Course syllabus for Mechanics and strength of materials

Course syllabus adopted 2026-02-20 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameMekanik och hållfasthetslära
  • CodeMMS330
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerTKTDE
  • Education cycleFirst-cycle
  • Main field of studyIndustrial Design Engineering
  • DepartmentMECHANICAL ENGINEERING
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language

    Swedish

  • Application code

    70115

  • Open for exchange students

    No

  • Only students with the course round in the programme overview.

Credit distribution

Module
Sp1
Sp2
Sp3
Sp4
Summer
Not Sp
Examination dates
0125 Written and oral assignments 1.5 c
Grading: UG		 1.5 c
0225 Examination 6 c
Grading: TH		 6 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for bachelor's level (first cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements

Specific entry requirements

The same as for the programme that owns the course
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements

Course specific prerequisites

The student should have the fundamental background in calculus and linear algebra, in particular integrals, ordinary differential equations and vector algebra.

Aim

The aim of the course is to give a basic understanding of the fundamental concepts and laws of classical mechanics and how to apply them to simple problems in statics and dynamics. Furthermore, the course aims to introduce basic strength of material calculations for trusses. The course should also give the ability to communicate with engineers from other disciplines.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • explain the meaning of the concepts physical quantity, numerical value, unit and system of units.
  • perform dimensional analysis and assess whether results are reasonable.
  • explain the concepts of force and moment of force, and represent forces and moments as vectors.
  • reduce arbitrary force systems to simpler equivalent systems
  • explain the meaning of force equilibrium and the conditions for equilibrium
  • draw free-body diagrams for material systems in equilibrium, and formulate and solve the corresponding equilibrium equations.
  • explain the meaning of the concepts center of mass and center of gravity, and determine the center of mass of geometrically simple bodies.
  • explain the concepts of static friction, sliding friction and the friction condition, and solve static problems involving friction.
  • explain the meaning of the concepts static determinacy and static indeterminacy, and determine which applies to a given structure.
  • explain the meaning of the concepts internal forces and internal moments.
  • determine normal-force, shear-force and bending-moment distributions in statically determinate beams.
  • apply the relationships between position, velocity and acceleration in rectilinear motion and in planar curvilinear motion.
  • apply Newton’s second law to particles in rectilinear motion and in planar curvilinear motion.
  • explain the meaning of the concepts work, kinetic energy, potential energy and conservative force, and the relationships between them, in order to use energy methods to solve dynamic problems for particles.
  • solve simple problems in which the linear momentum or angular momentum of a particle or a system of particles is conserved.
  • derive equations of motion and solve vibration problems for one-degree-of-freedom systems (undamped and damped).
  • derive the differential equation for the displacement of an axially loaded elastic bar, identify the associated boundary conditions, and solve the equation.
  • calculate normal forces, stresses and deformations in statically indeterminate elastic bar structures (trusses).

Content

Statics:
Basic concepts. Force systems and their reduction. Equilibrium: equilibrium conditions, free-body diagrams, degrees of freedom, reaction forces. Center of mass, center of gravity. Friction.

Particle dynamics:
Kinematics. Newton’s laws. Work, energy, linear momentum and angular momentum and their governing laws, in particular conservation laws. Vibrations.

Strength of materials:
Definition of statically determinate and statically indeterminate problems. Internal forces and internal moments; shear force and bending moment diagrams for statically determinate beams. Stress and strain. Linear elastic material. The bar element and the differential equation for an axially loaded bar. Elastic bar structures (trusses). Method of sections and displacement method for trusses. Finite element analysis of trusses.

Organisation

The course consists of the following learning activities: lectures, tutorials, sessions, quizz and project work.

The course relates to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals within “9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure”, “11 Sustainable cities and communities”, and “12 Responsible consumption and production”.

Literature

Mekanik, Ragnar Grahn, Per-Åke Jansson och Mikael Enelund, Studentlitteratur, 4:e upplagan, 2018. (In Swedish)

HÅLLFASTHETSLÄRA, Kurskompendium, Jim Brouzoulis och Magnus Ekh, Chalmers, Göteborg (PDF can be downloaded from the course homepage in Canvas). In Swedish

Exempelsamling i hållfasthetslära, Peter W. Möller, Skrift U77, Institutionen för hållfasthetslära, Chalmers, Göteborg  (PDF can be downloaded from the course homepage in Canvas). In Swedish

Examination including compulsory elements

To pass the course, the following are required:
Passed written examination
Approved report for the project assignment. 
An optional quizz gives bonus points on the written examination.

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers about disability study support.