Syllabus for EGM-211

STATICS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Statics is a branch of the science of mechanics that deals with bodies at rest. The course focuses on the following basic concepts: force and force systems; coplanar force systems; concurrent force systems; spatial force systems; and their combinations. For various force systems, two key issues will be emphasized: the resultant of a force system and the equilibrium of a force system. The concepts of moment of a force and torque will then be discussed. In addition, the concepts of centroids, centers of mass, and moments of inertia will be presented. A special type of force, frictional force, will be discussed. Application examples to engineering and technical areas will be demonstrated.

The course is designed for students who have a working knowledge of algebra, geometry, vector, and trigonometry—this knowledge is essential. Note that a review of necessary mathematics, units, and their conversions is included in the textbook.

For more background information about the science of mechanics and about the basic concepts essential to Statics, please view this PowerPoint presentation: Background and Basic Concepts.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

Identify forces and moments acting on an object or a structure.
Find the forces and moments acting on individual structural components by using the “free-body diagram” technique.
Analyze the equilibrium status of an object or a structure and its components.
Establish and solve equilibrium equations involving forces, moments, and torques.
Apply the principles of Statics to solve real-world engineering and technical problems.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook

Engineering Mechanics: Statics, 5th ed., by Anthony Bedford and Wallace Fowler (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008).

ISBN-13: 9780558395377

To see a brief breakdown of the concepts covered in each textbook chapter assigned in this course, you may view the following PowerPoint presentation: Chapter Highlights.

Software

Students need to plot free-body diagrams of objects, structural components, or structures. Students may choose any available software to plot the required diagrams, or they can use hand-drawing, which they can scan and submit. Free software may be available. Consider, for example,

InkScape: http://www.inkscape.org/screenshots/ (This one is good. It is a 2D software.)
Google SketchUp 6: http://sketchup.google.com/download.html (This one is good also. It is a 3D software.)

It is your responsibility to download the software you prefer, and to learn how to use the software.

COURSE STRUCTURE

Statics is a three-credit, online course, consisting of six modules. Modules include an overview, topics, learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

Module 1: Introduction

Module 2: Force Systems

Module 3: Moment of a Force and Torque

Module 4: Equilibrium

Module 5: Geometric Properties

Module 6: Friction

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in an online discussion forum, complete written assignments, take two review quizzes, and take a midterm examination and a final examination. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forum

You are required to participate in an ungraded Introductions Forum with the class during the first week of the semester. This is done to help you and your mentor get to know your classmates. You may discuss any of the topics listed in the discussion or anything about yourself that you would like to share with the class.

Participation in this asynchronous online discussion involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a topic and at least two subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

For posting guidelines and help with discussion forums, please see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete eight written assignments. The written assignments are problems that appear in your textbook, covering a variety of topics associated with the course modules. As you do your reading in preparation for each written activity, preview the activity questions so that you know what to expect.

Most of the written activities involve mathematical calculations; all necessary steps must be included in your solution sheets. Click Solution Sample to view the steps and a sample solution sheet.

Unreadable, sloppy papers will not be graded and will cause you to receive a zero for the activity. In addition, if you provide only answers, your activity will not be graded, and you will receive a zero for that assignment. However, bonus points will be awarded for completed activities of high quality, including correct solution steps and answers and neat appearance.

You may discuss written assignment problems with your classmates; however, you must submit your own solutions after such discussions. Duplicated work will result in zeros for both parties, no matter who is the original and who is the duplicator.

Include your name at the top of each page, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled. Be sure to number the pages of your assignment and clearly identify the number of each problem by item number and page number. Be sure that you submit your activities on or before the due date. Delayed work will not be accepted.

Assignments must be prepared electronically with a word processor, preferably using whatever equation editor comes with your word processing software. However, if your word processor is not compatible with your mentor's word processor, you will need to save your document as a rich-text file (.rtf), using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program. Check with your mentor first to determine file compatibility. (Important: Use the equation editor to insert equations into your word-processed document, not to create the document itself.)

You are encouraged to upgrade your word processor's equation editor to the latest Windows version of MathType. Once you have installed MathType, please click this link to find instructions about how to use MathType to prepare formulas on your word processor: Formula Preparation Steps.

For help regarding preparing and submitting activities, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Quizzes

Statics requires you to take two quizzes: a Midterm Review Quiz and a Final Review Quiz. Consult the Course Calendar for the scheduling of these quizzes.

The Midterm Review Quiz covers the material assigned in Chapters 1–5 of the textbook. The Final Review Quiz is cumulative and covers all material in the course (Chapters 1–9). The Midterm Review Quiz consists of two problems, and the Final Review Quiz has one problem. They will focus on the major objectives of the modules.

The quizzes are open book. You are also allowed to use any calculators and to refer to study notes and completed written assignments.

Both of the quizzes are taken in two stages. A link for each stage will be made available in the associated module within the course Web site.

You may take the quiz at any time during that week in which it is being offered (see Course Calendar) but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). Remember to pace yourself; take Stage 1 of the quiz early enough in the week to allow yourself enough time to complete Stage 2 by the deadline.

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken either quiz, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the quizzes.

Stage 1 is taken online. This part is timed; you have two hours in which to complete it. You can enter and take this part of the quiz only once, so do not exit until you have completed it.

Please Note: It is important that you remember to copy or print each question and answer as you are taking the timed portion of the quiz, as you will use this as reference when you are completing Stage 2.

During Stage 2 you are required to work out a detailed outline of solution principles, theory, strategy, and procedures, etc., for each question, excluding figures and formulas. This detailed solution outline represents 40% of the total grade for the quiz and will be used as the foundation for grading your Stage 2 submission.

Stage 2 of the quiz must be prepared and submitted electronically. This stage is not timed, but you must complete it and submit it by Saturday of exam preparation week.

In this part you will take the detailed outline that you submitted during Stage 1 and complete the full solution. You must follow the solution steps. Click Solution Sample to view the steps and a sample solution sheet. If needed, review the information on preparing formulas and diagrams stated earlier in this Syllabus.

Your Stage 2 solution must be consistent with the Stage 1 statements submitted during the online, timed test; in other words, you are not allowed to change the solution principles, theory, strategy, and procedures, etc., that you presented in Stage 1. The only items that you need to add are the equations and drawings.

The work you do in Stage II represents 60% of the total grade for the quiz.

Important reminder: If your Stage 2 solution is not consistent with the Stage 1 presentation, no grade will be given to the Stage 2 work.

Please also note that Stage 1 of the quiz is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete it. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit.

Statement about Cheating

The quizzes in this course are unproctored. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
Plagiarizing answers.
Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your quiz, the quiz will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Examinations

Statics requires you to take two examinations: a midterm and a final. Consult the Course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.

The midterm exam covers the material assigned in Chapters 1–5. The final exam is cumulative and covers all material in the course (Chapters 1–9). Each exam consists of four problems that focus on the major objectives of the modules.

The exams are open book. You are also allowed to use calculators, study notes, and completed written activities.

Both the midterm exam and the final exam are taken in two stages. A link for each stage will be made available to you in the Examinations area of the course Web site.

You may take the exam at any time during the week it is scheduled (see Course Calendar), but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). Remember to pace yourself; take the Stage I part of the exam early enough in the week to allow yourself enough time to complete Stage II of the exam by the deadline.

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken either the midterm or the final exam, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the exams, so that they may be made available to you.

Stage 1 is taken online. This part is timed; you have three hours in which to complete it. You can enter and take this part of the exam only once, so do not exit until you have completed it.

Please Note: It is important that you remember to copy or print each question and answer as you are taking the timed portion of the exam, as you will use this as reference when you are completing Stage II.

During Stage 1, you are required to work out a detailed outline of solution principles, theory, strategy, and procedures, etc., for each question, excluding figures and formulas. This detailed solution outline represents 40% of the total grade for the exam and will be used as the foundation for grading your Stage 2 submission.

Stage 2 of the exam must be prepared and submitted electronically. This stage is not timed, but you must complete it and submit it by Saturday of exam week.

In this part, you will take the detailed outline that you submitted during Stage 1 and complete the full solution. You must follow the solution steps. Click Solution Sample to view the steps and a sample solution sheet. If needed, review the information on preparing formulas and diagrams stated earlier in this Syllabus.

Your Stage II solution must be consistent with the Stage I statements submitted during the online, timed test; in other words, you are not allowed to change the solution principles, theory, strategy, and procedures, etc., that you presented in Stage I. The only items that you need to add are the equations and drawings.

The work you do in Stage II represents 60% of the total grade points for the exam. The grade you receive will be the summation of the grades earned in the two stages.

Important reminder: If your Stage 2 solution is not consistent with the Stage 1 presentation, no grade will be given to the Stage II work.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
Plagiarizing answers.
Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

Written assignments (8)—40%
Quizzes—10%
Midterm exam—25%
Final exam—25%

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

A	=	93–100	C+	=	78–79
A–	=	90–92	C	=	73–77
B+	=	88–89	C–	=	70–72
B	=	83–87	D	=	60–69
B–	=	80–82	F	=	Below 60

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.

Arrange to take your examinations by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.
Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting activities before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the Course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting activities, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see: