Any structural component must be strong enough to fulfill its purpose. For example, the wing of an aircraft must be strong enough to withstand gust loads, turbine blades must retain their strength at high temperatures without deforming too much and supporting columns must be strong enough not to buckle under the loads they are subject to. Strength of materials, or mechanics of materials, is the branch of study that deals with methods of determining the strength, stiffness and stability of load carrying structural members.
Strength of materials is usually a core course for all undergraduate engineering programs. For mechanical engineers it leads to other advanced courses in mechanics of solids.
As a field of study the subject dates back to Galileo in early seventeenth century. Galileo studied the behaviour of ship hulls. Newton, born in the year of Galileo's death, formulated the laws of equilibrium which are vital in determining the behaviour of the member subjected to loads. The behaviour also depends on mechanical characteristics of the material the member is made of.
Significant contribution to the subject came from French scientists and engineers Coulomb, Poisson, Navier, St. Venant and Cauchy.
Strength of materials is usually a core course for all undergraduate engineering programs. For mechanical engineers it leads to other advanced courses in mechanics of solids.
As a field of study the subject dates back to Galileo in early seventeenth century. Galileo studied the behaviour of ship hulls. Newton, born in the year of Galileo's death, formulated the laws of equilibrium which are vital in determining the behaviour of the member subjected to loads. The behaviour also depends on mechanical characteristics of the material the member is made of.
Significant contribution to the subject came from French scientists and engineers Coulomb, Poisson, Navier, St. Venant and Cauchy.
