Subject Overview

Engineering Mechanics develops the principles used to model and predict the equilibrium and motion of particles and rigid bodies. The subject integrates statics, dynamics, structural idealization, energy and momentum methods, vibration, computational analysis, and responsible engineering practice, while establishing the foundation for mechanics of materials, machine design, robotics, manufacturing, and aerospace engineering.

Learning Goal

Students will be able to idealize mechanical systems, construct valid free-body diagrams, apply equilibrium and motion laws, analyze structures and machines, select appropriate analytical or computational methods, interpret results, evaluate uncertainty and safety, and communicate defensible engineering decisions using contemporary digital tools.

Syllabus

1. Foundations of Engineering Mechanics

Learning Objective: Understand particles, rigid bodies, reference frames, dimensions, SI units, scalars, vectors, coordinate systems, vector algebra, dimensional consistency, significant figures, and the distinction between mass, weight, force, and moment. Develop assumptions and idealizations for mechanical models.

Category: foundation

2. Forces, Moments and Equivalent Systems

Learning Objective: Represent concentrated and distributed forces, couples, moments, lines of action, and resultants in two and three dimensions. Reduce general force systems and apply Varignon’s theorem, transmissibility, and vector cross products.

Category: foundation

3. Free-Body Diagrams and Equilibrium

Learning Objective: Identify supports, constraints, reactions, contact forces, and two- and three-force members. Construct complete free-body diagrams and solve particle and rigid-body equilibrium problems in two and three dimensions, including determinacy and stability checks.

Category: core

4. Analysis of Trusses, Frames and Machines

Learning Objective: Analyze planar trusses using joints, sections, and zero-force-member identification. Determine external reactions and internal forces in frames and machines, and construct basic axial-force, shear-force, and bending-moment diagrams.

Category: application

5. Distributed Loads and Geometric Properties

Learning Objective: Calculate resultants of distributed mechanical and hydrostatic loads. Determine centroids, centers of gravity, centers of mass, area and mass moments of inertia, radii of gyration, products of inertia, and principal axes using integration, composite methods, and parallel-axis theorems.

Category: core

6. Friction, Contact and Flexible Elements

Learning Objective: Apply Coulomb friction models to impending and actual motion, wedges, screws, bearings, rolling resistance, belts, brakes, and clutches. Analyze cables and pulleys while recognizing limitations of ideal friction and contact assumptions.

Category: application

7. Virtual Work, Potential Energy and Stability

Learning Objective: Use virtual work to solve constrained equilibrium problems and evaluate mechanical advantage. Apply potential-energy methods to conservative systems and assess stable, unstable, and neutral equilibrium.

Category: advanced

8. Kinematics of Particles

Learning Objective: Describe particle motion using Cartesian, normal–tangential, and polar coordinates. Analyze rectilinear, curvilinear, projectile, relative, and constrained motion using position, velocity, and acceleration relationships.

Category: core

9. Kinetics of Particles: Force and Acceleration

Learning Objective: Apply Newton’s laws and equations of motion to particles and connected systems. Analyze motion in multiple coordinate systems, including circular motion, drag, and constraint-force problems.

Category: core

10. Particle Energy, Momentum and Impact

Learning Objective: Apply work–energy, power, impulse–momentum, angular momentum, and conservation laws. Analyze direct and oblique impact using coefficient of restitution and select efficient methods for multi-stage dynamics problems.

Category: core

11. Planar Kinematics of Rigid Bodies

Learning Objective: Analyze translation, rotation about a fixed axis, and general plane motion. Use relative velocity and acceleration, instantaneous centers, rotating reference frames, and kinematic constraints for mechanisms, gears, rolling bodies, and linkages.

Category: core

12. Planar Kinetics of Rigid Bodies

Learning Objective: Apply force–acceleration, work–energy, impulse–momentum, and angular-momentum methods to rigid bodies. Analyze eccentric rotation, rolling, connected bodies, impacts, and dynamically balanced mechanical systems.

Category: core

13. Three-Dimensional Rigid-Body Dynamics

Learning Objective: Model spatial rotation using angular velocity, angular acceleration, inertia tensors, principal axes, and Euler equations. Examine gyroscopic effects, precession, and applications in rotors, vehicles, aerospace systems, and robotics.

Category: advanced

14. Fundamentals of Mechanical Vibration

Learning Objective: Model single-degree-of-freedom systems and analyze free, damped, and forced vibration. Evaluate natural frequency, resonance, transmissibility, vibration isolation, rotating imbalance, and basic measurement and condition-monitoring concepts.

Category: application

15. Computational, Digital and Professional Mechanics

Learning Objective: Use spreadsheets, programming, CAD/CAE, numerical solvers, multibody simulation, and sensor data to analyze and validate mechanical systems. Address sensitivity, uncertainty, optimization, verification and validation, safety, standards, documentation, model governance, and ethical responsibility. Evaluate emerging uses of AI, physics-informed models, digital twins, automated design, and predictive maintenance while maintaining human oversight and data integrity.

Category: contemporary