Engineering Materials and Mechanics: Behavior and Selection

Choosing the right material is one of the most critical decisions in any engineering design. Understanding how solids deform, yield, and fail under mechanical and thermal stresses prevents catastrophic failure and ensures long-term durability. This text-only course guides you through the fundamental principles of material behavior and mechanics, enabling you to make informed, data-driven decisions during the design process. What you will learn: - Understand how engineering materials respond to complex mechanical and thermal loadings. - Analyze design-limiting behaviors including stiffness, strength, fracture toughness, and durability. - Interpret standard mechanical testing procedures used to quantify material properties. - Apply quantitative methods to solve materials-limiting problems in engineering design. - Formulate systematic criteria for materials selection, incorporating modern sustainability metrics and additive manufacturing constraints. The course begins with foundational concepts of stress, strain, and material classification before moving into plasticity, fracture, and fatigue. This course is designed for aspiring mechanical engineers, product designers, and students with a basic understanding of physics who want to deepen their material science knowledge. Start reading today to master the mechanical behavior of materials and build safer, more efficient designs.