Mechanics of materials provides students with skills to study the behavior of deformable materials (columns, beams, channels,...) when forces are applied. By understanding the stresses, strains and deformations of real objects when carrying a load, one can hope to design and build structures that last and bend without breaking.

The following topics are taken from the chapter headings of current engineering textbooks and is provided to give an overview of the topics, vocabulary and the symbology:

Mechanics of Materials, 4th ed, James M. Gere, Stephen P. Timoshenko, PWS Publ. Co.

CH 01: TENSION, COMPRESSION AND SHEAR

CH 02: AXIALLY LOADED MEMBERS

CH 03: TORSION

CH 04: SHEAR FORCES AND BENDING MOMENTS

CH 05: STRESSES IN BEAMS (BASIC)

CH 06: STRESSES IN BEAMS (ADVANCED TOPICS)

CH 07: ANALYSIS OF STRESS AND STRAIN

CH 08: APPLICATIONS OF PLANE STRESS (PRESSURE VESSELS, BEAMS, AND COMBINED LOADINGS)

CH 09: DEFLECTIONS OF BEAMS

CH 10: STATICALLY INDETERMINANT BEAMS

CH 11: COLUMNS

CH 12: REVIEW OF CENTROIDS AND MOMENTS OF INERTIA

Mechanics of Materials, Third Edition, R. C. Hibbler, Prentice Hall, 1997

CH 01: STRESS

CH 02: STRAIN

CH 03: MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

CH 04: AXIAL LOAD

CH 05: TORSION

CH 06: BENDING

CH 07: TRANSVERSE SHEAR

CH 08: COMBINED LOADINGS

CH 09: STRESS TRANSFORMATION

CH 10: STRAIN TRANSFORMATION

CH 11: DESIGN OF BEAMS AND SHAFTS

CH 12: DEFLECTIONS OF BEAMS AND SHAFTS

CH 13: BUCKLING OF COLUMNS

CH 14: ENERGY METHODS

The Mechanics of Materials textbooks use symbols to denote various important engineering terms or parameters. Each one of these terms has a specific meaning and so it is important to consistently use the same sign when referencing it.

Common textbook symbols:

• A: area
• d: distance, diameter
• D: diameter
• e: eccentricity, dilatation (volumetric strain)
• E: modulus of elasticity, Young's modulus
• f: shear flow, shape factor, flexibility, frequency
• F: force
• g: acceleration of gravity
• G: shear modulus of elasticity, modulus of rigidity
• h, H: height
• I: moment of inertia
• J: torsion constant
• k: spring constant, stiffness
• K: stress concentration factor
• m: moment per unit length, mass per unit length
• M: bending moment, couple, mass
• N: axial force
• O: origin
• P: power, load
• r: radius
• R: reaction force, radius
• s: distance
• T: tensile force, torque, temperature
• u: strain energy density
• U: strain energy
• deflection of a beam, velocity
• V: shear forve, volume
• u_r: modulus of resiliance
• W: work, weight
• x, y, z: rectangular axes
• a: angle, coefficient of thermal expansion
• b: spring constant, stiffness
• d, D: displacement, elongation
• DT: temperature differential
• e: normal/nominal strain
• g: shear strain
• n: Poisson's ratio
• q, f, y: angles
• s: normal/nominal stress
• t: shear stress
• w: angular velocity