EM 8113 THEORY OF CONTINUOUS MEDIA

Instructor: Thomas E. Lacy, Ph.D., P.E.

Academic Office: Walker 316c
Phone: MSU x5-2754
Office Hours: M-W 2:00-3:00
Prerequisite: Graduate standing or consent of instructor.

E-mail: Lacy@AE.MsState.edu

Required Texts:
Mase, G.T., Smelser, R.E., and Mase, G.E., 2009, Continuum Mechanics for Engineers, 3rd Edition, CRC
Press.
Supplemental References:
Malvern, L.E., 1969, Introduction to the Mechanics of a Continuous Medium, Prentice-Hall.
Bonet, J., and Wood, R.D., 1997, Nonlinear Continuum Mechanics for Finite Element Analysis, Cambridge.
Chung, T.J., 1988, Continuum Mechanics, Prentice-Hall.
Frederick, D., and Chang, T.S., 1972, Continuum Mechanics, Scientific Press.
Fung, Y.C., 1994, A First Course in Continuum Mechanics, 3rd Ed., Prentice-Hall.
Lai, W.M., Rubin, D., and Krempl, E., 1993, Introduction to Continuum Mechanics 3rd Edition, ButterworthHeineimann.
Mase, G.E., 1970, Schaums Outline: Continuum Mechanics, McGraw Hill.

Grading:
Homework
Exam #1
Exam #2
Final

20%
25%
25%
30%

Course Objectives: To provide advanced treatment of the fundamental, unifying concepts of the
mechanics of continua in order to facilitate further study in specialized fields such as aerodynamics,
mechanics of viscous fluids, elasticity, plasticity, and continuum damage mechanics.
Tentative Topics:
1) Fundamentals of Cartesian Tensors, Tensor Derivatives, Green-Gauss Theorem.
2) Definition of Strain, Eulerian and Lagrangian Coordinate Systems, Polar Decomposition Theorem,
Rate of Deformation, Principal Strain, Linear Compatibility Equations.
3) Definition of Stress, Cauchy and Nominal Stresses; Balance Laws: Mass, Linear and Angular
Momentum, Energy; Principal stresses, Deviatoric and Hydrostatic Stress; Reynolds Transport
Theorem, Singular Surfaces in a Continuum.
4) First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics for a Continuum; Equations of State; Coupled
Thermomechanics; Boundary Conditions; Fundamental Restrictions on Constitutive Laws
(Equipresence, Local Action, Objectivity, etc.).
5) Fundamentals of Linear Elastic Behavior of Solids, Material Symmetries, Variational Principals.
6) Fundamentals of Newtonian Fluids, Inviscid and Viscous Compressible Flow; Navier-Stokes
Equations, Ideal and Rotational Flows.
7) Fundamentals of Continuum Damage Mechanics using Internal State Variables.
8) Fundamentals of Non-Newtonian Fluids.