Course 1 | Foundation
Orientation to Mechanical Engineering
Start here. See what mechanical engineering is, how design works, and get a first, gentle look at forces, materials, fluids, energy, and motion, so the whole roadmap feels connected.
Course snapshot
- Purpose
- Frames the MechCompass path so later subjects feel connected to engineering decisions.
- Prerequisites
None
- Next in the guided sequence
- Used in Career Directions
Choose later
How to study this course
- Identify the engineering need
- Name the requirements
- Sketch a first concept
- Connect the concept to materials, manufacturing, and analysis
- Test the idea against evidence
- Revise the decision
How this course is designed
A map before the details
This course orients you to the whole field and the roadmap, so every later subject has a place to belong. You leave with the big picture, not a pile of disconnected topics.
A gentle first taste
Modules 5 to 9 give a first, friendly look at forces, materials, fluids, energy, and motion at orientation depth. Nothing is heavy; each just plants a seed the later courses grow.
Habits that last
Units, problem-solving, estimation, and ethics are habits every future course leans on. Two fully worked examples per module build them from the very start.
The 10 modules
01 | Module
The Mechanical Engineering Profession
What the field is, the sub-disciplines, and the roadmap ahead.
02 | Module
The Mechanical Design Process
Requirements, concepts, the decision matrix, and iteration.
03 | Module
Units, Dimensions, and Significant Digits
Unit conversion, significant digits, and dimensional checks.
04 | Module
Problem-Solving, Estimation, and Communication
A method, order-of-magnitude estimates, and clear write-ups.
05 | Module
Forces, Moments, and Equilibrium
A first look at statics and the free body diagram.
06 | Module
Materials and Stress
Stress, strain, and the factor of safety.
07 | Module
Fluids and Pressure
Pressure with depth, surface force, and buoyancy.
08 | Module
Energy, Heat, and Power
Energy, power, and efficiency.
09 | Module
Motion and Power Transmission
Rotational speed, gear ratios, and shaft power.
10 | Module
Becoming a Mechanical Engineer
Ethics, judging adequacy, and pacing the road ahead.