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ME205 STATICS

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, the students will be able to;

1. calculate the moment of a force and couple vector in 3D-space using vector algebra,

2. determine the resultants of force systems acting on rigid bodies,

3. identify the types of contact between rigid bodies and draw the free body diagrams for a rigid body or for a group of rigid bodies,

4. establish the equations of equilibrium for a rigid body or a group of rigid bodies,

5. calculate the internal forces in engineering structures composed of simple trusses or beams,

6. analyze the static problems involving Coulomb friction, complex surface contact friction and belt friction,

7. determine the geometric properties of surfaces and volumes.

Course Content

Idealizations and principles of mechanics. Important vector quantities, classification and equivalence of force systems. State of equilibrium. Elements of structures; trusses, beams, cables and chains. Friction. Elements of statics of fluids. Variational methods: principles of virtual work and minimum potential energy.

Course Learning Outcomes

1. Understanding of how to represent force, moment of force and couple as vectors.

2. Ability of using vector algebra in the analysis of forces, moments and couples.

3. Ability to move a force acting on a rigid body to a parallel position in space.

4. Ability to identify the type of a special force system (e.g. concurrent, coplanar, distributed, parallel, general 3D).

5. Ability to calculate the simplest resultant of a general force system.

6. Ability to adequately represent the effect of a support on a rigid body.

7. Ability to isolate a rigid body from all of its contacts and draw the free body diagram.

8. Ability to handle a group of rigid bodies by using Newton’s third law.

9. Ability to calculate unknown forces or other related unknowns through the use of equilibrium equations for a rigid body that is in equilibrium.

10. Ability to identify a two force member.

11. Understanding of the static indeterminacy.

12. Ability to calculate the internal forces for simple trusses using the method of joints or method of sections.

13. Ability to plot the shear force, bending moment and axial force distribution in beams using the method of sections.

14. Ability to plot the shear force, bending moment, axial force distribution in beams using the differential equations of equilibrium (Summation method).

15. Ability to carry out static force analysis of rigid bodies and simple machines like wedges in dry frictional contact.

16. Ability to perform force analysis of flexible belts in frictional contact.

17. Ability to locate the centroid, center of mass, and center of gravity of a rigid body.

18. Ability to calculate first, second and polar moments of area for various beam cross sections or for any other generic shape.

19. Ability to handle composite surfaces.

Program Outcomes Matrix