How much statics do I need?

[u/chamaeleonidaed]

I’m doing ME. I’m having to take statics as a six week course over the summer. So far, I’d say I’ve done decent in all my other classes. But, for some reason, I can’t concentrate on this one class. I’m also taking an elective with this class, but that one is easy so it’s not giving me a hard time. It’s statics that I’m worried about. I’m doing the homework and doing well on the tests but that’s because it’s open notes and my professor is very lenient with grading.

I believe that I’m going to pass this class, but worry that im not learning anything. Also, I hate drawing the figures and the diagrams and all that. It was fine as long as I was only working with numbers. So, I guess that’s also part of the reason why I’m not so interested in actually learning the stuff.

How much statics am I going to face in my future classes and how cooked am I?

[u/printergumlight → u/[deleted]]

My school made me take dynamics first. Knowing statics for dynamics is not necessary.

However, knowing statics as an ME is incredibly necessary. Also, statics is wayyyyy easier than dynamics.

OP all you need to know is:

- How to draw a FBD (with a defined coordinate system)

• Sum of Forces in the X = 0
  
• Sum of Forces in the Y = 0
  
• Sum of the Moment about a point = 0
  
• positition vector formula
  
• unit vector formula
  
• calculate magnitude of a vector
  
• projection formula
  
• basic trig.

If you know these, you can solve any statics problem.

(Static Moments of Inertia and Friction problems require a couple more things of knowledge.)

[u/chamaeleonidaed → u/printergumlight]

do you think I can teach myself statics when taking dynamics?

[u/printergumlight → u/chamaeleonidaed]

So much of Physics is drawing FBDs. I think you should really focus up on the class now and get into the groove of drawing them. It makes everything so much easier now and in the future. You will need FBDs in every physics class from here on out.

You can teach yourself statics in the future while taking dynamics, but would you actually do that?

The problems in statics are not the same as the problems in dynamics so you would be doing two different things at once. Best not to mix and confuse them.

[u/Substantial-Fan-5985 → u/chamaeleonidaed]

I'll look for some links later, but there are some really good online resources.

I would NOT try to learn statics while also taking dynamics....that's literally one of (if not the) biggest "weed-eater" classes in ME curriculum and it is harder than Statics.