Mechanics of materials, also called strength of materials, asks what happens inside a loaded part: how much stress it carries, how far it deforms, and whether it will yield or break. It starts where statics stops.
How to use these lessons: They teach methods, not answers to assigned problems. Work each example yourself first, then compare your steps with ours.
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The 2027 Engineer Edition planner — dated and undated, for classes, labs and projects.
Statics gives the internal forces in a member. Mechanics of materials turns them into stresses and deformations using the geometry of the cross-section and the properties of the material.
Every problem has three parts: equilibrium (find the internal force), geometry (find the area, J or I), and the material law (relate stress to strain). Keep units consistent, N and mm for MPa is the easiest pair, and always compare your answer with an allowable stress. Revisit equilibrium of rigid bodies if finding internal forces is slow.
Yes. The two names are used for the same course and subject.
Some. Deriving the formulas and finding beam deflections uses integration, but many problems only need algebra once the formulas are known.
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