Mechanical Engineering Curriculum Prep and Short-Course
Read Me First: Intro and Roadmap for evaluating your own prep work and exploring the short-course material. Download the roadmap file to learn where to start and what to do.
Take the self-test.
Compare your self-test results to the solution. Gives you a chance to see improvement areas in your solutions.
Give yourself a grade on your self-test. Use these guidelines to assign yourself an A, B, C, D. Gain insight into how work is “graded”.
Algebraic Manipulation. Solving 1-equation and 1-unknown.
Simple Integration. Visualization of integration. Key examples.
Simple differential equation solving. Set up a mathematical model for a situation. Separate “x” and “t” variables. Solve the differential equation for x(t).
Using the quadratic equation. Solving second order polynomial equations.
Working with Mass and Moles. Understand the difference between mass and a “mole”. Units for moles in SI and English.
Units. Key units in SI and English.
Identifying static, steady, and transient situations. Read a problem and decide how to set up a mathematical model.
Greek letters commonly used in engineering.
Mass and Force. What is mass? What is force? What are the units? Why do these get confused?
Springs. What is a spring? What is its purpose? What is a spring constant?
Work and Power. What is work? What is power? What are the units? What is the relationship between work and power?
Force Balance for a Static Situation. How and why to use a free-body diagram.
Basics of a Simple Electric Circuit. Ohm’s Law, voltage, current, resistance.
How to Review Your Electric Bill. What is a “kwhr”? What am I paying for? What am I paying for electric energy in cents per kwhr? Are there any trends to observe?
Chemical Reaction Equations. Review the basics behind balance a stoichiometric equation. What are the natural products of any hydrocarbon fuel?
Density. What is density? What are the units of density? How can you tell if an object will sink or float in water?
Phases of a Substance. Review what you already know about liquid water, solid water (ice), and vapor water (steam). What is the “boiling point”? Dependence of boiling point on pressure. Use of propane vapor (gas) for your gas grill. What is the typical pressure in a propane tank?
Performance Tips for good-grade success in mechanical engineering courses.
This presentation shows you how to improve your speed in getting thermodynamic properties, conversions, and constants needed in homework problems. You need to have access to Moran’s 9th edition online e-textbook.