Conference Session

Internet Delivery of Mechanics Courses

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Kurt Gramoll, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

shared instructional resource among universities and colleges. The MultimediaEngineering Solid Mechanics eBook consists of over 30 sections or modules with each moduledivided into 3 to 4 different parts: case introduction, theory, case solution, and examples. In eachmodule, the theory part covers a particular topic in solid mechanics. The modules are groupedinto 10 different sections according to the topics, and they are accessible through the menu baron the left from the main page (Figure 1). In addition, tables for solid structural properties,section properties, beam deflection tables, common mathematical formulae, and unit conversiontables are included in the appendices. As seen from the main page, all students need to view thiseBook is a

Conference Session

What's New in the Mechanics of Materials?

Collection

2007 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Karim Muci-Küchler, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology; Lidvin Kjerengtroen, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

infinitesimal wedge elementlike the one shown in Fig. 1 and can be written as σx +σ y  σ x −σ y  σ n =  +    cos 2θ + τ xy sin 2θ  (1)  2   2  σx −σ y  τ nt = −  sin 2θ + τ xy cos 2θ  (2)  2 where σ x , σ y , and τ xy ( τ yx = τ

Conference Session

Mechanics Education Programs and Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Cliff Lissenden, Pennsylvania State University; Nicholas Salamon, Pennsylvania State University; Andrew Miller, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

the syllabus. In-class project time is quite limited. Thedesign tool is intended to be used as supplemental material for courses taught at diverseinstitutions including: major research universities granting bachelors degrees, satellite campusesof a major university that grant associate and technology degrees as well as send students on tothe primary campus for bachelors degrees, teaching-focused colleges, and community colleges.There are three primary overall objectives associated with testing our thesis. All three are listedbelow for completeness, but this paper only covers the first one.1. Engage engineering and ET students in realistic design experiences that require structuralanalysis, materials selection, interpreting design requirements

Conference Session

Anything New in Dynamics?

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Brian Self, California Polytechnic State University; Charles Birdsong, California Polytechnic State University; Eileen Rossman, California Polytechnic State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

). The ASDD was used forspatial disorientation training in theU.S. Air Force and is shown in Figure 1. The ASDD.Figure 1. Page 13.73.3The device was simplified somewhat, so that there was no yaw motion of the gondola (refer tothe full assignment in Appendix A).To help with visualization, students were required to build a physical model of the device. Themodel had to show the different coordinate systems used, and how they rotated. One of the morecreative models is shown in Figure 2. Other students decided to use more “green” engineeringand built models from paper and cardboard. These models were extremely useful for the

Conference Session

Anything New in the Mechanics of Materials?

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Rani Sullivan, Mississippi State University; Masoud Rais-Rohani, Mississippi State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

to only one or two laboratory courses. Recent research1-6 on the merit of active studentinteraction with physical models has revitalized interest in the use of such models, not just inlaboratory classes but—more importantly—as an integral part of traditional lecture-basedengineering courses.Couple of years ago, the authors had an opportunity to design and develop a structural testingsystem at the Raspet Flight Research Laboratory at Mississippi State University. In oneexperiment, a whiffletree loading mechanism (WLM), as shown in Fig. 1, was designed and usedfor static testing of a full-scale composite aircraft wing. For simplicity, the wings were mountedupside-down and loaded downward to simulate the lift force distribution. Whiffletree

Conference Session

Mechanics Education Programs and Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bridget Wadzuk, Villanova University; David Dinehart, Villanova University; Edward Glynn, Villanova University; Shawn Gross, Villanova University; Frank Hampton, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

theconcepts are packaged together). The survey was conducted by the authors by searching eachinstitution’s website; using websites was preferred as opposed to sending out a survey request tothe different programs due to time constraints. Websites provide a wealth of information as mostinstitutions have program curricula, course descriptions and course schedules publicly available;for some schools and courses, course content, such as a syllabus, is available.Fifty programs, including Villanova University’s, were surveyed (Appendix 1). The programswere chosen based on if they were considered to be a peer institution, known for innovativepractices, local to Villanova University or highly ranked undergraduate programs. The assessedinstitutions are

Conference Session

Enhancing Mechanics Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gangbing Song, University of Houston; Mithun Singla, University of Houston; Christy Chang, University of Houston; Richard Bannerot, University of Houston

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

beam system is composed of a Page 13.64.3simple, vertically-cantilevered, flexible aluminum beam outfitted with both a PZT actuator and aPZT sensor at the cantilevered base to maximize the PZT strain effect. It is self-contained withina clear acrylic case as seen in Figure 1. Detailed physical parameters of the beam are given inTable I. The first four harmonic frequencies of the beam were determined experimentally andprogrammed into the control module. Analog I/O Control Ports Module

Conference Session

Anything New in the Mechanics of Materials?

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Arturo Fuentes, University of Texas-Pan American; Stephen Crown, University of Texas-Pan American; Bob Freeman, University of Texas-Pan American

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

STAR Legacy learning cycle2,3. The authors have Page 13.676.2supplemented the HPL theory with explanations of the Legacy learning cycle from a new pointof view and with new implementation ideas. The author’s contributions to the Legacy learningcycle and the focus of the solid mechanics challenges are discussed in this section.First, a brief description2 of the Legacy learning cycle as described by it’s developers isparaphrased below.Look ahead: The learning task and desired knowledge outcomes are described here. This stepalso allows for pre-assessment and serves as benchmark for self-assessment in the Reflect Backstep.Challenge 1: The first

Conference Session

Mechanics and the Internet

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Shahnam Navaee, Georgia Southern University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

13.1103.3The computations within the VI are performed via the programming instructions placed in theblock diagram.The seven important phases of the project, along with the benefits they offer, are outlined belowto establish the significance and value of the proposed project. 1. Studying the fundamentals and gaining the background knowledge - In this phase of the project the student will be guided to carefully study the problem and fully comprehend all essential theoretical principles needed. During this phase, the faculty mentor will meet regularly with the student to provide the needed instructions and guidance. Benefit: The student will gain a firm understanding of the fundamental principles and establish a solid

Conference Session

Mechanics Education Programs and Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sridhar Condoor, Saint Louis University, Parks College of Eng.; Sanjay Jayaram, Saint Louis University, Parks College of Eng.; Lawrence Boyer, Saint Louis University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

interplanetary weather satellite designed to orbitMars, was launched on December 11, 1998. It was lost after its entry into Mars occultation onSeptember 23, 1999. An investigation determined that the root cause for the failure was animproper use of units; the design teams were working with different systems of units. While theinterface documentation required the thruster performance data to be in the SI system, one of theteams used the FPS system and failed to convert them. As a result, the $125 million orbiter waslost. As Dr. Edward Stone, director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, succinctly said "Ourinability to recognize and correct this simple error has had major implications." Figure 1. NASA Mars Climate Orbiter (photo courtesy

Conference Session

Enhancing Mechanics Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Francesco Costanzo, Pennsylvania State University; Gary L. Gray, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

solveproblems derive from three areas: 1. balance laws (e.g., force, moment, momentum, angular momemtum, energy, etc.); 2. constitutive equations (e.g., friction laws, drag laws, etc.); and 3. kinematics or constraints.Since we didn’t see any reason why this approach can’t and shouldn’t be applied to problems inStatics and Dynamics, we developed a structured approach to problems in these courses based onthe classes of equations listed above and this approach was presented at the 2005 ASEE AnnualConference.1 At the time, a similar approach had just appeared for the first time in Statics andDynamics textbooks,2, 3 though we were not aware of it when we developed ours. Since then, wehave taught Dynamics using our structured approach to problem

Conference Session

Enhancing Mechanics Instruction

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Gary L. Gray, Pennsylvania State University; Francesco Costanzo, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

amount of material that can be taught and that the students’ interest in the material isenhanced.IntroductionTo maintain and enhance our nation’s ability to be on the forefront of technology development,colleges and universities have been called to adopt the most effective teaching practices of Science,Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) courses as well as to provide undergraduateswith opportunities to study STEM “as practiced by scientists and engineers as early in theiracademic careers as possible”.1 In fact, the practice of engineering today requires that graduatesbe prepared in a large variety of ways, which are reflected in ABET criteria as well as other recentstudies.2, 3 In addition, as supported by a wide body of literature

Conference Session

Mechanics Education Programs and Projects

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Christopher Papadopoulos

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

McDermott18published what is perhaps the first review of these efforts. The over-riding themes thathad emerged were that (1) students bring misconceptions to the classroom that contradictprinciples of Newtonian physics; (2) misconceptions are often resistant to change, andoften persist after instruction; (3) students can obtain correct answers to problems (e.g.,by plugging numbers into formulae) without understanding the underlying concepts; and(4) students have difficulty applying basic concepts to actual physical situations.Corresponding to these general themes were several specific types of misconceptions thatwere widely held by students: ‚" Neglecting “passive” forces. Students often neglect forces that do not appear to be “active”, such as the

Conference Session

Anything New in the Mechanics of Materials?

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ing-Chang Jong, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

theneighborhood of its equilibrium configuration is constant. Fig. 1 Actual beam Fig. 2 Conjugate beamThe beam in Fig. 1 is in neutral equilibrium and will adopt a deflected shape. Is it possible to as-certain the deflection of a loaded beam in neutral equilibrium? The answer is yes according to theconjugate beam method,1– 4 but a resounding no according to all other established methods,3–12such as (a) method of double integration (with or without the use of singularity functions), (b)method of superposition, (c) method using moment-area theorems, (d) method using Castiglia-no’s theorem, and (e) method of segments. These other methods all expect a beam to have suffi-cient well-defined boundary conditions for use

Conference Session

Mechanics and the Internet

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Siamak Faridani, University of Oklahoma; Kurt Gramoll, University of Oklahoma

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

getting high quality education. In the last decadeInternet access has grown noticeably in US. This growth is shown in Table 1. According toNielsen//NetRatings statistics3 there were 212,080,135 Internet users until July 07, 70.2% of thepopulation. Page 13.948.2 YEAR Population Users % Pop. 2000 281,421,906 124,000,000 44.1 % 2001 285,317,559 142,823,008 50.0 % 2002 288,368,698 167,196,688 58.0 % 2003 290,809,777 172,250,000

Conference Session

Anything New in Dynamics?

Collection

2008 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Byron Newberry, Oklahoma Christian University of Science and Arts

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

changing force could beconsidered, a readily available source is commercial model rocket engines which represent apseudo-impulse loading scenario. Figure 1 presents the thrust profile for an Estes B6-4 modelrocket engine4. Note that the peak thrust is reached approximately 0.2 seconds after ignition, andthe entire burn is completed in well under one second. This is in comparison to between 6 and 10seconds required for most rockets sized for the B6-4 engine to reach apogee.The students are tasked with answering the following simple question, ÐEcp"the dynamics of themodel rocket be adequately simulated using an impulse model for the engine thrust?Ñ The projectis included within a junior-level course entitled Experimental Mechanics taught at

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Robert Hildebrand, Lake Superior State University; Wael Mokhtar, Grand Valley State University; Steve Bryan, Continental Automotive Systems

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

, flexibility to accommodatetransfer students, reinforcement of engineering core subjects, and versatility of the engineeringgraduate.1. IntroductionIn engineering curricula, vehicle dynamics is very often available as a single upper levelelective course, giving the student a first exposure to the topic relatively late in thecurriculum, and then ordinarily in the spirit of a specialized topic. As an alternative, it isproposed here that vehicle dynamics can serve well as a common thread running through asequence of elective courses (often referred to as a "concentration" or "option"), each ofthese selected according to a philosophy that seeks to maximize two main characteristicsof the concentration: topical breadth and duration.Topical breadth is sought

Conference Session

Teaching Statics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Sue Rosser, Georgia Institute of Technology; Laurence Jacobs, Georgia Institute of Technology; Janet Murray, Georgia Institute of Technology; Wendy Newstetter, Georgia Institute of Technology; Christine Valle, Georgia Institute of Technology

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

use of the free-body diagram, including such sketches inplentiful illustrations 12. But the page-based examples do not allow for manipulation, so thearrows on the page can remain hard to map to the physical interplay of objects in space. Acomputer-based interactive system in which images from the real world are mapped to abstractdiagrams, and in which both display interactions of objects in space (e.g. frame versus trussproblems, friction, etc) can help students to make these crucial connections.ApproachOur funding was awarded on March 1 2007. Our group is roughly divided into three teams thatwork both independently and together on various tasks that are often inter-related:1- The engineering team (Jacobs, Valle) is primarily responsible for

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics of Materials and General Mechanics Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Henry Christiansen, Brigham Young University; Steven Benzley, Brigham Young University; Spencer Guthrie, Brigham Young Univeristy; Gaurab Paudel, Brigham Young University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

Engineering Technology students take bothstatics and mechanics of materials with the engineering students. The College decision to givethe Civil and Environmental Engineering Department this overall responsibility has significantlycontributed to the economy of the resulting program.As shown in the five year average enrollment graph, Figure 1, the average mechanics course sizewas growing modestly but remained under 40 students until in the early nineteen eighties. Then,during the late nineteen eighties and into the early nineteen nineties, the average class size grewto about 100 students per class and has remained approximately at that level. The early growthrate reflected a desire and ability to keep classes small and the average rate of increase

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics of Materials and General Mechanics Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ing-Chang Jong, University of Arkansas; William Springer, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

textbooks for machine design,1-7 such a stress is derived using principalaxes in terms of the principal stresses σ 1 , σ 2 , and σ 3 as 1 1/2 =σ′ (σ 1 − σ 2 ) 2 + (σ 2 − σ 3 ) 2 + (σ 3 − σ 1 ) 2  2In their latest editions, some of these textbooks for machine design began to show that the vonMises stress with respect to non-principal axes can also be expressed as 1 1/2 = σ′ (σ x − σ y ) 2 + (σ y − σ z ) 2 + (σ z − σ x ) 2 + 6 (τ x2y + τ y2z + τ z2x

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Ali Mohammadzadeh, Grand Valley State University; Salim Haidar, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

speed, speed bump’s geometry on the subsequent bounce and pitch motions of thevehicle. Once they understood the underlying physical concepts of transient vibrations,the students then modified the original system’s parameters to reduce the respectiveamplitudes of the bounce and the pitch motions of the vehicle at a given vehicle speedand a set bump geometry.After deriving the equations of motion, we had students use MATLAB and SIMULINKin this project to overcome the mathematical difficulties inherent in the solution of thephysical problem of transient response, to simulate its behavior, and to design thecorresponding system.Problem StatementAn automobile such as the one shown in the Figure 1, exhibits bounce, pitch, and roll ontop of its rigid

Conference Session

Teaching Statics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

John Dannenhoffer, Syracuse University; Joan Dannenhoffer, State University of New York, Morrisville

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

of these objectives, the system described in the next system was developed. It waswritten to run on any Windows or Macintosh platform using the Tcl/Tk15 developmentenvironment.Example problemThe following problem is a combination of the various tutorial examples that are provided withARCHIMEDES. The problem asks the user to solve for an internal force in a frame.When the user loads a problem into ARCHIMEDES, he/she is presented with a window such asshown in Figure 1. Near the top of the window is a menu bar, a set of buttons, the problemstatement, and a diagram. Note that the forces, couples, and geometry of the problem aredescribed symbolically; this forces the student to solve the problem symbolically up until the laststep in the

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics of Materials and General Mechanics Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Habib Sadid, Idaho State University; Richard Wabrek, Idaho State University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

14.71.3Page 14.71.4Table 1: Mechanics of Materials textbooks with the chapter covering combined state ofstress and the total number of chapters in the book. No. BOOK CHAPTER 1. Strength of Materials (Fourth Edition) Ferdinand L.Singer/Andrew 9 (14) Pytel 2. Intermediate Mechanics of Materials (2001) J.R BARBER 4(12) 3. Mechanics of Materials (2002) Madhukar Vable 9(11) 4. Mechanics of Materials (Fifth Edition) Ferdinand P. Beer, E. Russell 7(11) Johnston, Jr. 5. Mechanics of Materials (Seventh Edition) R.C.Hibbeler 9(14) 6. Mechanics of Materials (Seventh Edition) James M

Conference Session

Teaching Mechanics of Materials and General Mechanics Education

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Bridget Wadzuk, Villanova University; David Dinehart, Villanova University; Edward Glynn, Villanova University; Shawn Gross, Villanova University; Frank Hampton, Villanova University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

premise is builtaround a prioritized list of topics (each linked to an associated student learning outcome) that areutilized in upper level courses or in the practice of civil engineering. The steps involved indeveloping a BOK are: 1. Development of an all inclusive topic list containing topicstraditionally taught as well as those that have been considered supplemental, 2. Development of amechanism for all faculty to provide input on each topic, 3. Synthesis and evaluation of the datacollected, 4. Creation of the prioritized topic list to be included in the curriculum, 5. Parsing ofthe BOK into logistical modules, and 6. Development of course format, sequence, and content tobest fit the BOK. An example of the BOK methodology applied to a

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Benson Tongue, University of California, Berkeley

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

ofalternative teaching strategies. This paper will attempt to accomplish two objectives:discuss ways in which a traditional lecture can be made more compelling to its audienceand also present approaches that will help transform the large lecture dynamic intosomething more akin to a seminar.IntroductionThe problems (and opportunities) facing an instructor with a large class can be illuminated bylooking at the similarities (and differences) between a large lecture class and a classical Greektheatre [5], such as the one illustrated below. Figure 1: Greek amphitheatre/Lecture hall comparisonWhat is the same? In both cases we have a small group of people, in our case just the teacher andin the theatre a small troupe, speaking to a large

Conference Session

Teaching Statics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anna Dollar, Miami University; Paul Steif, Carnegie Mellon University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

University, Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213; telephone: (412) 268-3507; fax (412) 268-3348; e-mail: steif@cmu.edu. Page 14.145.1© American Society for Engineering Education, 2009 WEB-BASED STATICS COURSE USED IN AN INVERTED CLASSROOM1. BACKGROUND - OPPORTUNITIES FOR INNOVATIONS IN LEARNING ANDTEACHINGWe are witnessing an unprecedented coincidence of attention to, and understanding of, humanlearning, in particular an appreciation that instruction should be learner-centered [1]. Variouslearner-centered instructional approaches have been pursued, including on the one handleveraging

Conference Session

Teaching Dynamics

Collection

2009 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Raymond Jacquot, University of Wyoming; Jeffrey Anderson, University of Wyoming; David Walrath, University of Wyoming

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

. Page 14.400.2Visualization StrategiesThere are several ways to present dynamic beam deflection which will be denoted here as y(x,t).They are:  Plots of y(x,ti) as a function of x for selected values of t (freeze frame),  Plots of y(xj,t) as a function of t for selected values of x (measured values of y(x,t) at various locations xj),  A plot of y(x,t) as a function of x and t in three dimensions,  Using animation to plot and erase y(x,t) versus x for a series of closely spaced values of t such that a movie of y(x,t) is attained.Problems ConsideredConsider the Bernoulli-Euler elastic beam of length L, bending stiffness EI and mass per unitlength with a load A0 f(x) g(t) as illustrated in Figure 1. The constant A0

Conference Session

What's New in Mechanics of Materials?

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Hartley T. Grandin, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Joseph Rencis, University of Arkansas

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

distributed loading.Introduction The great majority of undergraduate mechanics of materials textbooks1-50 directly applypreviously derived force-deformation formulas to problems involving the straight bar subjectedto centric axial loading and the straight circular cross-section bar (shaft) subjected to twistingcouples. In both cases, the bars are uniform in cross-section and material, and the concentratedloads are applied at the ends and distributed loads are continuous along the full length. Theforce-deformation formulas are shown in Figures 1 and 2 for bars subjected to centric axialloading and twisting couples, respectively. These formulas, referred to as Material LawFormulas by the authors, are commonly found in mechanics of materials

Conference Session

What's New in Statics?

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Paul Steif, Carnegie Mellon University; Mary Hansen, Robert Morris University

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

measurements of knowledgeor skills that are reliable and valid. Based on such psychometric analyses, the test has steadilyimproved each year. The numbers of students taking the test has also increased: 245 in 2003-2004, 1330 in 2004-2005, and 1255 as of the first half of 2005-2006 (with 16 classesparticipating). Only very minor changes to the current version are anticipated for the future.A critical feature of the test is that questions are grouped according to concept. In the 2005-2006 version of the test, there are 9 concepts, with 3 questions per concept. The concepts aregiven in Table 1. Page 11.641.2Table 1. Concepts tested in 2005-2006 version of

Conference Session

What's New in Mechanics of Materials?

Collection

2006 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Nashwan Younis, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne

Tagged Divisions

Mechanics

of light byreflection and Brewster’s law5. When a polarized beam propagates through a transparent plasticof thickness t, where X and Y are the directions of principal strains at the point underconsideration, the light vector splits and two polarized beams are propagated in planes X and Y.If the strain intensity along X and Y is ε1 and ε2, Brewster established that the relative change inindex of refraction is proportional to the difference of principal strains or: (n x − n y ) = K (ε 1 − ε 2 ) (1)Where n is the index of refraction. The constant K is called the strain-optical coefficient andcharacterizes a physical property of the material. It is a dimensionless constant usuallyestablished by calibration and may be considered