Duration of the online course: 23 hours and 51 minutes
3.5
(4)
Build rock-solid problem-solving in engineering mechanics with this free online course—master forces, equilibrium, friction, trusses, and motion with practice.
In this free course, learn about
Basics of engineering mechanics: rigid vs deformable bodies and idealizations
Forces: resolution into components, direction cosines, and equivalent force systems
Moments and couples; Varignon’s theorem; principle of transmissibility
Coplanar force systems: concurrent/parallel/general and conditions for equilibrium
Resultants of force systems via polygon and analytical methods
Free-body diagrams: isolation, correct reactions, and setting up equilibrium equations
Equilibrium of rigid bodies incl. three-force bodies and frictionless pulley systems
Coulomb dry friction: limiting friction, static vs kinetic, and impending motion
Friction applications: tipping condition, wedges, and screw jack efficiency
Plane trusses: perfect truss condition, method of joints/sections, member forces
Plane frames vs trusses: member force types and analysis approach differences
Kinematics: 1D constant-acceleration, 2D projectile motion, rotational & general motion
Kinetics: particle on incline with applied force; impulses and momentum in collisions
Rigid-body dynamics and Lagrange’s equation; choosing suitable generalized coordinates
Course Description
Engineering mechanics is the language behind safe structures, reliable machines, and confident design decisions. This free online course helps you build that language from the ground up, turning common formulas into clear, usable tools for real problem-solving. Whether you are refreshing fundamentals, preparing for technical interviews, or strengthening your base for advanced mechanical subjects, you will develop the ability to translate physical situations into clean models you can analyze.
You will learn to think like an engineer: isolating bodies, identifying forces, choosing smart reference axes, and using the right equilibrium or motion relationships at the right moment. Along the way, you will sharpen your understanding of force and moment, work comfortably with force systems and resultants, and gain the intuition needed to catch mistakes before they cost you time in exams or on the job. The focus is not just on knowing definitions, but on recognizing what a situation demands and executing a solution with discipline.
As the course progresses, you will strengthen your skill in working with rigid-body equilibrium, friction and its practical implications, and the analysis mindset used for trusses and frames. You will also build a solid foundation in kinematics and kinetics, moving from straight-line motion into planar and rotational ideas, and then into particle and rigid body dynamics. Concepts such as work-energy thinking, impulse and momentum, and generalized coordinates are introduced in a way that supports confident application, not memorization.
To keep the learning active, the course mixes explanation with targeted questions and exercises that reinforce core principles and improve speed and accuracy. By the end, you should be able to create clearer free-body diagrams, set up equations efficiently, and solve mechanics problems with a structured approach that carries into mechanical design, industrial systems, and higher-level engineering studies.
Course content
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 01 | Introduction | ME | Gate 2024 Series42m
Exercise: In engineering mechanics, which of the following describes mechanics of deformable bodies?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 02 | Force | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h05m
Exercise: If a force of magnitude F is acting on a body and is resolved into two perpendicular components, the angle between the force and one of its components is θ. Which of the following expressions correctly represents the component of force perpendicular to the angle θ?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 03 | Moment | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h12m
Exercise: What is the principle of transmissibility in engineering mechanics?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 04 | Force Systems | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h02m
Exercise: In a coplanar force system consisting of three forces acting at a point, which of the following statements is true?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 05 | Resultants of Force Systems | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h02m
Exercise: In a coplanar concurrent force system, which method involves representing forces by the sides of a polygon to find the resultant force?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 06 | Free Body Diagrams | ME | Gate 2024 Series49m
Exercise: In the analysis of forces acting on interconnected components of a structure, what is the primary purpose of drawing a free body diagram?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 07 | Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies - 1 | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h04m
Exercise: Consider a rigid body in equilibrium subjected to only three forces. According to the principles discussed in equilibrium of forces, which condition must these forces satisfy?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 08 | Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies - 2 | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h23m
Exercise: In the context of rigid body equilibrium, which of the following statements is true when a weight is applied to a system of frictionless pulleys?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 09 | Coulomb's Dry Friction | ME | Gate 2024 Series56m
Exercise: What is the term used to describe the maximum possible value of friction force between two dry surfaces?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 10 | Problems Involving Dry Friction | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h12m
Exercise: In the study of friction between surfaces, a block weighing 1000 Newton is kept on a rough horizontal plane, and a force is applied parallel to the surface. The coefficient of static friction is 0.25, and the coefficient of kinetic friction is 0.2. What is the minimum force required to start moving the block?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 11 | Application of Friction -1 | ME | GATE 2024 Series1h07m
Exercise: In the context of impending tipping, what condition must be met for a block to start tipping?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 12 | Application of Friction - 2 | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h07m
Exercise: In the context of screw jacks, what is the efficiency of a screw jack defined as?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 13 | Analysis of Plane Trusses - 1 | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h04m
Exercise: A plane truss consists of three members connected in a triangular shape. If a load of 4000 N is applied at one of the joints, and the angular orientation between one of the members and the horizontal is 30 degrees, what is the force in the member opposite the angle assuming it is in tension?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 14 | Analysis of Plane Trusses - 2 | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h05m
Exercise: In the analysis of a perfect truss, what is the condition for the number of members (M) relative to the number of joints (J) for the truss to be considered perfect?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 15 | Analysis of Plane Frames | ME | GATE 202440m
Exercise: In the analysis of engineering structures, what is the key distinction between plane trusses and plane frames?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 16 | Kinematics of 1-D Translational Motion | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h18m
Exercise: In a problem of one-dimensional rectilinear translational motion with constant acceleration, which of the following known values would not allow you to directly use the formula V² = U² + 2as to find the final velocity (V) of an object?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 17 | Kinematics of 2-D Translational Motion | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h02m
Exercise: Consider a scenario where a particle is projected in a two-dimensional plane. If the initial velocity of the particle is 20 m/s at an angle of 30 degrees with the horizontal, what is the time of flight for the particle to return to its initial vertical position (assume acceleration due to gravity is 9.8 m/s²)?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 18 | Kinematics of Rotational Motion | ME | GATE 2024 Series1h01m
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 19 | Kinematics of General Motion | ME | Gate 2024 Series46m
Exercise: Consider a rod AB of length 1 meter sliding in a corner with end A on the horizontal surface and end B on the vertical surface. At an instant when the rod makes an angle of 30 degrees with the horizontal, the speed of end B is 12 m/s vertically upward. What is the vertical speed of end A at this instant?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 20 | Kinetics of Particles | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h22m
Exercise: In the context of kinetics of particles, consider a scenario where a block of mass 'm' rests on an inclined surface making an angle 'θ' with the horizontal. If a horizontal force 'F' is applied to the block, causing it to move up the incline, which of the following statements is true?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 21 | Kinetics of Rigid Bodies -1 | ME | Gate 2024 Series1h00m
Exercise: A bullet of mass 20 grams is fired horizontally with a velocity of 200 m/s and hits a stationary wooden block of mass 500 grams on a horizontal plane. The bullet remains embedded in the block after the impact. Assuming no external horizontal forces act during the collision, what is the initial velocity of the block and bullet system just after the collision?
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 22 | Kinetics of Rigid Bodies -2 | ME | Gate 2024 Series55m
Video class: Engineering Mechanics 23 | Lagrange`s Equation of Motion | ME | Gate 2024 Series48m
Exercise: A uniform rod of mass M and length L is horizontally hinged at one end and swings in the vertical plane under the action of gravity with no other external forces. Using basic principles, what generalized coordinate is most suitable to describe its motion?
