What is Mechanical: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Mechanical engineering is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science to design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems. It is one of the oldest and broadest of the engineering branches.Mechanical engineering combines creativity, knowledge and analytical tools to complete the difficult task of shaping an idea into reality.
The mechanical engineering field requires an understanding of core areas including mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, materials science, structural analysis, and electricity. In addition to these core principles, mechanical engineers use tools such as computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), and product lifecycle management to design and analyze manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, heating and cooling systems, transport systems, aircraft, watercraft, robotics, medical devices, weapons, and others. It is the branch of engineering that involves the design, production, and operation of machinery.Mechanical engineering emerged as a field during the Industrial Revolution in Europe in the 18th century; however, its development can be traced back several thousand years around the world. In the 19th century, developments in physics led to the development of mechanical engineering science. The field has continually evolved to incorporate advancements; today mechanical engineers are pursuing developments in such areas as composites, mechatronics, and nanotechnology. It also overlaps with aerospace engineering, metallurgical engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, chemical engineering, industrial engineering, and other engineering disciplines to varying amounts. Mechanical engineers may also work in the field of biomedical engineering, specifically with biomechanics, transport phenomena, biomechatronics, bionanotechnology, and modelling of biological systems.

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  1. N

    Undergrad Aerospace Vs Mechanical.

    Hello All. I am planning for Undergrad and I am interested in having a part of Aerospace Industry and like to work in Boeing, Cessna etc. I have searched this Forum were some posters posed that Mechanical Engineering is more suited than Aerospace in Undergrad,if you are going to do MS in...
  2. Y

    Best country for Mechanical engineering.

    hi all when you want to study Mechanical engineering ,what is the first country come to your mind? is it Germany? if yes then why? is it the USA? again >why? waiting for your opinions.
  3. M

    What Are the Differences Between Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering?

    hello all i am looking into grad school for aerospace engineering because it seems fun. as ridiculous of a reason as that sounds, its true. can anyone tell me how aerospace or mechanical engineering compares to the academics? i really like the theory and all the problem solving but what is...
  4. G

    MEng in mechanical engineering then Doctorate in Aerospace

    Can I do that or do I need to a MEng in aerospace? They are fairly closely related. Also, how useful in a doctorate in engineering? It seems as more people get Masters that they are taking Bachelors jobs and PhDs are taking masters jobs. Is this right? Thanks
  5. S

    Career in aerospace engineering with a mechanical eng. background

    I am a student currently studying 3rd year in mechanical engineering. What can be my career options in aerospace industry?I also have interest in doing higher studies. What are the courses i can choose realted to aerospace engineering? Kindly reply
  6. J

    Mechanical Eng. Undergrad then Aerospace Eng. Graduate?

    Okay, so I'm a grade 11 student in Canada, and my goal is to become an aerospace engineer. For the past few months I've been doing research and though that Carleton University's Aerospace Engineering program seemed good. However, after reading various threads on this site, I'm contemplating...
  7. E

    Most practical specialization in mechanical engineering

    Hello everyone, I was wondering what is the most practical/hands on engineering specialization in mechanical that would not require someone to stay in front of a computer 8h a day, 40h a week because that is what I've mostly been doing at my internships so far (CFD simulations, excel, tecplot)...
  8. Z

    Need to solve a mechanical problem that's due on Wednesday

    Homework Statement The system is composed of 3 competing ( one after another) beams, like in the drawing. They are all from the same material, with the same admissible strain σ and the same elasticity module E. It is required to calculate the optimum configuration for the system, considering...
  9. K

    Are quantum mechanical effects faster than speed of light?

    For example - When an electron is excited from an inner shell to an outer shell in an atom, it does the quantum jump between the states. Pretty much it disappears from inner state and appears in outer state. Isn't this happening at faster than light? (The velocity is actually infinity for...
  10. D

    How many different velocities for this rotational mechanical system?

    Homework Statement I need to write the equations of motion for the mechanical system below. So I need to know how many velocities there are in the system, the answer key says there's only 4 but shouldn't there be 5? I am unsure if the J3 mass has it's own velocity from the point between K_2 and...
  11. V

    Programs Substitute for a Mechanical Engineering Degree

    Hello! (I hope this is the right place for this thread.) I have a family member who is in need of some help, and PF has always been incredibly helpful and amazingly insightful with all of my problems, so I figured that this is worth a shot. So, as I said, I have a family member who is...
  12. H

    Understanding Mechanical Energy in the EM System: A Griffith Perspective

    In griffith it is mentioned that the sum of the mechanical energy and electromagnetic field energy are conserved in a system, how is the mechanical energy defined in this case since a potential energy cannot be defined? Is it just the kinetic term by itself?
  13. C

    Engineering Straight Mechanical Engineering vs Dual Majors

    I'm currently studying a BEng (Mechanical) and was wondering about dual major options at my university. The two other majors that I'm looking at are Mechanical and Aerospace, and Mechatronic. I'm also considering doing a Masters of in either Electrical Engineering, Electricity Market or Systems...
  14. S

    Need advice regarding the major to take for masters in mechanical

    Hey, I've just graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and I'm planning to go for masters. But now, I've to choose between Applied mechanics, Machine design, Thermal sciences (Thermodyn and fluid mech) and Aerospace (Aerodyn in particular); all of which I like very much. I'm...
  15. 1

    Schools Good college for MS in Mechanical

    Hi everybody, i am currently studying Mechanical engineering and about to enter second year... i was thinking of doing my masters in mechanical from world renowned colleges like MIT, Caltech, etc. ... i want to know which among such colleges are the best ? And what should one have to do to...
  16. L

    Mechanical Engineers: Help Designing a Solid Shaft

    to my fellow mechanical engineers, please help me with some basic machine design problems. a certain drive shaft rotating at 500 rpm transmits 200 hp to an 8 inch diameter gear. Design a suitable solid shaft for this application. the shaft is ductile. Design stresses are to be limited to...
  17. W

    How hard is it to study mechanical engineering

    Hi guys! First post :) I`m a 3rd year high school student. Going to college in 2 years. I am planning to study mechanical engineering. How hard is it? I am not very good in math but I really really really want to be a mechanical engineer. Should i still take mechanical engineering even if i`m...
  18. A

    Mechanical Pump Hose and Hose Fittings for high-vacuum

    Hi, I am trying to create a high-vacuum system using a diffusion pump and a mechanical roughing pump. I need to replace my mech. pump's rubber hose with something that will not leak into the vacuum. Any suggestions on what hose and hose fitting would work best to weld permanently to my base...
  19. D

    Quantum Mechanical Operators - A Question Or Two

    A couple questions: is mass quantized? Energy is quantized, and momentum has eigenvalues for its operator so I took that to mean that momentum is also quantized. If those two are true (might not be! I'm new to this :-p), following E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2 Would that not mean that mass is...
  20. J

    Engineering Mechanical or Civil Engineering

    Hey guys, I currently in my second year of Bachelors in Civil, however i am contemplating on switching to mechanical. The reasons for this, is that i am wanting a degree that can lead me to a career where i can be involved in the design, development and integration of technology that have...
  21. G

    Mechanical engergy, energy conservation

    Homework Statement A 10-kg block is released from point A. The track is frictionless except from the portion between B and C which has a length of 3.0 meters. The block travels down the track, passes through BC and first collides with a small block (m=2kg), then they travel together and later...
  22. W

    Need reliable electrical or mechanical 24hr timer

    It needs to perform at least 50 cycles with a cumulative error of no more than [+\-] 30 minutes. This is for a home project. Any suggestions of components?
  23. D

    Ideal gas law mechanical work problem

    Homework Statement Calculate the gas' mechanical work on its environment for the thermodynamic process path IF. Solution says: 505 J Homework Equations W=\int_i^f p,dv i = Vi, initial volume f = Vf, final volume The Attempt at a Solution My approach is to find a...
  24. H

    Mechanical engineer to physicist/mathematician

    Hi: As graduation approaches, I would like to evaluate my strength, weakness and interest in engineering as well as other fields. Well , to begin with, I would like to address that I will be getting my B.S in mechanical engineering, specializing in mechatronics. But as I have...
  25. A

    Engineering Mechanical Engineering Career Path

    Hi Physics Forum, I know the question is broad, but I do wish for advice on this matter. I will be graduating in one month with my degree in Mechanical Engineering and I was hoping for some guidance based on my education and experience. I have completed three internships and one senior...
  26. C

    Engineering Advise on mechanical engineering to physics decision

    Hi everyone, I’m a 23 year old female, currently in my final semester of a mechanical engineering degree. I’ll start with some background information... I've loved physics and astronomy since first reading about black holes and the life cycle of stars in Dad's ancient Encyclopedia...
  27. K

    Exploring Oscillations in Mechanical Systems

    Homework Statement Oscillation in mechanical structures can often be described by the function: y(t)=(e^(-t/τ))*sin(ωt+θ) Where t is time , ω is oscillation frequency in radians per unit time. The oscillations have a period of 2*π/ω and their amplitudes decay in time at a rate...
  28. G

    Is [x,p]=i quantum mechanical?

    In CM, p is the generator of translations. On functions, exp[ i(-i) d/dx] is what translates. So the relationship [x,-id/dx]=i seems to just be some sort of group theoretic relation. Where did quantum mechanics come into this? Was it the fact that you represented the translation operator...
  29. F

    Help with a mechanical energy exercise

    Homework Statement A spring cannon is used to shot horizontally a marble mall, whose mass is 75g, from a platform located 1.2 m from the ground. If the spring compression is 25 mm, the ball hits the ground 4,2m from the base of the platform. Not taking friction into account, determine...
  30. E

    An approach to conservation of electrical mechanical energy

    Homework Statement A point charge q1=5μC is held fixed in space. From a horizontal distance of 6.00 cm, a small sphere with mass 4g and charge 2μC is fired toward the fixed charge with an initial speed of 40.0 m/s. Gravity can be neglected. What is the acceleration of the sphere at the...
  31. N

    Conservation of mechanical energy for skier on sphere

    Homework Statement A skier of mass m starts from rest at the top of a solid sphere of radius r and slides down its frictionless surface. At what angle θ will the skier leave the sphere? Homework Equations KE= 0.5mv^2 PE = mgh Fc = (mv^2)/r The Attempt at a Solution I am really...
  32. X

    How Do You Calculate Spring Compression and Cart Speed After Collision?

    Homework Statement A 1.2 kg dynamics cart is rolling to the right along a horizontal lab desk at 3.6 m/s, when it collides head on with a spring bumper that has a spring constant of 2.00 * 10^2 N/m. a) Determine the maximum compression of the spring b) Determine the speed of the cart at...
  33. B

    Quantum mechanical derivation of Einstein's equations

    This result will shortly revolutionize physics. This short paper breaks the barrier which has kept time as a C-number in the quantum theory while the other spacetime dimensions are operators. Amazing! http://vixra.org/abs/1209.0010 ABSTRACT: A non-unitary quantum theory describing the...
  34. J

    Finding a mechanical torque as a funct. of time

    Hi all, I am a bit stuck here... trying to find a mechanical torque for a square current carrying loop wire (basic generator), rotates counter clockwise around Z axis in a magnetic field B (1T). Angular velocity w =dθ/dt = 200 rpm, R is 0.2 ohm, length is 0.2.m Need to come up with the...
  35. B

    Calculating lost mechanical energy

    Hey guys, I'm trying to complete a homework problem, but I'm not quite sure how to approach it. Here is the question: A 90.5-kg fullback running east with a speed of 4.91 m/s is tackled by a 94.7-kg opponent running north with a speed of 2.93 m/s. Determine the mechanical energy that...
  36. agnibho

    Innovative mechanical or electrical really cheap toy

    Homework Statement OK, this is a project given to a group of us. I don't really know whether this is a homework question, if it isn't please correct me frankly. We need to make a toy that is really cheap, and quite innovative. I don't need any suggestions whatsoever, but I have got some ideas...
  37. A

    Engineering Guidance on choosing electrical or mechanical engineer

    I seem to be at a stalemate. I have an interest in the workings of all things, I enjoy getting my hands dirty and getting hands-on with my job and designing new things which mechanical engineering gives more opportunity for (I understand somewhat that they have other people to do that for...
  38. N

    Engineering A bachleor's degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in idustri

    I want to become an Industrial Engineer,but for some reason i have to attend a specific college that only offers a masters degree in Industrial. What I want to know if it is a smart move to major in Mechanical engineer with a minor in Business Administration and then get a masters in Industrial...
  39. G

    Materials for a Lightweight, Sturdy Mechanical Chair

    Hello I am building a chair that will mechanically open itself remotely from a folded form. I decided to make this chair mobile I already have the electronics planned but i need help on the chairs easy mobility. My first question what materials are sturdy enough to hold a person that is...
  40. K

    Mechanical Energy: Does a Moving Block Have Potential Energy?

    I have a quick question: does a block that has initial velocity from start have any potential energy on a flat surface (not on an angle or anything just a flat horizontal surface) ? I was thinking no because it has no energy stored and all of it is kinetic, because it is in motion?
  41. D

    What are the forces acting on a boat crossing a still lake at a constant speed?

    Homework Statement Hi could some one point me in the right direction for both parts of these questions, I am electrical biased so this is all new to me. A model boat off mass 25 Kg is crossing a still lake at a constant speed, in a straight line. The engine is propelling the boat along...
  42. J

    Finding Mechanical Energy without knowing Efficiency

    Homework Statement A 65 kg man goes for a 72 minute hike up a mountain that is 400.0 metres in vertical height. The energy consumption rate for this climb is 10.1 kcal/min. What is the Mechanical Energy (useful work energy) expended for this hike? (in kcal) Homework Equations ME=...
  43. M

    What is the Work Done on an Object on an Incline with Constant Velocity?

    Homework Statement A 10 kg block lies on an incline 15 degrees above the horizontal. A force F, parallel to the incline, pushes the block up the incline. There is a displacement of 7m and the displacement is done with constant velocity. Given that the coefficient of kinetic friction, μ, is...
  44. H

    Basic mechanical components in modern machines

    Hi guys I would like to know, what are the basic mechanical components in modern machines? I am not referring to bolts, fasteners or gears, I'm more asking in a level of differentials in automobiles, power shaft, so on so forth. because I am sure automobiles,aircrafts, missiles...
  45. R

    Help an EE student get into mechanical design

    Hi, I'd like to learn some mechanical design. My knowledge in mechanics is mainly from general physics and a basic course in engineering mechanics. Is this enough to take on intermediate level mechanical design? Should I take a few ME classes? If so, what would you recommend? What is a good free...
  46. kini.Amith

    Physics project for mechanical engineering

    I am a mechanical engineering 3rd year bachelors student. However, after completion of bachelors, i am going to pursue theoretical physics for masters. Next sem i am to work on my major project ( like a research paper). Is there some topic i can work on, which has elements of Theoretical...
  47. R

    Engineering Mechanical engineering project which would help for my MBA?

    am in 6th semester mechanical engineering please suggest me projects which would help me to get into b-schools.
  48. Y

    Mechanical Energy of a system: Conceptual Problem

    Homework Statement Which of the following statements is/are true? Choose all that apply. a. The total mechanical energy of a system, at anyone instant, is either all kinetic or all potential energy. b. The total mechanical energy of a system is equally divided between kinetic and...
  49. C

    Radial vs Axial Turbine, diff in mechanical stress

    I am a hobbyist and I have designed a radial turbine device for use in a tidal stream. I have conducted a couple of experiments to demonstrate that there is less mechanical stress in the radial approach as compared to the axial approach but I would like to prove this concept mathematically (at...
  50. S

    Engineering Mechanical Engineering to Applied Physics

    Here's my current story: I'm at CC right now double majoring in Physics and Engineering Science. When I transfer (Rutgers) I will continue to Mechanical Engineering and plan to continue Physics as a minor. I am highly interested in Mech. Engineering and I love physics, I would major in...
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