Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION TO
MECHANICS
BKF 1313 ENGINEERING MECHANICS
WHAT IS MECHANICS??
Mechanics is the science which describes and predicts the
conditions of rest or motion of bodies under the action of forces.
Mechanics is an applied science since it deals with the study of

physical phenomenon.
Mechanics is the foundation of most engineering sciences and
is a crucial requirement to their study.
BRANCHES OF MECHANICS
What may happen if static's is not applied properly?
FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS & PRINCIPLES

The basic concept used in mechanics are space, time, mass and force
Space - associated with the notion of the position of a point P given in terms of three
coordinates measured from a reference point or origin.
Time - definition of an event requires specification of the time at

which it occurred.
Mass - used to characterize and compare bodies, e.g., response to
earths gravitational attraction and resistance to changes in translational
motion.
Force - represents the action of one body on another. A force is
characterized by its point of application, magnitude, and direction, i.e.,
Mathematical expressions possessing magnitude and
a force is a vector quantity.
direction, which add according to the parallelogram law
Parallelogram law
Two force acting on a particle may be replaced
by a single force, called their resultant
In Newtonian Mechanics, space, time, and mass are absolute concepts,

independent of each other. Force, however, is not independent of the other
three. The force acting on a body is related to the mass of the body and the
variation of its velocity with time, F=ma.
Principle of Transmissibility conditions of equilibrium or of motion of

rigid body will remain unchanged if a force acting at a given point of the
rigid body is replaced by a force of the same magnitude and same direction,
but acting at a different point.
NEWTONS THREE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS

Newtons First Law: If the resultant force on a particle is zero, the particle will
remain at rest or continue to move in a straight line with constant speed.
Newtons Second Law: A particle will have an acceleration proportional to a
nonzero resultant applied force.
F ma
Newtons Third Law: The forces of action and reaction between two particles
have the same magnitude and line of action with opposite sense.
Newtons Law of Gravitation: Two particles are attracted with equal and
opposite forces,
r
-F
M
Constant of
gravitation
m
F
F G
Mm
r2
SYSTEMS OF UNITS
Length, mass and time are the fundamental dimensions while
force is the derived dimension
A magnitudes assigned to the dimensions are called units
F=m*a
Force units can be formed by combination of primary units
example: m= x kg ; a= y m/s2 F= kg m/s2
Conversion factors were used in order to convert the units from
one system to another system
RULES FOR USING SI SYMBOLS
No Plurals (e.g., m = 5 kg not kgs )

Separate Units with a (e.g., meter second = m s )
Most symbols are in lowercase (some exception are N, Pa)
Exponential powers apply to units , e.g., cm2 = cm cm
NUMERICAL CALCULATIONS
Must have dimensional homogeneity. Dimensions have to be
the same on both sides of the equal sign, (e.g. distance = speed
time.)
Use an appropriate number of significant figures (3 for answer, at
least 4 for intermediate calculations).
Be consistent when rounding off.
5, round up (3528 3530)
< 5, round down (0.03521 0.0352)
PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGY: IPE
1. Interpret
Read carefully and determine what is given and what is

to be found/delivered. Ask, if not clear. If necessary,
make assumptions and indicate them.
2. Plan
Think about major steps (or a road map) that you will take to
solve a given problem. Think of alternative/creative
solutions and choose the best one.
3. Execute
Carry out your steps. Use appropriate diagrams and

equations. Estimate your answers. Avoid simple
calculation mistakes. Reflect on / revise your work.
EXERCISES
1. The subject of mechanics deals with what happens to a body when
______ is / are applied to it.
A) magnetic field
B) heat
C) forces
D) neutrons
E) lasers
2. ________________ still remains the basis of most of todays

engineering sciences.
A) Newtonian Mechanics
B) Relativistic Mechanics
C) Euclidean Mechanics
C) Greek Mechanics
EXERCISES
1. For a statics problem your calculations show the final answer as
12345.6 N. What will you write as your final answer?
A) 12345.6 N
B) 12.3456 kN
D) 12.3 kN
E) 123 kN
C) 12 kN
2. In three step IPE approach to problem solving, what does P stand

for
A) Position
B) Plan
D) Practical
E) Possible
C) Problem
END OF THE LECTURE
THANK YOU

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Mechanics is an applied science since it deals with the study of

What may happen if static's is not applied properly?

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS & PRINCIPLES

Time - definition of an event requires specification of the time at

direction, which add according to the parallelogram law

In Newtonian Mechanics, space, time, and mass are absolute concepts,

Principle of Transmissibility conditions of equilibrium or of motion of

NEWTONS THREE FUNDAMENTAL LAWS

RULES FOR USING SI SYMBOLS

No Plurals (e.g., m = 5 kg not kgs )

PROBLEM SOLVING STRATEGY: IPE

Read carefully and determine what is given and what is

Carry out your steps. Use appropriate diagrams and

2. ________________ still remains the basis of most of todays

2. In three step IPE approach to problem solving, what does P stand

END OF THE LECTURE

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