James H. Allen 
Mechanics of Materials For Dummies 

Your ticket to excelling in mechanics of materials

With roots in physics and mathematics, engineering mechanics is
the basis of all the mechanical sciences: civil engineering,
materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, and
aeronautical and aerospace engineering.

Tracking a typical undergraduate course, Mechanics of
Materials For Dummies gives you a thorough introduction to this
foundational subject. You’ll get clear, plain-English explanations
of all the topics covered, including principles of equilibrium,
geometric compatibility, and material behavior; stress and its
relation to force and movement; strain and its relation to
displacement; elasticity and plasticity; fatigue and fracture;
failure modes; application to simple engineering structures, and
more.

* Tracks to a course that is a prerequisite for most engineering
majors

* Covers key mechanics concepts, summaries of useful equations,
and helpful tips

From geometric principles to solving complex equations,
Mechanics of Materials For Dummies is an invaluable resource
for engineering students!

Table of Content

Introduction 1

Part I: Setting the Stage for Mechanics of Materials 7

Chapter 1: Predicting Behavior with Mechanics of Materials 9

Chapter 2: Reviewing Mathematics and Units Used in Mechanics of Materials 15

Chapter 3: Brushing Up on Statics Basics 25

Chapter 4: Calculating Properties of Geometric Areas 41

Chapter 5: Computing Moments of Area and Other Inertia Calculations 55

Part II: Analyzing Stress 83

Chapter 6: Remain Calm, It’s Only Stress! 85

Chapter 7: More than Meets the Eye: Transforming Stresses 99

Chapter 8: Lining Up Stress Along Axial Axes 131

Chapter 9: Bending Stress Is Only Normal: Analyzing Bending Members 149

Chapter 10: Shear Madness: Surveying Shear Stress 161

Chapter 11: Twisting the Night Away with Torsion 177

Part III: Investigating Strain 189

Chapter 12: Don’t Strain Yourself: Exploring Strain and Deformation 191

Chapter 13: Applying Transformation Concepts to Strain 201

Chapter 14: Correlating Stresses and Strains to Understand Deformation 215

Part IV: Applying Stress and Strain 233

Chapter 15: Calculating Combined Stresses 235

Chapter 16: When Push Comes to Shove: Dealing with Deformations 251

Chapter 17: Showing Determination When Dealing with Indeterminate Structures 273

Chapter 18: Buckling Up for Compression Members 301

Chapter 19: Designing for Required Section Properties 313

Chapter 20: Introducing Energy Methods 331

Part V: The Part of Tens 343

Chapter 21: Ten Mechanics of Materials Pitfalls to Avoid 345

Chapter 22: Ten Tips to Solving Mechanics of Materials Problems 349

Index 355

About the author

James H. Allen III, PE, Ph D is an assistant professor of civil engineering and a registered professional engineer. His specialty areas include structural engineering, numerical analysis and error control, and steel design. He is also the author of Statics For Dummies.