Introduction

Statics is the branch of physics that explains how loads act on bodies — from bridges and airplanes to knees, keyboards, and machines — when those bodies are at rest or moving at constant velocity.

Understanding statics matters because loads are everywhere. They determine whether a knee joint holds up, whether a ship stays upright, or whether a bridge stands or collapses. Products and structures fail when loads are misunderstood, but with skill in statics, you can design things that don’t fail and analyze failures to understand why they happen.

This BookCourse provides a path for mastering the fundamentals of statics. By the end, you’ll be able to apply statics to design, estimate, calculate, model, and explain — skills that lay the foundation for advanced engineering and everyday problem solving.

The Path

Getting Started

1. Statics (Lesson One): What Statics is; why it is worth learning.
2. Modeling (Lesson Two): How engineers simplify everything.
3. Force: A force is a push or pull between two objects.
4. Modeling a Body as a Particle: Neglect size and shape; all mass at a point.
5. Newton’s First Law of Motion: \(\Sigma \mathbf{F} = \mathbf{0}\) ⇔ \(\mathbf{a} =\mathbf{0}\)
6. Newton’s Laws of Motion.
7. Weight
8. Force Equilibrium.
9. Design of Cables and Anchors
10. Practical Problems

Rigid Bodies and Moments

1. Mechanical Advantage
2. Moment of a Force
4. Levers
5. Inclined Planes