2

Engineering Statics

2.1 Engineering statics

Engineering mechanics can be divided into statics and dynamics. Basically, statics is the study of forces and their effects in equilibrium, whereas dynamics is the study of objects in motion.

2.2 Mass, force and weight

2.2.1 Mass

 Mass is the quantity of matter in a body. It is the sum total of the masses of all the subatomic particles in that body.

 Matter occupies space and can be solid, liquid or gaseous.

 Unless matter is added to or removed from a body, the mass of that body never varies. It is constant under all conditions. There are as many atoms in a kilogram of, say, metal on the moon as there are in the same kilogram of metal on planet Earth. However, that kilogram of metal will weigh less on ...

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