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Revision Exercises inBasic Engineering Mechanics
For study, revision, teaching and assessment
This book would be found useful by anyone studying, teaching, or using the science of mechanics. It presents a large collection of original exercises that reflect the practical applications of the subject in a variety of settings. These exercises are all original, devised by the author. Permissions are not required for making use of these exercises in teaching and assessment.
The topics in mechanics that are covered in these exercises comply with the bulk of the topics found in most introductory courses in mechanics for engineers at universities and colleges.
Included are:
45 ten-question true/false quizzes, with answers, and a marking scheme for these that helps readers to identify exactly where more clarification might be needed, in order to consolidate their understanding of the principles of mechanics. Of particular importance for the sake of revision is the unusual method of scoring the true/false tests, which allows students to identify those concepts about which they need further understanding. If instructors use this method of scoring on true/false tests that they have issued, it allows them to identify which concepts the class as a whole needs help with.
136 original, illustrated calculation exercises, with answers. These exercises attempt to show the relevance of mechanical principles to practical situations that might be encountered in engineering.
242 questions requiring short descriptive answers. These questions probe for understanding of the principles. If students can describe in their own words the principles and situations in which these principles apply, then their understanding is revealed much more reliably than if they were to simply plug figures into formulas.
8 illustrated exercises suitable for tackling in groups. For group work to be effective, suitable exercises need to be devised, ones that make proper allowance for participation by all members. The ones presented here are likely to generate interest and willing collaboration.
About the author
Gregory Pastoll has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand and a PhD in Higher Education from the University of Cape Town. After a short stint in industry, he spent altogether 14 years as a lecturer in basic mechanical engineering, and for much of that time was course co-ordinator for Mechanics 1 and Mechanics 2 at the Cape Technikon, and at the Peninsula University of Technology. He ran mechanics labs and design-and-build projects as part of his courses in mechanics.
He also spent 14 years as a consultant on university teaching methods at the Teaching Methods Unit at the University of Cape Town.
