Engineering Science

N4
 Module 1: Kinematics

RELATIVE VELOCITY
Relative velocity is a vector quantity with both magnitude and direction. The
directions of both objects must be defined as either negative or positive. This
helps to define the directions of the objects and helps to make sure that your
calculations are correct.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 1: Kinematics (continued)

RESULTANT VELOCITY
Resultant velocity can be defined as the sum of all the velocities in all
directions adding to the motion of an object. To determine the resultant
velocity of an object, all the velocity vectors must be added together. Since
resultant velocity is a vector quantity, both its direction and magnitude must
be calculated.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 1: Kinematics (continued)

PROJECTILES
Projectile motion is the movement of an object (the projectile) launched from
the earth’s surface with gravity causing it to move along a curved path back
to the earth’s surface. A projectile has no source of power after being
launched (thrown, shot) apart from the earth’s gravitational force which
draws the object towards earth. Projectiles therefore exclude rockets and
planes and other self- powered objects. Bullets fired from a gun, balls thrown
up in the air and rocks launched by a slingshot are projectiles.
www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 2: Angular motion

ANGULAR MOTION
Angular motion can be defined as the motion of an object around a fixed axis
or pivot point. This movement is described as angular rather than linear (in a
straight line). Examples of objects with rotational motion are pendulums,
wheels, motors and even the planets that rotate around the sun.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 2: Angular motion (continued)

ANGULAR DISPLACEMENT
Angular displacement is the angle, measured in degrees or radians, showing
how far a point or line has travelled around an axis. This means that when an
object rotates around a fixed point, the angular displacement of the object is
equal to the angle that has been travelled. It is a vector quantity.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 2: Angular motion (continued)

ANGULAR VELOCITY
The angular velocity of a rotating object is the rate at which angular
displacement changes, or the angular change in one second.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 2: Angular motion (continued)

ANGULAR ACCELERATION
Angular acceleration is also a vector and is the rate at which angular velocity
changes with time.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 2: Angular motion (continued)

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LINEAR AND ANGULAR QUANTITIES

The relationship between rotational motion and linear motion is very obvious
when you understand that a wheel’s rotation results in the linear movement
of a vehicle. It is also obvious that the linear distance the vehicle travels for
one rotation of the wheel is equal the circumference of the wheel, and the
faster the wheel turns, the faster the vehicle will move.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 2: Angular motion (continued)

TORQUE, WORK DONE AND POWER

Torque is the product of the tangential force and the distance from the point
of rotation, or the radius. The radius is the perpendicular distance between
the point of rotation and the point where the force is applied.
Work done (W) is the product of the force applied (F) on an object and the
distance it travels (d) due to this force.
Power is the rate at which work is done.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 3: Dynamics

NEWTON’S THREE LAWS OF MOTION

Sir Isaac Newton stated the following three Laws of Motion which are still the
simplest way to describe the scientific nature of dynamics:
• An object will not change its motion unless a force acts on it.
• The resultant force on an object is equal to its mass times its acceleration.
• When two objects interact, they apply forces to each other of equal
magnitude and opposite direction.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 3: Dynamics (continued)

NEWTON’S FIRST LAW OF MOTION

The first Law of Motion states that an object will carry on in its state of motion
forever unless an unbalanced force acts on it. Therefore, when the sum of all
the forces (resultant force) acting on an object is equal to zero, the object will
remain stationary or continue moving at constant velocity and direction.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 3: Dynamics (continued)

NEWTON’S SECOND LAW OF MOTION

One way of stating the second Law of Motion is the rate at which the
momentum of a body changes is directly proportional and in the direction of
the applied force. This means that when an unbalanced force is applied to an
object, it will accelerate in the direction of the force.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 3: Dynamics (continued)

NEWTON’S THIRD LAW OF MOTION

The third Law of Motion states that when one body exerts a force on a
second body, the second body simultaneously exerts the same amount of
force on the first body but in the opposite direction.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 3: Dynamics (continued)

KINETIC AND POTENTIAL ENERGY

Kinetic energy is simply the energy contained in motion. It can also be
defined as the work required (in Joules) to accelerate an object from rest to a
certain velocity.
Potential energy is the energy stored by an object due to its position. An
object high above the ground will have more potential energy than an object
closer to the ground or on the ground.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 3: Dynamics (continued)

CONSERVATION OF ENERGY
The law of conservation of energy states that energy cannot be created nor
can it be destroyed. The only type of energy relevant to dynamics is
mechanical energy, which is the sum of an object’s kinetic and potential
energies. You can therefore adapt this law for dynamics by saying that the
mechanical energy of an object remains constant independent of its
movement if no energy is added or removed from the object.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 4: Statics

INTRODUCTION
Statics is the engineering field that focuses on analysing the loads acting on
physical shapes.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 4: Statics (continued)

SUPPORTED BEAMS AND CANTILEVERS

A beam is a long thin object that can be subjected to stresses or forces in
one plane only. Each force acting on a beam has a reaction in the beam.
Beams can have either concentrated loads or distributed loads.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 4: Statics (continued)

CENTROIDS AND CENTRES OF GRAVITY

Centre of mass (CM): The point ‘right in the middle’ of an object around
which all its mass is distributed equally.
Centre of gravity (CG): When gravitational force acts on the centre of mass
of an object.
Centroid: The centre of mass of a flat object with a uniform density.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 5: Hydraulics

INTRODUCTION
Hydraulics is a section in engineering that deals with the mechanical
properties of fluids.
A hydraulic press is a hydraulic machine usually used to crush or compress
materials.
A hydraulic pump is a device that converts mechanical energy into
hydraulic pressure to displace or compress fluids.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 5: Hydraulics (continued)

HYDRAULIC PRESSES
Hydraulic presses are based on Pascal’s Law, which states that the pressure
applied on liquids in a closed system remains constant throughout the
system. Hydraulic presses are machines that are used to form, pierce,
compact, crush or move materials.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 5: Hydraulics (continued)

HYDRAULIC PUMPS
A hydraulic pump is generally driven by an electric motor and converts its
mechanical energy into liquid pressure and flow. For most hydraulic systems,
the main function of the hydraulic pump is to create pressure since there is
only a small amount of liquid flow in the system.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 5: Hydraulics (continued)

HYDRAULIC ACCUMULATORS
A hydraulic accumulator is a hydraulic device that stores fluids under
pressure which is normally used to drive equipment. An accumulator can be
loaded by a small hydraulic pump over a period when the demand is low.
This accumulated energy can now be used in a single press stroke or heavy
lift which only takes a short time to complete.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 6: Stress, strain and Young’s modulus

STRESS
Stress (σ) is the ability of an object to resist the effects of an external force
and is given by the amount of load per unit area. The concept of stress uses
both the size of the applied force as well as the area to which it was applied,
to determine the effect of an action on an object.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 6: Stress, strain and Young’s modulus (continued)

TYPES OF STRESS
There are three main types of stress which takes both the direction and the
combination of the forces on an object into consideration. These are:
• Direct stress (tensile stress and compressive stress),
• Shear stress (single shear stress and double shear stress), and
• Bending stress.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 6: Stress, strain and Young’s modulus (continued)

YOUNG’S MODULUS
The point where an object does not return to its original form is called its
elastic limit. The stress to strain ratio is known as Young’s modulus or the
modulus of elasticity.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 7: Heat

INTRODUCTION
Heat refers to a form of energy associated with the motion of atoms,
molecules, or substances in a material. Temperature is the degree or
intensity of heat present in a substance or object.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 7: Heat (continued)

VOLUMETRIC CHANGE IN SOLID MATERIALS

When a solid material is heated up, it will expand, and when it is cooled down
to its original temperature, it will contract again by the same amount that it
expanded with. The amount that it expands and contract with is directly
proportional to the change in temperature. Different types of materials
expand and contract with different amounts due to a change in temperature.
When a material is heated evenly, it expands by the same ratio in all
directions.
www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 7: Heat (continued)

VOLUMETRIC CHANGE IN LIQUIDS

Like solids, all liquids expand as their temperature increases. Between 0 °C
and 4 °C, water reacts quite differently from other materials. When it is
cooled from room temperature, it continues to contract like other materials
until it gets to 4 °C when it suddenly starts expanding until it reaches 0 °C
and turns into ice. As the temperature drops further, the volume of the ice
then contracts like those of other materials.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 7: Heat (continued)

VOLUMETRIC CHANGE IN GASES

The first difference between gases and other materials is that gases are
compressible, which will require you to not only consider the effect of
temperature, but pressure as well. The second difference to solids and
liquids is that most gases expand and contract in very much the same way,
independent of their composition.

www.futuremanagers.com
 Module 7: Heat (continued)

GAS PROCESSES
When gases are used in industrial or domestic processes, the gas will
normally go through several different processes before the cycle starts from
scratch again. You will look at three types of processes that are often used,
namely:
• Isochoric processes,
• Isobaric processes, and
• Isothermal processes.
www.futuremanagers.com