Mechanical Engineering
Machines, structures, fluids and control. Measure forces and deformation to explore engineering design.
12 experiments
Times include reading the explanation and completing all six steps. Your pace may vary.
Levers and torque
Move the fulcrum and weights to compare lever arms and torque bars.
Pulleys and mechanical advantage
Change supporting strands and compare lift height with pull distance.
Gear ratio, speed and torque
Change teeth and stages to observe rotation direction, speed and torque.
Truss bridge loads
Change truss type and loaded joint to read member colors and widths.
Beam deflection
Change material, section and support to compare magnified deflection curves.
Tensile test and stress–strain
Compare specimen elongation and necking with its stress–strain curve.
Center of mass and tipping
Change base and center height to see when the gravity line leaves the support.
Spring oscillation and damping
Change mass and damping to compare suspension motion and displacement over time.
Pascal principle and hydraulic lift
Change piston areas to observe inverse force and travel ratios.
Buoyancy and ship loading
Change cargo and hull width to compare draft, heel, buoyancy and weight.
Airfoil lift
Change attack angle and wind to observe lift curves and stall.
PID control
Tune proportional, integral and derivative gains using target and drone height response.