Introduction to

Engineering
Mechanics
Dr. Wayne Whiteman
Director of the Office of Student Services
and Senior Academic Professional
School of Mechanical Engineering

This course is an introduction to learning and applying the

principles required to solve engineering mechanics problems.

School of Mechanical Engineering

 Module 1 Learning Outcomes
 Describe what makes engineering different from
science
 List the major topics in the course
 Identify the systems of units used in the course
 Express the typical units of
measurement for the quantities
of distance, force, and mass
2
 What is Engineering?

 What’s different about engineers and

scientists?

3
 What Do Engineers Do?
“The scientist describes what is.
The engineer creates what never was.”
Theodore von Karman–Hungarian-American physicist and aeronautical engineer

4
 Engineering Mechanics/Engineering Science

Math Mechanical Engineering

Physics Civil Engineering
Material Science Engineering
Basic Sciences
Other Engineering

“How the physical “Application of

world works” science to fill a
human need”

5
 Introduction to Engineering Mechanics Overview
Forces
Components of a vector (2D and 3D Forces)
Particle Equilibrium
Balance of forces on a particle
Moments
Moments of force about a point
Moments of force about a line/axis
Couples
Equilibrium Equations and Equivalent Systems
Resultants
Distributed forces
Centroids
Method of Composite Parts
Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies
Free-Body Diagrams
Equilibrium in 2D and 3D
6
 Units

English SI (metric)
Distance
Force
Mass
Gravitational constant, g

7
 Units

English SI (metric)
Distance feet meters
Force pounds (lb) newtons
Mass  lb  sec 2   N  sec 2 
slugs   Kilograms  
 ft   m 
Gravitational constant, g 32.2
ft
9.81
m
sec 2 sec 2