Guide for children on mechanics and technology

The study of mechanics includes the study of the movement of objects, as well as the moments when objects do not move. Sir Isaac Newton was the first scientist to study mechanics, and this subject became the foundation of physics. The study of mechanics is important for people who want to study other branches of science such as astronomy, geology, and engineering. Engineering is the science that deals with the design, creation and use of inventions and structures.

What is mechanics?

Mechanics includes various kinds of movement or movement. An object can move between points, which is called translational motion. Something can also move without changing position, in which case it rotates in place. An object that constantly repeats the same movement for a certain period of time oscillates. Circular motion suggests that something is moving in a circle around another object. An object can only move in one way, or it can combine several types of movement. Mechanics also studies the absence of motion. Sometimes a force acts on an object that is not moving. The engineer must understand this static force when designing objects to make sure they are strong enough.

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What is engineering?

Engineering is a science that involves creative thinking to solve problems or develop inventions. Engineers usually use their imagination to create new objects. These facilities can make life easier for people. Sometimes engineers work on existing objects to make them better. Examples of objects created by engineers include car engines, computers, bridges, and furniture. Engineers must have strong scientific and mathematical skills to develop inventions. Engineering involves many different things, and people who work as engineers are often driven to help people and change the world for the better.

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The Science Behind Mechanics

Movement and how things move is a very important part of the science behind mechanics. Scientists divide mechanics into two different parts. One part is called kinematics, which describes the movements. The other part is called dynamics and considers the reasons for the movement of objects. A scientist describes how an object is moving by explaining where the object is moving, the direction of movement, and the speed at which the object is moving. Some terms you may hear include average speed, acceleration, speed, and speed. Acceleration describes the rate of change of speed or speed. Newton's laws underlie dynamics. Newton's first law is the law of inertia, which says that everything will stay at rest or move in a straight line unless a force changes it. Newton's second law is about the effect of a force on an object, meaning that the amount of force will change the object's acceleration. Newton's third law states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

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The science behind engineering

When a person wants to build something, the first thing to do is to plan or design the object. To design something, a designer must understand how things work and why they work the way they do. This understanding comes from the study of sciences such as chemistry and physics. When an engineer has this knowledge, he can define a problem, think of possible ways to fix it, develop a design that can solve the problem, build it, test it, and then tweak it until the problem is solved.

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Activity Mechanics and Experiments

Learning mechanics with actions and experiments will help you learn about motion and forces. For example, an experiment with forces will show you that forces always exist in pairs and forces act on objects. Practicing with an umbrella in the rain can help you learn the speed of raindrops. You can even learn the common way people start running: starting from a squat is actually better than from a standing position. Squatting lowers the center of mass, changes the angle of the body and how the feet touch the ground, all of which help the runner get off to a faster start.

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Engineering activities and experiments

Anyone can work as an engineer to solve problems. You can fix the problem and find a solution to try and fix it. For example, if one of your responsibilities is feeding the dog and you want to find an easier way to put food in the dog's bowl, you can try to make something that will do the job for you. You can draw some pictures while planning your invention. When you find an invention that you think might work, you can create it and then test it. If it doesn't work quite the way you want, you can make adjustments until it works better.