Columbia University
Columbia University: What Is Mechanical Engineering
An overview of the field of mechanical engineering with a focus on the career areas available to those with a mechanical engineering background or experience.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Engineering Ups and Downs
Engineering design instructional activity examines the principles behind working elevators. Teams of students explore how elevators work, then design, build, and evaluate their own elevator to service a toy car garage.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Just Plane Simple
This instructional activity introduces students to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers. These machines include the inclined plane, the wedge and the screw. In general, engineers use the inclined plane to lift heavy...
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: What Is Von Mises Stress?
In this article and video, learn about how engineers can use the Von Mises stress to predict when their design will fail. By completing the calculations, engineers can find the maximum value of Von Mises and can be more accurate with the...
Other
Cad Crowd: How Do Engineers Evaluate Different Design Ideas?
Explains all the things that must be taken into consideration when engineers evaluate the soundness and viability of a particular design.
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Theory of Vibration
Did you know that some bridges have failed due to the effect of vibration? This article and video explore vibration and its importance in the design of civil structures and mechanical equipment. The article discusses all concepts covered...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Tinkering With Tops
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test spinning tops using everyday materials. The objective of the design is to have the top spin at least 10 seconds within a thirty centimeter diameter.
TryEngineering
Ieee: Try Engineering: Build Your Own Robot Arm
Learners design and build a working robotic arm from a set of everyday items with a goal of having the arm be able to pick up a Styrofoam cup. Working in teams of three or four students, the learners explore effective teamwork skills...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Levers That Lift
This lesson introduces students to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers: the lever, the pulley, and the wheel-and-axle. In general, engineers use the lever to magnify the force applied to an object, the pulley to lift...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Viral Hijackers
Students learn how viruses invade host cells and hijack the hosts' cell-reproduction mechanisms in order to make new viruses, which can in turn attack additional host cells. Students also learn how the immune system responds to a viral...
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Torsen Differential: How Does It Work?
This video and article explain about the patented parts of a Torsen differential which allows the outside drive wheel to rotate faster than the inner drive wheel during a turn while overcoming traction problems. The article discusses all...
Science Museum, London
Science Museum: Online Stuff: Babbage
Charles Babbage is regarded as the first computer pioneer and originated the concept of a programmable computer. This biography details his accomplishments as a mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Heart of the Matter
Students learn about artificial heart valves and the engineering design process used in mechanical heart valve designs. The objective of the lesson is to develop an understanding of the interface between man and machine and the impact of...
Government of Alberta
Alberta Human Resources and Employment: Oc Cinfo: Aircraft Maintenance Engineer
A video [4:48] overview of responsibilities of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer including: duties, working conditions, personal characteristics, education, and salary.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Give Me a Brake
Activity investigates the concept of how bicycle brakes use force and friction to stop or slow mechanical motion. Students work in teams to devise a simple braking system while suggesting improvements to current bicycle brake design.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Swinging Pendulum
This activity shows students the engineering importance of understanding the laws of mechanical energy. More specifically, it demonstrates how potential energy can be converted to kinetic energy and back again. Given a pendulum height,...
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Spur Gear Design
Understand the design criteria that should be met by any gear design to meet the American Gear Manufacturers Association standards. The accompanying video discusses how the design inputs (power transmitted, space constraints, and...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Veggie Snap! Modifying Bending Stresses in a Flexible Rod
Examples of the effect of bending stresses on flexible rods could include a large tree bending over to the ground, or a fishing pole bending till it snaps. Scientists actually study this phenomenon and discover ways to prevent breakage,...
University of St. Andrews (UK)
University of St. Andrews: Charles Augustin De Coulomb
A large complete authoritative biography of Coulomb. Five large pictures, over a dozen links to contemporaries, references, a poster, other mathematicians. A fine source.
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
Magnet Academy: James Joule
James Prescott Joule experimented with engines, electricity and heat throughout his life. Joule's findings resulted in his development of the mechanical theory of heat and Joule's law, which quantitatively describes the rate at which...
City College of New York
City Technology: Wind Up Toy
A series of three video tutorials with accompanying written instructions demonstrating how to make a wind-up toy.
Other
National Physical Laboratory: The History of Length Measurement
This resource provides historic information on length measurement in the United Kingdom. Click on the topics on the left toolbar of the article to find out more information.
Other
Basics of Leaching
www.cheresources.com provides an exploration of the chemistry behind the chemical engineering process of leaching. This site is for those with an interest in Chemistry.
Encyclopedia of Earth
Encyclopedia of Earth: Evolutionary Biology: Epigenetics: The Science of Change
Article discusses the science of epigenetics, where gene activity can be changed by factors other than genetic code, for example, by environmental pollutants. (Published: August 22, 2011)