Cornwell, P., & Danesh-Yazdi, A. H., & Cloutier, A. M. (2020, June), Who Needs the Method of Sections and the Method of Joints? Just Pick a Strategy and Define Your System!  Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line . 10.18260/1-2--35510

\bibitem{asee_peer_35510}
  Cornwell, P., \& Danesh-Yazdi, A. H., \& Cloutier, A. M. (2020, June), \emph{Who Needs the Method of Sections and the Method of Joints? Just Pick a Strategy and Define Your System!}
  Paper presented at 2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line .
  10.18260/1-2--35510

Phillip Cornwell, Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi, and Aimee Monique Cloutier.  "Who Needs the Method of Sections and the Method of Joints? Just Pick a Strategy and Define Your System!".  2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line , 2020, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2020.  https://peer.asee.org/35510 Internet.  11 Feb, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_35510}
  Phillip Cornwell, Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi, and Aimee Monique Cloutier.
  "Who Needs the Method of Sections and the Method of Joints? Just Pick a Strategy and Define Your System!".
  \emph{2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access, Virtual On line , 2020, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2020.
  https://peer.asee.org/35510 Internet.  11 Feb, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_35510
author = "Phillip Cornwell, Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi, and Aimee Monique Cloutier"
title = "Who Needs the Method of Sections and the Method of Joints? Just Pick a Strategy and Define Your System!"
booktitle = "2020 ASEE Virtual Annual Conference Content Access"
year = "2020"
month = "June"
address = "Virtual On line "
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/35510}
number = {10.18260/1-2--35510}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Statics courses can sometimes give students the misconception that there are many different approaches to solving statics problems, such as the “method of sections” or the “method of joints.”  Students may also believe that trusses, frames, and machines are all fundamentally different and that they therefore require different approaches.  As a result, many students believe that there is a “right” approach to use in solving a particular problem and that they need to remember it and use it. In this paper, we present a simple, unified problem-solving approach for solving all statics problems, including particle problems and rigid body problems; the calculation of internal forces or external forces; and problems involving a frame, a machine, or a truss.  This approach is also applicable to solving problems in other courses such as Strength of Materials and Dynamics. In this approach, the first step in solving any problem is to articulate a “Strategy.” This simple step requires the students to take a few moments to reflect on the problem and write down a strategy rather than trying to pattern match or “find the right equation.”  If the strategy is Newton’s 2nd law, which it often is in Statics, then the next step is for students to “Choose a System.”  Students are required to define the system by drawing a dotted line around it or by stating the system in words.   Once a system is chosen, and only after it is chosen, then students draw a free-body diagram (FBD) for the system.  The mnemonic BREAD (B-Body, R-Reaction forces, E-External forces, A-Axis, D-Dimensions) has been found to be very helpful in teaching students how to draw complete and accurate FBDs. In this paper, we will present this problem-solving approach with a specific focus on defining the system and drawing a complete FBD.
AU  - Phillip Cornwell
AU  - Amir H. Danesh-Yazdi
AU  - Aimee Monique Cloutier
CY  - Virtual On line 
DA  - 2020/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Who Needs the Method of Sections and the Method of Joints? Just Pick a Strategy and Define Your System!
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/35510
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--35510
ER  -