Solid Mechanics — Statics & Mechanics of Materials
An intuitive, interactive Statics and Mechanics of Materials course covering the topics typical of the first two years of a mechanical engineering degree. Every lesson pairs plain-language explanations with precise hand-drawn diagrams, worked examples, hands-on simulations, and practice you can check yourself.
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Foundations of Statics
Vectors, moments, and the free-body diagram — the toolkit every later module builds on.
Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies
The single highest-leverage skill in statics — build a free-body diagram, solve for equilibrium.
Structural Analysis: Trusses, Frames & Machines
From bridges to pliers — analyze multi-member structures member by member.
Distributed Forces: Centroids & Moments of Inertia
Where a shape's weight and stiffness effectively act — the geometry behind beam design.
Internal Forces: Shear & Bending Moment
The bridge from statics to mechanics of materials — see the internal forces inside a beam.
Stress & Strain Fundamentals
Stress is intensity, not force — the concept that unlocks every later module.
- What Is Stress? Normal & Shear StressFree Open →
- What Is Strain? Deformation & Hooke's LawFree Open →
- Factor of Safety, Allowable Stress & Design Philosophy Open →
- The Stress-Strain Diagram — Ductile & Brittle Materials Open →
- Axial Loading: Deformation & Statically Indeterminate Members Open →
- Poisson's Ratio & Thermal Stress Open →
Torsion
Twisting shafts — from the torsion formula to power transmission.
Bending Stresses in Beams
Turn a bending moment into a stress distribution — and learn to size a beam.
- The Flexure Formula — Bending Stress DistributionFree Open →
- Stress Concentrations in Bending Open →
- Bending of Unsymmetric & Composite Beams Open →
- Transverse Shear Stress in Beams — the Shear Formula Open →
- Shear Flow & Built-Up (Fastened) Beams Open →
- Selecting Beam Sections — an Intro to Design Open →
Stress Transformation & Combined Loading
Mohr's Circle and the tools to combine axial, bending, torsion, and pressure into one stress state.
Deflection of Beams
How far does a beam actually bend? Integration, superposition, and indeterminate beams.
Column Buckling & Stability
Why slender columns fail by buckling, not by crushing.
Energy Methods & Capstone
Strain energy, impact loading, and a capstone that ties the whole course together.
New lessons are added continuously. Prefer to test yourself? Try the Mechanical Aptitude test.