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Teaching energy methods in a final year course on mechanics of materials
Author(s) -
RICHARDS T. H.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
strain
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.477
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1475-1305
pISSN - 0039-2103
DOI - 10.1111/j.1475-1305.1982.tb00415.x
Subject(s) - sophistication , course (navigation) , stress (linguistics) , term (time) , structural mechanics , task (project management) , computer science , mechanical engineering , engineering , structural engineering , systems engineering , physics , finite element method , quantum mechanics , aerospace engineering , social science , linguistics , philosophy , sociology
Now that computer power is so readily available, engineers may contemplate design models of far greater sophistication than previously. When a design analysis task involves stress and deformation analysis, the energy (or variational) principles of mechanics provide such a powerful methodology for the formulation of complex models that it is important for such topics to be introduced to undergraduates. In this paper, the structure and underlying philosophy of a one term package suitable for final year mechanical engineering students is discussed.