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.
Homework Statement
In terms of mechanics, does negative Work produce negative Power? If so, what is negative mechanical Power?
Homework Equations
W=F*d
P=W/t
The Attempt at a Solution
I know if a car is rolling downhill and I try to push against it, but I end up getting pushed...
Is it true that the 2 have a lot of overlapping curriculum? At least that's what i have heard, can an actual Aerospace engineer comment on this as well?
I ask because i want to go into aerospace engineering but up here in Canada, there are like 2 schools in the entire country that offer the...
Suppose we send a single mechanical pulse down a wire from one side and an identical one with the top down from the other side - like on the picture. Now suppose these two pulses interfere destructively. Then there is a specific time at which the string is completely at rest. My question is...
Hello,
I am having issues understanding all the waves, there are a lot of equations involving sine and cosine..and then all the various ways frequencies are looked at. I'm talking about pendulums, oscillators, standing waves, and sound waves. They all look similar in there form, but it is a...
I recently took an exam in which the professor asked the following question:
Suppose an object of mass 2 grams were incident on a rectangular barrier of height 20 cm and width 2.0 cm. What is the probability that the object will quantum mechanically tunnel and appear on the other side?
I...
hey there! Sorry, if my post comes as one those repeated over and over but then here it is:
I'm MechE student in freshman year and I'm looking forward to getting started with all the stuff that it encompasses...As such I was wondering what technical skills are required for a mechanical...
I am a female seniour in high school and i really really want to become and Air force pilot. I'm doing rotc and i was wondering what steps i could take when i start college to secure a pilot slot. Would i need flight hours and how could I get them?
Also, I cannot decide between aerospace or...
Hello.
I am currently a mechanical engineering major.
I am drawn to the mechanical engineering major because I like physics, all science really, and I believe this degree will teach me a lot about how devices/machines/physical objects work as well as how to build/manipulate the world around...
I'm currently an ME student about half way through my Bachelor's degree and plan to graduate in 2 years. I'm older (37) and because of that I planned to get through my degree without doing an internship so I can get back to work asap. I don't mind taking a low paying job after I graduate for a...
Hello,
I'm currently a master's student in mechanical engineering, only for about 2 weeks now. I can say that my adviser would really like me to pursue a PhD under him, though he doesn't tell me that explicitly maybe because he doesn't want to seem like he's enforcing it on me. He would much...
Hi everyone! I'm a new user of this forum! I'm a student in Computer Eng. but I'm even very keen about robotics and mechanical design.
I have a discrete knowledge in calculus and linear algebra and wanted to know how i can size a mechanical piece with math (formulas).
For example : let's take...
Note: given many questions rg spinning objects, this is NOT related to perpetual motion or other similar dreams…
Q: How do I convert mechanical work (ie: energy from a battery) into a spinning force (torque) on a self-contained object suspended from a rope.
I am looking for an...
Hello!
This is my first post :D
Most of my life, I've been wanting to be a medical doctor. I dumped that idea in 2008 (I graduated high school in 2009). Ever since then, it's been an off-and-on relationship. However, I ignore it because the reason I don't want to be a medical doctor is...
hello everybody. i have a quick question.
i am going to make a shape memory alloy model in ansys workbench 12.0 . as workbench does not have the SMA model, i have to make material properties in mechanical APDL and then make an input file. but i don't know how to define properties and make the...
Hello everyone.
I am fairly familiar with physics. However I have a question regarding the math behind a lever mechanism. Why is it easier to exert force on something the longer the arm of the lever is? What is the math/equations behind this?
I'm a junior in Mechanical Engineering and while I like a lot of it (the theory, that is), there are also some classes that uses AutoCAD and Solidworks or the like that I really do not enjoy. The fact that I think this is really what the job actually entails makes matters worse. What can I do if...
Hi everybody!
I've been toying around with ideas for using electricity to propel any type of vehicle - gasoline, diesel, hybrid, or electric. The problem is I am not a Mechanical Engineer. So I'm wondering if anybody can tell me whether a drive system like this may be designed to be practical...
Hello all, if you took the time to read this thread then I want to say thank you very much and I sincerely appreciate it.
My dilemma is this: I am currently using my Post 9/11 GI Bill and attending community college to earn credits towards my new found major of mechanical engineering. I have...
Homework Statement
These are two of the excercises where I'm supposed to calculate the mechanical advantage of the pulley systems. Excuse the crude MS paint drawings, I do not have access to a scanner or a proper camera. The red dots are where two cables connect.
The Attempt at a...
So I'm interested in Environmental Engineering. I am a sophomore, and as of now, I'm interested in green buildings and possibly water resources. But really, I enjoy all things sustainability, and I would also go as far to say that I enjoy designing anything (whether its environmental-related or...
I'm a sophomore at Stony Brook University and I want to be an engineer and I want to make a six-figure salary. I started off doing biomedical engineering and realized it wasnt for me. Then I wanted to switch to Chemical, Electrical, Civil, and Computer Engineering but I'm far behind and their...
Hello all,
Maybe it will be a silly idea, but I fink about design engineering database-handbook site creation. In this site will be published something like: material standards, fitting element standards, short guides about some elements design key elements creation, or advantages -...
Hi
I'm trying to decide what major I want to choose, and I would appreciate it if any mechanical engineers could tell me what they do at their work. I want to get a general idea of what type of jobs mechanical engineers usually get or could potentially get.
Thank you
Hi,
My understanding that one of the postulates of quantum mechanics is that the vector describing the quantum mechanical state of a system evolves in a linear fashion. My question is how this can be reconciled with systems where the system evolves in a non-linear fashion for example systems...
Homework Statement
Ok, this really IS my last question here.
Again, I have a fairly close answer that isn't right.
A 1630-kg communications satellite is released from a space shuttle to initially orbit the Earth at a radius of 9. 106 m. After being deployed, the satellite's rockets...
Hi Folks,
Sorry if this has been asked before but I have searched the forums and can't anything to do with this. Also please correct me if I am posting in the wrong forum.
I am making an application with functionality similar to a revolution of a sketch within any CAD program.
I...
Homework Statement
A 250 gram mass is connected to a spring and executes simple harmonic motion. The period of motion is 0.5 seconds and the total mechanical energy is 0.50J. What is the amplitude of motion?
Homework Equations
ΔU = 1/2kx2
The Attempt at a Solution
I get
1/2kx2 =...
Hey,
I was trying to prove to myself an expression for the total energy, and I got stuck
Here is the picture (it's transparent, so I won't embed it here).
The problem I seem to be having is when I observe these two points where the speed is in its highest and its lowest. Since in these...
Hi,
I'm trying to decide between these three majors. I'm in community college right now and plan on transferring next year God willing. I have taken almost all my math, physics, and chem courses and a bio class. I have also taken the following engineering classes at my college to help me...
Hey guys,
I know a topic similar to this has already been talked about, but my case is a little different. I am a maths graduate currently doing my honours year in maths. Just a quick rundown of what this means: Where I live a basic graduate degree entails 3 years of full-time study where a...
I need advice! After graduating college in 2007, I've been in the Army fighting wars and the like, instead of touching anything mechanical engineering. I recently left the service, and was lucky enough to land a job in manufacturing/automations that I'm extremely happy with. We essentially...
So I'm finally ready to graduate next semester with a BS in Mechanical engineering technology. I've been thinking of my options now. I really don't want to be a technician, unfortunately I didn't really know the difference between an ME and MET degree until fairly recently, and then decided I'd...
Hello world. Is there any way to convert mechanical energy into DC electricity energy WITHOUT using any magnets ? I know there is homopolar generator but it uses magnet and as I said I need something that doesn't use any magnets. I also know there are stuff that use friction (triboelectric...
Hello all; I have a homework 'question' I'm hoping I can get some help with here.
For my Introduction to Mechanical Engineering class, we have been tasked with writing a technical paper and there is a portion of the mark dedicated to using social media and the internet to enhance the paper...
I have a background as a automotive technician for over a decade. I would like to move into a career that is less stressful on my body and provides a higher ceiling for pay.
I am interested in computers with hobbiest knowledge of the how's and why's they work. I have professional experience in...
Can anyone tell me who is a Mechanical Engineer and works in a Nuclear Power Plant, just what their daily duties include? How they like the work environment and such. I'm interested in knowing because as a student, my university has a Co-op program. Recently, I sent out my resume to FirstEnergy...
actually people don't share these things usually. But I am going to do a masters and i really have to know the course curriculum of MIT regarding the masters degree in Mechanical engineering.
the main thing I have to do is compare. As its my 1st higher education I have to understand that my...
So I know that the total mechanical energy is E=0.5m*v^2+ 0.5* k*x^2
But sometime I see it written as E=0.5m*v^2+ 0.5* k*A^2
What is the difference?
Here is a question If the amplitutide of the oscillations is doubled the mechanical energy of the system:
Doubles Does not change...
Hello everyone!
I am designing a sort of automatic spring gun to use with projectiles the size of normal tennis balls - sort of like a bowling machine.
I have a horizontal spring, attached at one end to a square sheet of metal, and fixed at the other end. The square sheet of metal is...
Ballistic Pendulum system. Bullet weighs .00500kg and the wooden block it hits weighs 1.00kg. The increase in height is .05m. Using conservation of momentum and conservation of energy I have calculated the bullets speed at 199m/s. How can I calculate the loss in mechanical energy as a result...
Hi,
I'm attending a 50+ Liberal Art college in physics and math, double major, I'm going to be a senior this fall and want to go to graduate school. I have major GPAs 3.81, 3,73 for physics and math respectively and 3.57 overall, GRE 670+800. I also conducted research at ORNL at material...
I'm having a bit of a dilemna. I'm currently a senior in Mechanical Engineering and will finish in about 1.5 years. I always feel that ME alone might not be as useful and wish to expand my knowledge in Physics or Mathematics. I'm equally passionate of both, and have thought about minoring in one...
Ok, first time posting...hopefully I do this correctly, as I have found myself in a bind on this one. It is a question comparing the mechanical energy of two masses falling in different ways in which you are given the option of greater than, less than, or equal to.
Homework Statement
The...
Homework Statement
I have a task of essentially proving that bigger motor = bigger vibration. I have certain data such as the running speed of the motor (), moment of inertia of the rotor, weight of the motor and shaft and the diameter of the shaft.
Homework Equations
|X| = \frac{me}{M}...
Hi. I've just started working with the MPR121 capacitive sensor (at the moment I'm working with the MPR121 breakout board sold by sparkfun) for an application that involves detecting a toolhead's distance above a work surface. It's not a problem to ground part of the tool head and some initial...