BMM1711 Introduction to

Engineering
Solving Problems
Ts. Dr. Mohd Razali Hanipah, CEng MIMechE (UK)
mohdrazali@ump.edu.my

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 TOPICS

Course Content Outline CO*

1. Everyday Engineering CO1, CO2, CO3
2. Ethics CO1, CO2, CO3
3. Design & Teamwork CO1, CO2, CO3
4. Presentations & Technical Writing CO1, CO2, CO3
5. Estimation CO1, CO2, CO3
6. Solving Problems CO1, CO2, CO3

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 Problem Types

• R = Ratio, the effect of changing conditions

• A = Approximation, getting a quick answer
through estimation and simplifying assumptions
• P = Parametric, the effect of multiple inputs on
one or more outputs
• I = Ideal, calculating a quantity from a known
formula
• D = Discussion, determining important
decisions, parameters, and rationales

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 SOLVEM – one approach to
solving problems

• S = Sketch
• O = Observations and / or Objectives
• L = List
– V = Variables and constants
– E = Equations

• M = Manipulate
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 Example CH 6, Ex 1

• What is the area of the largest equilateral

triangle that can be cut from a circular piece
of material 50 centimeters in diameter?

This is an Ideal problem, calculating a quantity

from a known formula

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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 1
What is the area of the largest equilateral triangle that can be cut from a circular
piece of material 50 cm in diameter?

H
120°

60°
60°

L
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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 1

• Objective:
H
– Determine the area of an equilateral 120°

triangle inscribed in a circle 60°

L
• Observations:
– Each angle of the triangle is 60°
– Each side of the triangle is a chord of the circle
– The angle subtended by one of the chords is 120°
(360°/3)

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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 1

• D Diameter of circle 50 cm
• R Radius of circle
• φ Internal angle of equilateral triangle 60°
• θ Angle subtended by chord 120°

• L Length of chord (base of triangle)

• H Height of triangle
• A Area of triangle

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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 1

• Radius of circle:
R = 0.5 D
• Area of triangle:
A = 0.5 L H
• Length of chord:
L = 2 R sin(θ/2)

• tan(φ) = length of opposite side / adjacent side

H/(L/2)
for the right triangle defined by half of the equilateral triangle

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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 1

• Length of chord:
L = 2 R sin(60°) = 1.73 R

• Height of triangle:
H = L tan(φ)/2
H = (1.73 R) tan(60°)/2
H = 1.5 R
• Area of triangle:
A = 0.5 (1.73 R) (1.5 R)
A = 1.30 R2

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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 1

• NOW, plug in numbers!

R = 0.5 D
R = 0.5 (50 cm) = 25 cm

A = 1.30 R2
A = 1.30 (25 cm)2
A = 811 cm2

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 Example CH 6, Ex 2

You purchase a truck having wheels and tires such that each
wheel-tire combination has a radius of 14 inches.

The speedometer, which reads accurately, is calibrated for these

tires. Inspired by a monster-truck event, you decide to jack up
your truck such that the wheel-tire radius is 20 inches.

Identify the effect this has on your speedometer reading.

Specifically, if your speedo-meter indicates that you are traveling

at 60 miles per hour, what is your actual speed?

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 Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex
2

R Wheel circumference = 2 π R

Distance traveled in one revolution = Wheel circumference

tire

• This is a Ratio problem, the effect of changing

conditions

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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 2

• Observations:
– Assuming the tires do not slip, for one revolution, the tire
circumference will be the distance traveled by the truck.

– The number of wheel revolutions per time determines the

speedometer reading.

– Since more distance is covered per revolution for a bigger tire, the
truck will be moving faster than the speedometer says it is in this
case.

– Since we are comparing one tire to another, I should be able to

solve this problem as a ratio, without having to worry about unit
conversions.

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Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 2

• R wheel radius 14 inches, 20 inches

• Vtire the truck velocity for a particular tire

• t time

• revtire revolution distance for a particular tire

• tire tire radius

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 Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 2

• Circumference of wheel = 2 π R

• V14 = (rev14 / t)
• V20 = (rev20 / t)

• rev14 = circumference of wheel14

• rev20 = circumference of wheel20

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 Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 2

• Step 1: Solve Equations 2 & 3 for time (t), which is unimportant

since we are finding a rate.

t = K (rev14 / V14)

t = K (rev20 / V20)

• Step 2: Since unit time is the same in each case, equate the two
expressions:

(rev14 / V14) = (rev20 / V20)

V20 = V14 (rev20 / rev14)

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 Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 2

• Step 3: Substitute for circumference

(rev20 /rev14) = (2 π R20) / (2 π R14)
= (R20 / R14)

• Step 4: Now we can use ratio of radii instead of

ratio of velocities

V20 = V14 (rev20 / rev14)

= V14 (R20 / R14)

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 Example: SOLUTION CH 6, Ex 2

• NOW plug in numbers!

V20 = V14 (R20 / R14)

= (60 mph) (20 in / 14 in)

V20 = 86 mph

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