Embedded Files
🟦 Welcome!
🟦 Welcome!
If you're on this page, you probably aspire to be an engineer one day! That's awesome! I'm thrilled to be a small part of your journey.
The fundamentals of Statics are based in mathematics. For this reason, this course can be taught in a very theoretical and abstract manner. Some professors prefer to teach it this way.
I am a visual thinker and prefer to teach with practical real-world examples. This is why I call my materials Seeing Structures.
My 2D and 3D visualizations have been designed to help you bridge the abstraction of engineering theory with the practicality and purpose of real-world engineering practice. They also help scaffold spatial analysis skills and provide an example that you can emulate in order to develop your own ability to communicate graphically.
Despite my tendency to explain complex ideas with pictures, and occasionally be a little silly, this is an academically rigorous Engineering Statics course. It has simply been designed in a way that is intuitive, fast to learn, and student-centered. At least, that has been my intent.
🟦 What is Statics?
🟦 What is Statics?
To put it simply, Statics is the study of rigid bodies that are stationary. They are not in motion or at rest; they are in static equilibrium. Well, technically bodies traveling at a constant velocity (zero acceleration) are also in the realm of Statics. But mostly, we focus on bodies at rest.
Statics is the bridge between the theory you learned in Physics and upper-level engineering courses such as Dynamics and Mechanics of Materials (alternatively called Solid Mechanics, Strengths of Materials, or Mechanics of Deformable Bodies).
🟦 A preliminary example: building a sculpture
🟦 A preliminary example: building a sculpture
To begin our Statics journey, let's pretend that someone has locked us in a room full of random objects and asked us to arrange them in a way that is both sculptural and symmetric.Â
No glue, tape, or other connectors were provided, so we stacked objects on top of each other, like this:
Note: when we use the symbol #, we indicate the unit of pound-force (abbreviated lbf.).
Our structure is not in motion. It doesn't translate (move) up, nor down, nor east, south, north, or west. It also doesn't rotate (pivot) about any axis. Intuitively, we observe that the structure is in the state of static equilibrium, or at rest.
All of a sudden, an unruly dog runs into the room! It slams into one of the tables and then runs away, completely unharmed.
The impact force transferred from the dog to the table affects the books, which in turn affects the planks, which in turn jostles the beam, which dislodges the bowling ball, which begins to roll and hits the floor.Â
The motion of the bowling ball is a dynamics problem: the bowling ball translates and rotates.
In Statics, we will only study systems in static equilibrium. You won't have to deal with any unruly dogs until you take Dynamics.
In Mechanics of Materials (alternatively called Solid Mechanics, Strengths of Materials, or Mechanics of Deformable Bodies), you will study the internal workings of the bodies and the way they change shape when loaded with force.Â
For instance, the beam depicted above would slightly sag and curve under the weight of the bowling ball.Â
In Statics, we limit our study to what we call rigid bodies. This means that we will not concern ourselves with how bodies deform (change shape) when forces are applied.
When we refer to a "rigid body," we mean that we neglect the effects of deformations in our analysis.
🟦 How to navigate the interactive models
🟦 How to navigate the interactive models
By the way, if you happen to have clicked the image of the bowling ball sculpture, you would have opened an interactive model.
Let's learn how to navigate the interactive models: they're an integral part of this text! Open the same model in a new browser window, and follow the instructions.
You'll know that you have successfully navigated the model when you find the secret codeword!
Why are the interactive models so important? We need to think in 3D in this class! The models will help you develop your visual-spatial skillset. We will have to switch back and forth between the reality of 3D space and the practicality of 2D drawings.Â
This particular model has both 3D and 2D views programmed in:
3D View
Front View (xz)
Top View (xy)
🟦 How does Statics link to other engineering courses?
🟦 How does Statics link to other engineering courses?
To answer this question, check out the image below.
Student (a) is studying Statics. They have balanced a solid block on their index finger, and the center of gravity is aligned with their finger. The system is in static equilibrium as shown, and deformation is neglected.
Student (b) is studying Mechanics of Materials. The system is in static equilibrium, but this student is learning about the curved shape of the deformed geometry, noticing that the block sags (slightly) under its own weight.Â
Student (c) is studying Dynamics. Perhaps this student is studying the position, velocity, and rotation of the block as a function of time. (Alternatively, perhaps this student is still working on mastering concepts from Statics.)
🟦 Is Statics important to my major?
🟦 Is Statics important to my major?
You may be majoring in a field in which Statics is incredibly important (Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Construction Engineering, and other related fields).Â
The fundamentals in this course form a critical foundation that will enable your success in upper-level courses!
But perhaps you're enrolled in a program that requires you to take Statics as a breadth topic.
If this is you, please don't discount this course. I have found that most students truly enjoy learning this material, regardless of their major. You'll also develop some useful engineering skillsets:Â
an improved skillset for being detail-oriented
an increased sensitivity to units and signs
ability to apply a useful tool called engineering notation
better problem-solving skills
improved mastery of engineering drawings
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse