Mechanical Engineering Knowledge

[Fowler_NottinghamUni]

I am a Physics graduate wondering how to bridge the knowledge gap between my degree and a mechanical engineering degree. If anyone as any idea of what a mechanical engineer should know coming out of a degree then that would be very helpful.

many thanks

Gavin Fowler

 

[Astronuc]

Well mechanical engineers have concentrations in mechanics of materials, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics/dynamics, and then applications in these areas, e.g. structural analysis, power systems, possibly controls. Basically engineering is applied physics.

I would recommend looking at the curricula of a mechanical engineering program at one's university (if there is such a program) or at other universities in UK, Europe and US.

 

[FredGarvin]

Most ME programs will list the class progression for graduation somewhere on their web sites.

 

[TVP45]

A helpful resource would be a copy of the Mechanical Engineering Reference Manual by Michael Lindeburg. You can get a used one (the edition really doesn't matter for your purposes) for maybe $30 US tops, and it makes a decent reference book later on. While you might not be able to work many of the problems, it would give you an overview of the kinds of things Mechanical Engineers have studied. If you see something that you are completely unfamiliar with, that's an obvious deficiency.
Good luck!