Do you know the meaning of a “jack”? What are the fundamentals of mechanical engineering? How does Newton’s third law apply to machines like the Fedex toolbox? If you’re not sure, keep reading! We’ve done some research for you and put together this post about everything you need to know about mechanical engineering. Engage with our trivia and diagrams, and soon enough your knowledge will be stronger than ever.
In this post, we’ll try to answer all of your most pressing questions about mechanical engineering. You might be wondering what exactly it entails or how it differs from other fields in the science-mathematics spectrum.
1. What is mechanical engineering?
Mechanical engineering is a broad field that encompasses an array of topics. It includes everything from the design of complex machines like automobiles to the study of dynamic behavior of everyday systems like bridges. In short, an engineer can be defined as a person who loves understanding how things work and the ability to make them better!
But wait, there’s more! By learning about mechanical engineering, you’ll also learn about mechanics, fluid mechanics, and thermodynamics (the study of heat). All in all, mechanical engineers get way more than just fun facts about engines and cars.
2. Why should I be interested in mechanical engineering?
Machines and methods related to how they work are an important part of our everyday world. Think about how your computer senses the keystrokes you enter and sends them to the screen. Or how your phone is able to recognize who you are and send you a message with a picture attached! You wouldn’t have your smartphone if it didn’t have technology like this, for sure!
But that’s not all! Mechanical engineering is also critical for our futures. In America alone, there are thousands of job openings for engineers every year, both research positions and industrial ones.
3. What is a mechanical engineer?
Mechanical engineers are individuals who love solving problems related to how things work! These people get to make sure that complicated machines can work together and perform specific tasks in an efficient way. The job of mechanical engineering lies in the process of designing and creating machines that can perform their functions precisely.
4. How does one become a mechanical engineer?
Though the field of mechanical engineering is pretty broad, most engineers are self-trained through their education and experiences. However, you might have heard about schools where you can learn from professional engineers or take professional certifications in order to become one yourself. Since this article focuses solely on the basics, we’ll avoid going over these advanced topics for now!
5. What is a jack?
The jack is a lever that has an end that you can raise or lower. You can use it to lift heavy objects or turn wheels on machinery. However, that’s not all that jacks are good for!
This machine is used in mechanical engineering to show the forces acting on a system. The amount of force an object can withstand depends on how much total weight the object has (mass + gravity). If you want to know more about what this means, check out our lesson about Newton’s second law .
6. How does Newton’s third law of motion apply?
Newton’s third law of motion says: “The forces acting on an object are equal in magnitude but opposite in direction. This means that the amount of force an object can withstand is proportional to its mass and inversely proportional to the square of its distance from the force’s point of application.” In other words, if an object has more mass than another one, it will weigh more too! That’s why a jack can lift heavier objects!
7. Why does a jack lift in this direction?
Since the end of the lever is heavier than the fulcrum it stands on (the pivot point), there’s a higher gravitational force acting on it. Since force is equal to mass times acceleration, it pulls on the heavy end with greater force. This way, the weight of objects on either end can be balanced out.
8. How does a jack work?
A jack has a long handle attached to a screw mechanism. If you turn the handle, it will turn the screw and raise or lower the end of the lever in proportion to how far you turned. This mechanism mimics how your muscles work when lifting things. Also, you might be wondering how jacks act as fasteners in cars! The answer is that they are used to secure axles that are fastened to car frames securely.
9. What is a hydraulic press?
A hydraulic press uses force in order to generate enough pressure to form objects like metal pieces and powder into different shapes and sizes. Also, the machines are used to compress items in a way that changes their shape.
10. How does a hydraulic press work?
A hydraulic press uses two metal plates with a little bit of space in between them. If you want to increase the amount of force that you apply on objects, you can force liquid into this space and make the metal plates squeeze together when they expand from the pressure. This causes an increase in pressure, which causes an object to deform!
Conclusion:
These are some of the most common questions that people have when they start learning about mechanical engineering.
Do you still have any questions about mechanical engineering? Feel free to contact us using the contact information below and we will help you out!
