Target AudienceThis text is designed for the first course in Statics offered in the sophomore year.
OverviewThe main objective of a first course in mechanics should be to develop in the engineering student the ability to analyze any problem in a simple and logical manner and to apply to its solution a few, well-understood, basic principles. This text is designed to help the instructor achieve this goal.
Vector analysis is introduced early in the text and is used in the presentation and discussion of the fundamental principles of mechanics. Vector methods are also used to solve many problems, particularly three-dimensional problems where these techniques result in a simpler and more concise solution. The emphasis in this text, however, remains on the correct understanding of the principles of mechanics and on their application to the solution of engineering problems, and vector analysis is presented chiefly as a convenient tool.
In order to achieve the goal of being able to analyze mechanics problems, the text employs the following pedagogical strategy:
Practical applications are introduced early. New concepts are introduced simply. Fundamental principles are placed in simple contexts. Students are given extensive practice through:
- sample problems,
- special sections entitled Solving Problems on Your Own,
- extensive homework problem sets,
- review problems at the end of each chapter, and computer problems designed to be solved with computational software.
- Resources Supporting This Textbook
Instructor’s and Solutions Manual features typeset, one-per-page solutions to the end of chapter problems. It also features a number of tables designed to assist instructors in creating a schedule of assignments for their course. The various topics covered in the text have been listed in Table I and a suggested number of periods to be spent on each topic has been indicated. Table II prepares a brief description of all groups of problems. Sample lesson schedules are shown in Tables III, IV, and V, together with various alternative lists of assigned homework problems.
For additional resources related to users of this SI edition, please visit http://www.mheducation.asia/olc/beerjohnston. McGraw-Hill Connect Engineering, a web-based assignment and assessment platform, is available at http://www.mhhe.com/beerjohnston, and includes algorithmic problems from the text, Lecture PowerPoints, an image bank, and animations. Hands-on Mechanics is a website designed for instructors who are interested in incorporating three-dimensional, hands-on teaching aids into their lectures. Developed through a partnership between the McGraw-Hill Engineering Team and the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the United States Military Academy at West Point, this website not only provides detailed instructions for how to build 3-D teaching tools using materials found in any lab or local hardware store, but also provides a community where educators can share ideas, trade best practices, and submit their own original demonstrations for posting on the site. Visit http://www.handsonmechanics.com. McGraw-Hill Tegrity, a service that makes class time available all the time by automatically capturing every lecture in a searchable format for students to review when they study and complete assignments. To learn more about Tegrity watch a 2-minute Flash demo at http://tegritycampus.mhhe.com.
Born in France and educated in France and Switzerland, Ferdinand Beer held an M.S. degree from the Sorbonne and an Sc.D. degree in theoretical mechanics from the University of Geneva. He came to the United States after serving in the French army during the early part of World War II and taught for four years at Williams College in the Williams-MIT joint arts and engineering program. Following his service at Williams College, Beer joined the faculty of Lehigh University, where he taught for thirty-seven years. He held several positions, including the University Distinguished Professors Chair and Chairman of the Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics Department. In 1995, Beer was awarded an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree by Lehigh University.
Born in Philadelphia, Russ holds a B.S. degree in civil engineering from the University of Delaware and an Sc.D. degree in the field of structural engineering from The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He taught at Lehigh University and Worchester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) before joining the faculty of the University of Connecticut where he held the position of Chairman of the Civil Engineering Department and taught for twenty-six years. In 1991 Russ received the Outstanding Civil Engineer Award from the Connecticut Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
David Mazurek holds a B.S. in ocean engineering and an M.S. in civil engineering from the Florida Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Connecticut. Employed by the General Dynamics Corporation Electric Boat Division for five years, he provided submarine construction support and conducted engineering design and analysis associated with pressure hull and other structures. He then taught for one year at Lafayette College prior to joining the civil engineering faculty at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, where he has been since 1990. Mazurek is currently a member of the American Railway Engineering & Maintenance-of-way Association Committee 15, and the American Society of Civil Engineers Committee on Blast, Shock, and Vibratory Effects. He has also worked with the Federal Railroad Administration on their bridge-inspection training program. He is a licensed professional engineer in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
