Shear & Moment Diagrams — the Area Method

Inside this lesson

State the differential relationships w = dV/dx and V = dM/dx
Use the area under the load diagram to find the change in shear between two points
Use the area under the shear diagram to find the change in moment between two points
Sketch complete shear and moment diagrams for beams with UDLs and point loads without writing region-by-region equilibrium

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Interactive simulators for Mohr's circle, shear-moment diagrams, the Moody chart, and more.

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Educational content covering topics typical of a first- and second-year mechanical engineering curriculum. Not a substitute for accredited coursework, and not suitable for real structural design without review by a licensed professional engineer.