The revision retains the successful pedagogy of the prior editions. Chapra and Canale's unique approach opens each part of the text with sections called Motivation, Mathematical Background, and Orientation, preparing the student for what is to come in a motivating and engaging manner. Each part closes with an Epilogue containing sections called Trade-Offs, Important Relationships and Formulas, and Advanced Methods and Additional References. Much more than a summary, the Epilogue deepens understanding of what has been learned and provides a peek into more advanced methods. Users will find use of software packages, specifically MATLAB and Excel with VBA. This includes material on developing MATLAB m-files and VBA macros.
Approximately 80% of the problems are new or revised for this edition. The expanded breadth of engineering disciplines covered is especially evident in the problems, which now cover such areas as biotechnology and biomedical engineering.