Take Engineering Statics Online: Is it Worth It?

[JoshHolloway]

I need to take Engineering Statics next semester, but the only time the class is offered conflicts with another class I have to take. There is no other class that I can take for my major next semester becasue every other class I need requires these classes I am taking next semester as prerequisites. And I have to receive 15 credit hours next semester in order to continue receiving my sholarships. At a communitty college about 60 miles away this class is offered through a distance learning program through the internet. you just read the book, and take four exams and that is the class. This community college is a good school (for a community college), and this is a pretty low level class. Do you guys think I should take this class online, or just take a class that will not count toward my major in order to get those credits?

 

[Q_Goest]

What type of engineering degree are you going for? Statics is very important to mechanical engineering and many others, so if you're in a mechanical or similar program I'd suggest you take it at the school you're getting your degree from.

If you're in electrical engineering, it might be ok to take an online course for statics. I'd be curious to know how many EE's think they've ever used statics in their professional careers.

FYI, I've been a mechanical engineer for almost 20 years now.

 

[JoshHolloway]

I am majoring in chemical engineering. I am not sure if statics is all that important to my degree; at least when compared to civil or mechanical engineers. To tell you the truth, I don't really know what the class is about. I am thinking it is about the strengths of materials and things of that nature. The description of the class says something like equilibrium of rigid bodies. Do you think a Chem E would need a rigorous course in statics? And could you tell me what it is mainly about?

 

[Q_Goest]

"Statics" meaning the static equilibrium of forces on an object. For a given object, there are forces on it which can be equated to each other to determine other forces. Static means the object is not accelerating, though it can be moving. A shaft in a machine for example, that is running at constant speed must be in static equilibrium. You can find the forces exerted on the shaft using techniques you learn in your Statics class. Dynamics is generally the course after statics which makes use of the concept of static equilibrium for objects that are changing velocity (accelerating) in some way, so you may need to understand statics fairly well just to get through Dynamics.

Statics won't be used as much by a practicing ChemE because they generally focus on chemical and thermodynamic processes. However, the machinery and equipment that does that processing will require knowledge of statics. If you can get the course at the college you're graduating from, that would be best.

Have you verified the college you're graduating from will accept the community college course for credit?

 

[JoshHolloway]

Yes, they will accept the transter credit. And I do not have to take Dynamics. I do have to take Thermodynamics and Fluid mechanics; and I also have to take intro to Electrical Science and Strength of Materials. Those are all of the Engineering Science classes I have to take. The rest are all Chem E specific classes. Would any of these classes utilize concepts learned in statics extensively?

 

[Pseudo Statistic]

If you do end up taking the online course, save some pages for your good old friend Pseudo Statistic. :)

 

[JoshHolloway]

Will do buddy.

 

[Q_Goest]

statistics? statics? lol

Hey Josh, the "Strength of Materials" class (thinking way back here) at least as I remember is a first level type stress analysis class that gets into forces on materials and how they compare to the strength of a material. You'd use statics in that course, and of course statics is used in all types of stress analysis. But it sounds like you won't be taking those courses in any depth, so you should be ok without taking it at your college of choice.

If you have any further doubts, I'd suggest checking with your favorite prof.