US Department of Labor
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Mechanical Engineers
Learn about the general job functions of mechanical engineers, the industries that hire them and the occupation's employment prospects.
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Science Careers: Mechanical Engineering Technician
The mechanical engineering technician supports the mechanical engineer in designing all sorts of things we use in our everyday lives. This Science Buddies site lays out the requirements needed to become a mechanical engineering...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Science Careers: Mechanical Engineer
All kinds of apparatus used in every day life are designed by the mechanical engineer. The career casts a broad engineering net. This Science Buddies site lays out the requirements needed to become a mechanical engineer, as well as the...
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Understanding Degrees of Freedom
Explores how to predict degrees of freedom of a mechanism. Understand that in mechanics degrees of freedom is one of the most important concepts. Video length: 4 min. 41 sec.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Just Plane Simple
This instructional activity introduces students to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers. These machines include the inclined plane, the wedge and the screw. In general, engineers use the inclined plane to lift heavy...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: My Mechanical Ear Can Hear!
Students are introduced to various types of hearing impairments and the types of biomedical devices that engineers have designed to aid people with this physical disability.
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Cast Your Vote
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, test, and evaluate a voting system made with everyday materials. The objective of the instructional activity is to learn how engineering has changed methods of...
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: What Is Von Mises Stress?
In this article and video, learn about how engineers can use the Von Mises stress to predict when their design will fail. By completing the calculations, engineers can find the maximum value of Von Mises and can be more accurate with the...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Get It Write
Learners learn about the engineering design process by working in teams to design and build a pen out of everyday materials that can deliver a controlled amount of ink to a sheet of paper.
Other
Cad Crowd: How Do Engineers Evaluate Different Design Ideas?
Explains all the things that must be taken into consideration when engineers evaluate the soundness and viability of a particular design.
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Theory of Vibration
Did you know that some bridges have failed due to the effect of vibration? This article and video explore vibration and its importance in the design of civil structures and mechanical equipment. The article discusses all concepts covered...
Science Buddies
Science Buddies: Knock Your Blocks Off: The Mechanics of Carnival Games
Why are those "simple" games at the fairs, carnivals, and boardwalks so hard? Is it really lack of skill or coordination or do those concessionaires use some basic laws of science to help them set up the games in their favor? This...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Powerful Pulleys
Students continue to explore the story of building a pyramid, learning about the simple machine called a pulley. They learn how a pulley can be used to change the direction of applied forces and move/lift extremely heavy objects, and the...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Energetic Musical Instruments
Students will learn to apply the principles and concepts associated with energy and the transfer of energy in an engineering context through the designing and making of a musical instrument. The students must choose from a variety of...
TryEngineering
Try Engineering: Tinkering With Tops
Students learn about the engineering design process as they design, build, and test spinning tops using everyday materials. The objective of the design is to have the top spin at least 10 seconds within a thirty centimeter diameter.
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Does Contact Area Matter?
Using the same method for measuring friction that was used in the previous lesson (Discovering Friction), students design and conduct an experiment to determine if the amount of area over which an object contacts a surface it is moving...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Levers That Lift
This lesson introduces students to three of the six simple machines used by many engineers: the lever, the pulley, and the wheel-and-axle. In general, engineers use the lever to magnify the force applied to an object, the pulley to lift...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Swamp Cooler
Using a household fan, cardboard box and paper towels, student teams design and build an evaporative cooler (swamp cooler). They learn about the process that cools water during the evaporation of water. They make calculations to...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: The Big Mo
Momentum is not only a physical principle; it is a psychological phenomenon. Students learn how the "Big Mo" of the bandwagon effect contributes to the development of fads and manias, and how modern technology and mass media accelerate...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Viral Hijackers
Students learn how viruses invade host cells and hijack the hosts' cell-reproduction mechanisms in order to make new viruses, which can in turn attack additional host cells. Students also learn how the immune system responds to a viral...
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Working of a Limited Slip Differential
A video and article explaining how cars use limited slip differential to overcome traction issues of the drive wheel. The article discusses all topics found in the video. [4:56]
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: How Does an Induction Motor Work?
An article and video about the most commonly used electrical machine called an induction motor. Learn about the parts of the motors that allow the motor to function. [4:43]
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Single Phase Motors
Learn about how a single phase motor produces a rotating magnetic field in this video. The accompanying article discusses topics found in the video. [2:00]
Learn Engineering
Learn Engineering: Understanding Rotating Magnetic Field & Synchronous Speed
Get information about rotating magnetic fields and how electric machines use them for their operation. Discusses synchronous speed and number of poles on an electrical machine. The accompanying article discusses the topics found in the...