Engineering Mechanics: Statics
Mikael Kroencke
Office: FL2-222
Phone: (916) 608-6596
E-Mail: kroencm@flc.losrios.edu
Web Site: http://www.flc.losrios.edu/~kroencke/
Office Hours: MWF 10:20-11:20, TuTh 9:00-10:00,
or by arrangement
Texts: Statics, 6th ed.
By Meriam, J. L. and Kraige, L. G.
Final: Tue. 12/13/11 1:00-2:50
Prerequisites:
MATH 401 (Calculus II) and PHYS 411 (Mechanics of Solids and Fluids) with grades of "C" or better.
If it’s been a while since you’ve had these courses it is strongly recommended that you pick up
something like a Schaum’s Outline for review.
Course Material:
Statics is the branch of mechanics concerned with non-accelerating bodies. The objectives of this course
are to (1) introduce you to the principles of statics, and (2) develop problem-solving skills necessary in
all engineering. It is important for you to realize that you will use what you learn in this course in many
of your upper division engineering courses. In addition you must be very careful not to fall behind in
this course. The material is covered very quickly and it is assumed that you completely understand the
previously covered material.
Teaching Style/Expectations and Student Philosophy:
Learning engineering is like learning tennis. You can read about it and have people show you how to do
it, but to master the skill, you have to do it yourself by doing lots of practice, practice, practice. You may
have noticed that over half of the textbook consists of exercises. This means lots of homework problems
and a lot of student participation, example problems during lecture. Note this only works if you ask
questions. This is the biggest expectation I have of you – ask lots of questions . Warning! Many of
your questions will be answered by questions of my own. I will not work a problem for you. You learn
by doing. My goal is to guide you to solve the problem yourself. If you accept the fact that I will not
spoon-feed you answers, then it will save you a lot of frustration this semester.
As you go through this semester you should keep in mind that you are here in this class because you
want to be here. No one is making you take this course and no one is going to make you do the
homework or study for tests. I am assuming that most of you are taking this course because you want to
be engineers. Your goal, therefore, should not be just to pass the tests and to pass the class, but rather it
should be to learn the material in this particular subject of engineering and to remember it for the rest of
your career, not just till the end of the semester. It is important for you to keep this in mind throughout
this semester and in your future engineering courses.
You must also realize that engineering is a very difficult major. Though it is hard, every person in this
class can succeed in engineer. All that is required is effort. This effort is mainly in the form of quality
time on homework assignments and going over course material. It is also a willingness to communicate
with your instructor when you are unsure about anything related to the course.
Assessment:
I will determine your grade by adding up the points you accumulate throughout the semester. Point
values are equally weighted. For example, the 4 points from each homework assignment has the same
“value” as a 4-point question on an exam. The methods for determining your grade are discussed below.
All grading will be based on a straight percentage (i.e., A≥90%
D: 69.9% - 60%).
B: 89.9% - 80%
C: 79.9% - 70%,
Tests:
Four tests will be given during the semester worth 100 points each. There will be no
make up tests regardless of the reason for missing the test. Instead, your lowest test score
will be dropped. A cumulative final at the end of the semester will be worth 150 points.
Tests will be almost all worked exercises. Scientific calculators will be allowed. As you
work on your test, you should keep in mind that I give lots of partial credit on problems.
So if you can’t solve all of a problem, be sure to show all the work of what you can do. If
you have any questions or disagreements concerning the grading of the test, you must
return your test with a note explaining your questions at the end of the class period.
Homework:
Homework will be assigned approximately once a week. It will usually be due at the
beginning of lecture, one week from the date it was assigned. No late homework will be
accepted unless you are absent on the due date. Exercises with supplied answers will be
assigned so that you can check your work. Since you will have the answers available to
you I will not specifically check and grade all of your problems. Instead, I will be
looking for a satisfactory level of effort in your work. Your grade will either be a 4
(good or satisfactory work), a 2 (some work was shown but it needs improvement) or a
zero.
An additional factor that may affect your grade is based on your classroom conduct. You may receive a
few bonus points based on the "effort" that I see from you. If you are only one point away from a C and
I know you’ve worked hard in this class then you will probably receive a C. If I saw little or no effort
from you then you receive a D. Conversely, unprofessional behavior will result in your receiving
negative points that will lower your total score. These negative points will be assigned as needed per
incident.
After each test, I will pass around a grade sheet that looks something like the following, though with
more rows. Note you will need to know your student ID to follow your grade progress.
Possible Points: 328
A≥ 295.2
B≥ 262.4
C≥ 229.6
Tests Dropped:
0
ENGR 420
Test #
Homework Total
ID
3
28
Total Score
930419
80
0
228
Homework:
Homework is the most important part of this class. Keep in mind that the objective of the homework is
to understand the concepts used to solve the problems, not just to get the right answer. Problems on
tests will not necessarily be the same as those in the homework. Doing your homework is where you
will learn the most about statics. It is in this area that you must spend quality time. Note, however, that
quality time does not necessarily mean spending hours being stuck on one problem. It means doing as
much of a problem as possible, spending some time trying different approaches when stuck, and then,
after a reasonable amount of time, moving on to the next problem. When the opportunity arises, ask for
some help in working out the points that you had problems with.
For full credit, your work should include:
(1) the question clearly stated
(2) neatly drawn diagrams
(3) what information is given
(4) all worked steps and assumptions
(5) the answer boxed/circled
and you should use only one side of your paper with at most 1 problems per page. It would be a good
idea to keep your homework in a three-ring binder neatly organized by section. This binder will be
useful when you study for tests (don’t forget about the final).
Classroom Conduct:
Unfortunately there are a minority of people that do not understand that common sense rules for
professional behavior extends into the classroom. I expect, as should you, an environment of mutual
respect – between teacher and student, and between students. Lapses will result in negative points as
discussed above.
I also have a pet peeve. Cell phones are great. I love mine. It’s amazing what you can do with them.
However, the classroom is not the place for their use. Turn them off before you come to class. If you
need to do calculations then use a calculator. Save the text messaging for after class.
Attendance:
Attendance is mandatory. The college defines excessive absences as equal to the weekly number of
class meetings. That means 2 absences for this class. You should consider yourself in danger of being
dropped from the class if you exceed this number. If you are late, it is your responsibility to let me
know at the end of class that you were not absent. Also, if late, don’t forget to turn in your report. It
will not be accepted at the next class meeting. Note you are responsible for any information you did not
receive due to an absence or lateness.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
• Solve engineering problems by applying vector mathematical principles.
• Formulate equations for the analysis in both two and three dimensions of static quantities such as
equilibrium, moments, centroids, moments of inertia and friction.
• Evaluate trusses and generate equations based on the method of joints and the method of sections
to determine the external forces acting on the individual members of the truss.
• Assess the impact of external forces acting on beams and determine the resulting axial forces as
well as generate resulting shear and bending moment diagrams.
• Apply analysis and problem solving techniques developed during this course to future courses in
engineering mechanics.
I ______________________________, have read and understand all sections of the
(name
)
syllabus for ______________________________.
All of my questions have been
(course)
answered satisfactorily. I will keep the syllabus with my lecture notes and will take full
responsibility for understanding all of its aspects throughout the semester. I am aware
that there may be changes made to the syllabus announced during the semester and will
make a note of these changes on my handout. I will be responsible for these changes
even if I am absent for the relevant announcement.
x__________________________________________________
(signature)
(date)