Course overview
This course will provide essential knowledge of Statics that will prepare students for the design, modelling and analysis of structural and mechanical systems. In the course, the students will develop analytical and problem solving skills to model and analyse forces, moments and their effects on the equilibrium state of particles, rigid bodies and structural members. The course will also provide students with a basic understanding of Dynamics. The resources and activities in this course will cover the following main topics: fundamentals of Statics, force and moment, equivalent force system, centroid and moment of inertia, free-body diagram and supports, static equilibrium of particles and rigid bodies, truss analysis, and friction. The course will also introduce analysing impacts of forces in dynamic and non-equilibrium conditions.
Course learning outcomes
- Explain the fundamental concepts, laws, principles and techniques of Statics, as well as their applications in civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering.
- Develop free-body diagrams to depict physical configurations and force systems that govern the behaviour of a physical body, in parts or as a whole, for effectively analysing and solving mechanics problems.
- Analyse and calculate the aggregated effect of a system of forces and moments on the equilibrium state and behaviour of an engineering object or structure, in parts or as a whole, in a plane or in space.
- Assess the basic effects of forces on the behaviour and motion of engineering objects in non-equilibrium conditions.
- Apply Mechanics principles and equations to define problems and constraints; to extract critical information to develop solutions; and to communicate the results and problem solving processes.