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PREFACE:

Mechanics is the body of knowledge that deals with the relationships between forces and the motion of points through space, including the material space. Material science is the body of knowledge that deals with the properties of materials, including their mechanical properties.

 Mechanics is very deductive—having defined some variables and given some basic premises, one can logically deduce relationships between the variables. Material science is very empirical—having defined some variables one establishes the relationships between the variables experimentally. Mechanics of materials synthesizes the empirical relationships of materials into the logical framework of mechanics, to produce formulas for use in the design of structures and other solid bodies. There has been, and continues to be, a tremendous growth in mechanics, material science, and in new applications of mechanics of materials.

 Techniques such as the finite-element method and Moiré interferometry were research topics in mechanics, but today these techniques are used routinely in engineering design and analysis. Wood and metal were the preferred materials in engineering design, but today machine components and structures may be made of plastics, ceramics, polymer composites, and metal-matrix composites. Mechanics of materials was primarily usedfor structural analysis in aerospace, civil, and mechanical engineering, but today mechanics of materials is used in electronic packaging,medical implants, the explanation of geological movements, and the manufacturing of wood products to meet specific strength requirements.

 Though the principles in mechanics of materials have not changed in the past hundred years, the presentation of these principles must evolve to provide the students with a foundation that will permit them to readily incorporate the growing body of knowledge as an extension of the fundamental principles and notas something added on, and vaguely connected to what they already know. This has been my primary motivation for writing this book. 

Often one hears arguments that seem to suggest that intuitive development comes at the cost of mathematical logic and rigor, or the generalization of a mathematical approach comes at the expense of intuitive understanding. Yet the icons in the field of mechanics of materials, such as Cauchy, Euler, and Saint-Venant, were individuals who successfully gave physical meaning to the mathematics they used.

Accounting of shear stress in the bending of beams is a beautiful demonstration of how the combination of intuition and experimental observations can point the way when self-consistent logic does not. Intuitive understanding is a must—not only for creative engineering design but also for choosing the marching path of a mathematical development. By the same token, it is not the heuristic-based arguments of the older books, but the logical development of arguments and ideas that provides studentswith the skills and principles necessary to organize the deluge of information in modern engineering. 

Building a complementary connection between intuition, experimental observations, and mathematical generalization is central to the design of this book. Learning the course content is not an end in itself, but a part of aneducational process. Some of the serendipitous development of theories in mechanics of materials, the mistakes madeand the controversies that arose from these mistakes, are all part of the human drama that has many educational values, including learning from others’ mistakes, the struggle in understanding difficult concepts, and the fruits of perseverance. 

The connection of ideas and concepts discussed in a chapter to advanced modern techniques also has educational value, including continuity and integration of subject material, a starting reference point in a literature search, an alternative perspective, and an application of the subject material. Triumphs and tragedies in engineering that arose fromproper or improper applications of mechanics of materials concepts have emotive impact that helps in learning and retention of concepts according to neuroscience and education research.

 Incorporating educational values from history, advanced topics, and mechanics of materials in action or inaction, without distracting the student from the central ideas and concepts is an important complementary objective of this book.

 The achievement of these educational objectives is intricately tied to the degree to which the book satisfies the pedagogical needs of the students. The Note to Students describes some of the features that address their pedagogical needs. The Note to the Instructor outlines the design and format of the book to meet the described objectives.