BASIC MECHANICS

CONCEPTS
CH#1&2 MECHANICS OF MATERIALS BY RC HIBBLER
ENGR. RAFIA ASIF
STRESS
• mechanics of materials includes the study of the body’s stability when
a body such as a column is subjected to compressive loading.

• Stress is associated with the strength of the material from which the
body is made.

STRESS = FORCE/AREA
STRESS
UNITS
• Since stress represents a force per unit area, in the International
Standard or SI system, the magnitudes of both normal and shear
stress are specified in the basic units of newtons per square meter
This unit, called a pascal is rather small, and in engineering work
prefixes such as kilo- symbolized by k, mega- symbolized by M, or
giga- symbolized by G, are used to represent larger, more realistic
values of stress.* Likewise, in the Foot-Pound-Second system of units,
engineers usually express stress in pounds per square inch (psi) or
kilopounds per square inch (ksi), where 1 kilopound 1kip2 = 1000 lb.
STRAIN
• strain is a measure of the deformation of the body.
STRAIN= CHANGE IN LENGTH/ORIGINAL LENGTH
Unit: . Note that normal strain is a dimensionless quantity, since it is a ratio
of two lengthsWhenever a force is applied to a body, it will tend to change
the body’s shape and size. These changes are referred to as deformation, and
they may be either highly visible or practically unnoticeable.
• For example, a rubber band will undergo a very large deformation when
stretched, whereas only slight deformations of structural members occur
when a building is occupied by people walking about.
• Deformation of a body can also occur when the temperature of the body is
changed. A typical example is the thermal expansion or contraction of a
roof caused by the weather.
TYPE OF MATERIALS
• HOMOGENOUS
Homogeneous material has the same physical and mechanical properties
throughout its volume, and
isotropic material has these same properties in all directions.
EXAMPLE: STEEL IS BOTH HOMOGENOUS & ISOTROPIC
• PRISMATIC
since all cross sections are the same throughout its length.
• ANISOTRPIC
anisotropic materials such as wood have different properties in different
directions,
STRESS-STRAIN BEHAVIOUR
• Materials can be classified as either being ductile or brittle,
depending on their stress–strain characteristics.
• Ductile Materials. Any material that can be subjected to large strains
before it fractures is called a ductile material. Mild steel, as discussed
previously, is a typical example. Engineers often choose ductile
materials for design because these materials are capable of absorbing
shock or energy, and if they become overloaded, they will usually
exhibit large deformation before failing.
• Brittle Materials. Materials that exhibit little or no yielding before
failure are referred to as brittle materials. Gray cast iron is an
example.