Mechanical engineering you can touch
Drag, tweak and push things around in live simulations. Short lessons explain what you just saw, and a quick quiz checks that the idea stuck.
Free to use. Works on phones, tablets and computers.
Live simulation: drag the block
How every lesson works
See it
Start from something you have seen in real life, like a ship, a dam or a jar of honey.
Try it
Change the numbers in a live simulation and watch what happens. Break it if you like.
Explain it
Learn the formula behind what you saw, then check yourself with a short quiz.
Start with Fluid Mechanics
Five lessons, each with a simulation to play with and a quiz at the end. Follow them in order.
5 lessons, about 35 minutes
Start with lesson 1Why Does Honey Pour So Slowly?
Unit 1: Fluid Properties
- Why Does Honey Pour So Slowly? Water rushes out of a jar in a second. Honey takes its time. What is holding it back?
- How Does Water Climb Up A Thin Tube? Dip a tissue in tea and the tea climbs up it, against gravity. Where does that lift come from?
Unit 2: Fluid Statics
- Why Are Dams Thicker At The Bottom? A dam can be 30 metres thick at its base and only a few metres at the top. Why build it that way?
- How Does A Small Push Lift A Car? A mechanic lifts a one-tonne car with one hand on a hydraulic jack. Trick, or clever physics?
- Why Does A Steel Ship Float? A steel nail sinks in a second, yet a ship made of thousands of tonnes of steel floats. How?
Simulation Lab
Every simulation in one place. Each one opens inside its lesson, so the explanation is right there when you need it.
Mechanics around you
The same physics is hiding in everyday things. Here are a few.
The water tank on your roof
Ground floor taps flow harder than top floor taps, because they sit deeper below the water in the tank.
Car brakes
A light press of your foot squeezes the brake pads with huge force, thanks to brake fluid passing the pressure on.
Ice in your drink
About nine tenths of an ice cube hides under the surface. The same is true for icebergs.
Every subject, one concept at a time
Fluid Mechanics is live now. The other subjects are being built lesson by lesson.
- Fluid Mechanics How liquids and gases flow, push and keep things afloat.
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Engineering Mechanics Forces, balance and motion: the base of every machine.
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Strength Of Materials Why beams bend, shafts twist and parts break.
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Thermodynamics Heat, work and energy inside engines and fridges.
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Theory Of Machines Gears, cams and linkages, and how motion is passed on.
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Heat Transfer How heat moves by conduction, convection and radiation.
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Machine Design Choosing shapes, sizes and materials that last.
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Manufacturing Processes Casting, welding, machining and 3D printing.
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Engineering Materials What metals, polymers and composites are made of inside.
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Automobile Engineering Engines, gearboxes, brakes and suspension.
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Refrigeration And Air Conditioning How cooling cycles move heat out of a room.
Keep track of what you understand
A free account saves every lesson you finish, your best quiz scores and the badges you collect.