Example Problem Solutions from:

An Introduction to Mechanical Engineering

by Jonathan Wickert
Second Edition, Nelson, A Division of Thomson Cananda, Toronto, 2006

Chapter 4: Materials and Stresses

"As one of their responsibilities, mechanical engineers design hardware so that it shouldn't break when being used and so that it can carry the forces acting on it in a reliable and safe manner. As an example, consider Boeing's 767 commercial airliner, which weighs up to 350,000 pounds when fully loaded. When the airplane is parked on the ground, its weight is supported by the landing gear and wheels. During flight, the aircraft's wings create an upward lift force that exactly balances the weight. Each wing, therefore, carries a force that is equal to half of the airplane's weight, which in this case is equivalent to seventy family-sized automobile sedans. Subjected to the lift force, the wings bend upward, and if the flight happens to encounter rough weather, the winds will bend up and down by an additional considerable amount as the plan is buffeted by turbulence. The fact that an aircraft's wings are subjected to large forces, that they sag under their self-weight, and that they bend upward in response to the lift forces were each taken into account by engineers when the aircraft's materials were selected. The wings are designed to be strong, safe, and reliable while being no heavier than necessary to meet the design's requirements."

Example Problem Solutions:

Directions:

Copy and paste any example from the window at right into the
INPUT tab located on the DimensionEngine homepage.
Submit with or by typing Shift Enter.
Results automatically appear under the OUTPUT tab.