engineering

Gregorio Y. Zara

Gregorio Y. Zara is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Gregorio Y. Zara rather than just read about it. In short: Gregorio Ynciong Zara (8 March 1902 – 15 October 1978) was a Filipino engineer, physicist, a National Scientist, and inventor. He was known as the father of videoconferencing for having invented the first two-way videophone.

Key takeaways

Gregorio Y. Zara belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Gregorio Y. Zara to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Gregorio Y. Zara from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Gregorio Ynciong Zara (8 March 1902 – 15 October 1978) was a Filipino engineer, physicist, a National Scientist, and inventor. He was known as the father of videoconferencing for having invented the first two-way videophone. He was also one of the country's pioneer aeronautical engineer having invented an airplane engine that ran on plain alcohol as fuel. This was due to the country's overstock of popular alcohol Tanduay, Tuba and Lambanog. Among his other notable inventions include a solar-powered water heater,, the discovery of the physical law of electrical kinetic resistance called the Zara effect,, and a propeller-cutting machine, among others.

Education A native of Lipa, Batangas, Zara finished primary schooling at Lipa Elementary School, where he graduated as valedictorian in 1918. In 1922, he again graduated valedictorian in Batangas High School, an accolade which warranted him a grant to study abroad. With full support from his parents he then enrolled at the University of the Philippines in Manila. Zara then enrolled at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, and graduated with a degree of BS in Mechanical Engineering in 1926. After that he obtained a Master of Science in engineering (Aeronautical Engineering) at the University of Michigan in 1927, where he graduated as summa cum laude. In 1930, Zara then sailed to France to take up advanced studies in physics at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He graduated summa cum laude with a degree of Doctor of Science in physics, with "Tres Honorable," the highest honor conferred to graduate students.

Career Upon his return to the Philippines, Zara was appointed Technical Assistant on aviation matters in the office of the Secretary of Department of Public Works and Communications (DPWC). Subsequently, he became Chief of the aeronautical division of the DPWC. In 1936, he was assistant director and chief aeronautical engineer in the Bureau of Aeronautics of the Department of National Defense. For 21 years, he was director of aeronautical board, a position he held and confirmed by the Congress of the Philippines up to 1952. Considered expert in the field, he was chosen to be the technical editor of Aviation Monthly and at various times. On November 28, 1958, he was appointed as a Member, and subsequently as Vice Chairman and executive director of the National Science Development Board, where a number of science projects were impetus, including the Philippine Atomic Energy Commission. While busy in government positions, Zara also was an educator. He was an instructor of aeronautics at the Valeriano Aviation School, at the American Far Eastern School of Aviation (1933) and at the Far Eastern University (1937–41). After his retirement from the government service in 1946, he joined the Far Eastern Air Transport Incorporated (FEATI). In 1945–1946, he served as President of FEATI Enterprises, Inc. Other positions he held were: Executive Vice President and Dean of Engineering and Technology at FEATI University (1946–); President of FEATI Scientific and Manufacturing Corp., Inc. (1956); 1st Vice President and Director, FEATI Industries, Inc. (1956–); Dean of the Institute of Science, Director of Research, and Director, Graduate School (1959–); and Director of FEATI Bank and Trust Co. (1961–). He also became the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of FEATI University (1946–). He was also a member of the board of directors of the National Shipyards and Steel Corporation and of the Civil Aeronautics Board.

Marriage and children On September 1, 1934, he married the former Miss Philippines and Queen of the 1933 Philippine Carnival, Engracia Laconico, and had four children: Antonio, Pacita, Josefina, and Lourdes.

Death

On October 15, 1978, at the age of 76, Zara died of heart failure. The Philippine government accorded him a state funeral at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Awards and Recognitions During his lifetime he received several awards, which include the following:

In 1978 he was conferred the Order of National Scientist by President Ferdinand Marcos.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Gregorio Y. Zara

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Gregorio Y. Zara claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Gregorio Y. Zara before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Gregorio Y. Zara ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Gregorio Y. Zara

In research: Gregorio Y. Zara appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Gregorio Y. Zara in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Gregorio Y. Zara is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1902 births, 1978 deaths, 20th-century American engineers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Gregorio Y. Zara outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Gregorio Y. Zara in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Gregorio Y. Zara means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Gregorio Y. Zara out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Gregorio Y. Zara in simple terms?

Why does Gregorio Y. Zara matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Gregorio Y. Zara?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Gregorio Y. Zara.