atlas! Engineers do not start by building. They start by thinking hard about a PROBLEM that people want solved. A problem is something that bugs people, like "the school garden dries out when nobody waters it." Next, engineers write down the CRITERIA. Criteria are the things a good solution MUST do to count as a win. For the garden, good criteria might be: it waters the plants, and it works even when kids are home on weekends. Then engineers list the CONSTRAINTS. Constraints are the LIMITS you have to stay inside, like the materials you own, how much money you can spend, or how much time you have. Maybe you only have cardboard and string, five dollars, and one week. Here is the trick: criteria say what success looks like, and constraints say what you are allowed to use. Engineers figure out BOTH before building. That way they don't waste time on an idea that can't work. If you ever feel stuck, just ask: "What must my solution do?" and "What limits do I have?" Those two questions get you moving again!

Activity

Sort each card into the right bucket: is it a CRITERION or a CONSTRAINT?

Practice

Decide if 'finish by Friday' is a criterion or constraint.

Name one criterion and one constraint for a garden watering tool.

Common mistakes to avoid

Criteria and constraints are the sameCriteria are the jobs; constraints are the limits you have.
Build first, then planEngineers define the problem before they start building.

Check your understanding

What is the FIRST thing engineers do when they start a project?

"The backpack must keep books dry in the rain." This is an example of a:

Which of these is a CONSTRAINT?

Mia thinks criteria and constraints are the same thing. Why is she wrong?

Recap

Engineers start with a problem people want solved, not with building. They write criteria, which are the jobs a good solution must do. They list constraints, which are the limits like materials, money, and time. Both come before building.

Reflect

What problem around you would you like to solve?