ENGINEERING MECHANICS (Credit Hours: 3+1=4)

Specific Objectives of course:

To enable students to understand relationships of physical processes, kinetics and kinematics.
To develop skills to use the basic principles of mechanics in engineering applications

Course Outline:

Basic Concepts: Concepts of space, time, mass, velocity, acceleration and force. Scalar and vector quantities, Newton's
laws of motion, Law of gravitation.
System of Forces: Resultant and resolution of co-planer forces using parallelogram, triangle & polygon law and funicular
polygon. Simple cases of resultant and resolution of forces in space, Conditions of equilibrium of co-planar forces,
analytical and graphical formulations.
Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies: Free body concept, conditions of support and attachment to other bodies, Support Reactions
under different types of loading, Introduction to shear force and bending moment diagrams. Degree of restraint and static
determinacy. Statically determinate problems especially of civil engineering importance, Equilibrium of two-force and
three-force bodies.
Kinematics: Work, energy and power. Virtual work formulation of equilibrium of coplanar force. Potential energy, energy
criterion for equilibrium, stability of equilibrium, application to simple cases.
Rigid Bodies: Geometrical properties of plane areas, first moment of area, centroid, second moment of area, principal axes,
polar second moment of area and radius of gyration.
Friction: Coulomb's theory of friction. Problems involving friction on flat and curved surfaces.
Application of Principles of Dynamics: Rectilinear and curvilinear motion, Newtons equation of motion, Dynamic
equilibrium

Introduction to practical use of the above principles and properties.

Lab Outline:
The Design work and/or experiments related to above mentioned outline shall be covered in the
Laboratory/Design class.

(PEC)Recommended Books:
1. Hibbeler, R. C. Engineering Mechanics- Statics and Dynamics, Prentice Hall. (14th Edition), 2016.
2. Ferdinand P. Beer and E. Russel Johnston Jr. Vector Mechanics for Engineers, 11th Edition, 2016.
3. F. L. Singer, Engineering Mechanics, 4th ed, Harper and Row Publisher, 1987.
4. J. L. Mariam & L. G. Kraige; Engineering Mechanics Statics and Dynamics; John Wiley & Sons, 8th
Edition, 2016.

Reference books.
1.Engineering Mechanics by Timoshenko and Young , McGraw - Hill (Revised Fourth Edition 2008).
2. Engineering Mechanics Statics By Pytel and Kissulaas Third Edition SI.

Basic Concepts:
The following concepts and definitions are basic to the study of mechanics, and they should be understood at the
outset.
Space is the geometric region occupied by bodies whose positions are described by linear and angular measurements
relative to a coordinate system. For three-dimensional problems, three independent coordinates are needed. For twodimensional problems, only two coordinates are required.
Time is the measure of the succession of events and is a basic quantity in dynamics. Time is not directly involved in
the analysis of statics problems.

Mass is a measure of the inertia of a body, which is its resistance to a change of velocity. Mass can also be thought of
as the quantity of matter in a body. The mass of a body affects the gravitational attraction force between it and other
bodies. This force appears in many applications in statics.
Force is the action of one body on another. A force tends to move a body in the direction of its action. The action of a
force is characterized by its magnitude, by the direction of its action, and by its point of application. Thus force is a
vector quantity. The SI units of force is Newton.
A particle is a body of negligible dimensions. In the mathematical sense, a particle is a body whose dimensions are
considered to be near zero so that we may analyze it as a mass concentrated at a point. We often choose a particle as a
differential element of a body. We may treat a body as a particle when its dimensions are irrelevant to the description
of its position or the action of forces applied to it.

Rigid body. A rigid body can be considered as a combination of a large number of particles in which all the particles
remain at a fixed distance from one another, both before and after applying a load. This model is important because
the bodys shape does not change when a load is applied, and so we do not have to consider the type of material from
which the body is made. In most cases the actual deformations occurring in structures, machines, mechanisms, and
the like are relatively small, and the rigid-body assumption is suitable for analysis.
Velocity is a physical vector quantity; both magnitude and direction are needed to define it. The scalar absolute value
(magnitude) of velocity is called "speed", being a coherent derived unit whose quantity is measured in the SI (metric)
system as meters per second (m/s) or as the SI base unit of (ms1).
Acceleration is defined as the rate of change of velocity. Acceleration is inherently a vector quantity, and an object
will have non-zero acceleration if its speed and/or direction is changing. The average acceleration is given by

v(t)

Velocity
V(t+t)

Acceleration

a=

Deceleration

Time

Scalar is the measurement of a medium strictly in magnitude.

Vector is a measurement that refers to both the magnitude of the medium as well as the direction of the movement the
medium has taken.

Scalar Quantities
Length, area, volume, speed, mass,
density, pressure, temperature, energy,
entropy, work, power

Vector Quantities
Displacement, velocity, acceleration,
momentum, force, lift, drag, thrust,
weight, torque, acceleration due to
gravity.

Velocity

Volume

Newtons Three Laws of Motion. Engineering mechanics is formulated on the basis of Newtons three laws of
motion, the validity of which is based on experimental observation. These laws apply to the motion of a particle as
measured from a nonaccelerating reference frame. They may be briefly stated as follows.
First Law. A particle originally at rest, or moving in a straight line with constant velocity, tends to remain in this state
provided the particle is not subjected to an unbalanced force. Fig. a
Second Law. A particle acted upon by an unbalanced force F experiences an acceleration a that has the same
direction as the force and a magnitude that is directly proportional to the force. Fig. b
If F is applied to a particle of mass m, this law may be expressed mathematically as

F = ma
Third Law. The mutual forces of action and reaction between two particles are equal, opposite, and collinear. Fig. c

Newtons Law of Gravitational Attraction. This law states that a body attracts every other body in
the universe with a force which is directly proportional to the product of their masses but
also inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers. Mathematically ,
1 2
1
2

2
1
Combining above two equations,
1
2
1 2
2

r
1 2
=
2
1 2
where:
1 = 2 =
2
F is the force between the masses;
G is the gravitational constant (6.6741011 N(m/kg)2
m1 is the first mass;
m2 is the second mass;
r is the distance between the centers of the masses.

Units: In mechanics we use four fundamental quantities called dimensions. These are length,
mass, force, and time. The units used to measure these quantities cannot all be chosen
independently because they must be consistent with Newtons second law of motion. The four
fundamental dimensions and their units and symbols in the two systems are summarized in the
following table.

Prob#1. Determine the weight in newtons of a car whose mass is 1400 kg. Convert the mass of the
car to slugs and then determine its weight in pounds.
Soln.
Step#1
W = mg = 1400(9.81) = 13 730 N
Step#2
Since 1 slug is equal to 14.594 kg, therefore the mass of the car in slugs is
m = 1400 kg

1
14.594

= 95.9

Step#3
Finally, its weight in pounds is,
1 = 32.2
W = mg (95.9)(32.2) = 3090 lb
Alternatively,

1 = 2.204
= 1400 2.204 = 3090

Prob#2: Use Newtons law of universal gravitation to calculate the weight of a 70-kg person
standing on the surface of the earth. Then repeat the calculation by using W = mg and compare
your two results.
Soln.
Step#1: By the law of gravitation

Step#2:

1 2
=
2
(6.673 1011)(5.976 1024)(70)
2

[6371 103 ]
F = 688 N

W = mg = 70(9.81) = 687 N

Prob#3: Compute the magnitude F of the force which the earth exerts on the moon. Perform the
calculation first in newtons and then convert your result to pounds.
Soln.

Step#3

Step#1
Figure representing the force exerted by the earth on the moon

From the law of gravitation, the force exerted by the earth is

1 2
=
2
= 6.673

Earth

moon

24

22

5.97610 7.3510
1011
3843980002

= 1.984 1020
= 1.984 1020

Therefore the magnitude of the force is

Step#4
Step#2
From the table for solar system constants, we get
Mass of the earth is = 5.976 1024
Mass of the moon is = 0.0123
= 0.0123 5.976 1024
= 7.35 1022 kg

Use conversion factor to find

1
4.45

1
4.45

= 1.984 1020
= 4.46 1019
Therefore the force in pounds is = 4.46 1019

Prob#4 A simply supported beam weighs

1000lb, find this mass in kilogram and slugs.
W= 1000 kg

Prob#5 From the gravitational law calculate the weight

W(gravitational force with respect to the earth) of a 80-kg man in a
spacecraft traveling in a circular orbit 250 km above the earths
surface. Express W in both newtons and pounds.
Soln
Step#1

Soln.
Weight of the beam
Mass of the beam

= 1000
=

Where g is acceleration due to gravity

= 32.2 /

Mass of man in a space craft

= 80

Radius of circular orbit

= 250

Radius of Earth

= 6371

Radius of circular orbit with respect to center of earth is,

1 = +

1 = 6371 + 250

Therefore,

= 31.55

But

1 = 6621

1000
32.2

1 = 14.594

So for 31.55

1 = 6621 103
Mass of Earth
Gravitational constant

= 5.976 1024
G = 6.673 1011 2 /2

Using the formula

= 31.55 14.594

= 453.22

==

1
1 2

1
1 2

So the distance between the Earth and Sun

= 6.673 1011

805.9761024

= 92.96 106 5280

(6621103 )2

= 727.7
But

1 =

4.45

Force of attraction

= 727.7

1
4.45

= 163.531

= 3.439 10

Prob#6 The mass of Sun is 33300 times the mass of the

earth. The mass of earth is 4.0951023 . 2 /.The
distance between sun and the earth is 92.96106 .
Compute the magnitude F of the force which the sun
exerts on the earth. Perform the calculation first in
pounds and then convert your result to newtons.
Soln
Step#1

1023

Mass of Earth

= 4.095

Mass of Sun

= 33300

Gravitational constant
Distance between the Earth and Sun
But

= 3.439

4
8
10
4

= 92.96 106
1 mile =5280

4.095 1023 333000 4.095 1023

(92.96 106 5280)2

= 7.97 1021

Prob#7 Determine the weight in newtons of a

woman whose weight in pounds is 130. Also, find
her mass in slugs and in kilograms. Determine your
own weight in newtons.
Soln.
Step#1
Given that
= 130
Find:
=?
=?
Using conversion factors
1
=
32.2
1
= 130
32.2
= 4.037
Therefore the mass in slugs is 4.037

14.59
=
1
= 4.037 14.59
= 58.9

Therefore the mass in kilogram is 58.90

Step#2

9.81
=
1
9.81
= 58.90
1
= 577.809
Therefore the mass in Newtons is 577.809

Assignment Problems
Prob#1 Find the gravitational force exerted by the earth on a 70 man whose elevation above the surface of the
earth equals the radius of the earth. The mass and radius of the earth are = 5.976 1024 and = 6371 ,
respectively.
Prob#2 A person weighs 150N on the moon, where = 1.64 / 2 . Determine (a) the mass of the person and (b) the
weight of the person on earth.
Prob#3 Find the elevation h (km) where the weight of an object is one-tenth its weight on the surface of the earth.
Prob#4 A man weighs 900N on the surface of the earth. Compute his weight in an airplane flying at an elevation of
9000 m.
Prob#5 What is the mass in both slugs and kilograms of a 3000 car?