Applied mechanics
Applied mechanics uses physical laws and mathematical methods to analyze forces, motion, and material behavior in practical systems.
Newton's laws of motion: Three laws relating an object's motion to the forces acting on it. They provide the basic force–motion rules used throughout applied mechanics.
Free-body diagram: A diagram showing a body isolated from its surroundings with all external forces and moments represented. It makes the loads in a mechanical model explicit before equations are written.
Structural engineering: The engineering discipline concerned with designing structures to safely resist loads and environmental effects. It applies mechanics to buildings, bridges, towers, and other load-bearing systems.
Theoretical mechanics: The mathematical study of mechanical principles and their general consequences. It emphasizes general formulations, while applied mechanics targets concrete physical problems.
Statics: The study of bodies in equilibrium under forces and moments. It handles structures and components whose loads do not produce acceleration.
Equilibrium equations: Equations requiring the net force and moment on a body to vanish. They determine unknown reactions and internal loads in static analyses.
Machine design: The process of specifying machine components and arrangements to meet functional, safety, and performance requirements. It uses force, motion, fatigue, and material analyses to create reliable machinery.
Fluid mechanics: The study of fluids at rest and in motion, including the forces and flows they exhibit. It focuses on liquid and gas behavior, a specialized domain within mechanical analysis.
Dynamics: The study of motion and the forces that produce or alter it. It extends force analysis to systems that accelerate or move.
Lagrangian mechanics: A formulation of mechanics based on kinetic energy, potential energy, and generalized coordinates. It efficiently derives equations of motion for systems with constraints.