Tap Drill Chart – The Ultimate inch and metric table (mm and inches)
Do you need to see the Drill and Tab chart right now? Jump to Tab Drill Chart. Taps are cutting tools used by machinists to
Category: Calculations
Fourier’s Law of Heat Conduction
Fourier’s Law states that the time it takes for heat to travel through a material is proportional to the temperature’s negative gradient, and to the
Wheatstone Bridge
A Wheatstone bridge is a special type of electrical circuit that is used to accurately measure the unknown resistance of a component. It was also
Laminar Flow
Laminar flow is a phenomenon observed in flowing fluids that manifests during the study of fluid dynamics. In general, fluid flow can be described in
Kinematic Viscosity
In simplest terms, the viscosity of a fluid is the measurement of its resistance to deformation at a specified rate. For liquids, viscosity directly corresponds
Constant force spring: properties and design equations
Constant force springs differ from traditional helically-wound springs. They are made from pre-tensioned, high yield strips of metal (often stainless steel) as opposed to wire.
Poisson’s Ratio for Boneheads, plus FAQ
Poisson’s ratio is a value that defines the amount of contraction that occurs when something is stretched, or the amount of expansion when an object
Mollier Diagram – A Basic Guide
Most engineering installations and equipment are subjected to (and designed to withstand) a variety of atmospheric conditions and over a wide range of temperature, pressure,
Metrology – a mechanical engineer’s guide
The act of measuring has become an important part of our everyday lives. The need to measure and standardise has developed into the science of
What is Watt’s law?
In the study of electronics, many laws and theories exist. These laws enable us to understand the workings of electric circuits and components. One such
Taylor Functions – explanation and software tools
The Taylor Functions are series of sum terms that concern the values of the derivatives of a given function at a given point, so they
Shear Stress Equation clearly explained. Average, Beam, Impact, Fluids shear stress
What is shear stress equation? How do you calculate shear stress on a beam? Impact shear stress equation Fluids shear stress equation Wall Shear Stress
Structural Concepts – Static and dynamic load basics
Defining and understanding the basic structural concepts of engineering and how they are expressed in physics and mathematics is a key aspect for students. This
Pascals explained: A simplified guide for boneheads
Have you come across Pascals as a unit of pressure and not quite sure what it is? Pressure can be a bit confusing. There are
Volumetric Flow Rate Equation
Before defining the volumetric flow rate equation and how to apply it, let’s explore the concept of volumetric flow and how the principle is used
Resonant Frequency Equation: mechanical, electrical and acoustic
Resonant frequency can apply to many areas of the physical sciences or engineering. Thus, there is more than one resonant frequency equation, depending on the
How to Design a Steel Column
Steel columns and beams are the building blocks of most major commercial construction these days. Therefore, knowing how to design a steel column is one
Convert mm to inches INSTANTLY
Are you looking to convert millimeters to inches? Look no further, with our instant mm to inches calculator, you can do it in a second.
Compression Springs – Types, calculations and more
Compression springs are mechanical devices that are specifically designed to be induced to axial compression loads. They can usually also be extended as well as
Planetary Gears – a masterclass for mechanical engineers
I don’t think there is a mechanical engineer out there who doesn’t have a soft spot for gears. There’s just something about spinning bits of
Viscosity of Water – the Ultimate Guide
Viscosity refers to the amount that a fluid (gas or liquid) resists changing shape. In other words, how much a fluid opposes flow. Therefore, the
Gauge Symmetry for Boneheads – a brief explanation of the fundamentals.
Have you ever wondered why gauge symmetry is synonymous with electromagnetism equations? Anytime the topic comes up, it reminds us of Maxwell’s electrodynamics. Gauge field
How to accurately measure O-ring dimensions
As engineers, we have all used thread sealing tapes at some point to fix leaks. But how do we fix leaks in applications that involve
Basic Thermal Calculations
Thermal engineering is one of the most fundamental areas of mechanical and chemical engineering, with the study of heat transfer being one of the most
Reynolds Number Calculator and Formula (Equation)
Below is  a handy Reynolds Number Calculator. The Reynolds number (Re) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to determine what type of fluid flow to
Basic stress analysis calculations
Mechanical engineers need to be able to calculate things! One of the most important things a mechanical engineer must know are basic stress analysis calculations.
On Engineering Calculations…
The difference between school and “real life” problem solving When we pass from high school to university we bring with us the idea that answers
What do calculations actually mean?
Engineers are supposed to do calculations. That’s what we do. We calculate everything from strength and mass flow, temperature rise and heat transfer, fuel consumption and
Getting From A to B: Assessing Error Range From Input to Result
As a general rule, a mechanical measure cannot be written without a precision. When a study does not contain an error range estimation or analysis,
Mastering Precision for Functions
We’ve previously spoken about the concepts of accuracy and precision and how they play a key role in determining the error range in mechanical engineering
Basic theory of numerical accuracy and precision
We deal with numbers in every aspect of life. In mechanics, understanding the more obscure concepts and definitions can be critical to our designs. Most
Thermal design basics: materials and calculations
This article is a basic look at thermal materials that are available today, and general design considerations for thermal design. This article covers thermal conductivity,
Ball Bearings: Guide to selection, applications & calculations
This article helps mechanical engineers understand the selection of ball bearings depending upon the application and load conditions. Primarily the article helps you calculate the
Natural Convection and Inclined Parallel Plates
Natural convection has been used to cool electronics for ages. It is a simple and reliable method. The big drawback, of coarse, is that the
Area of plane shapes
Here’s a useful guide to calculating the area of basic shapes. Rectangle Area = w × h w = width h = height Triangle Area
Convert units the easy way!
Here’s is a great piece of freeware. It’s simply called “convert” by Josh Madison. It’s an amazingly useful program – something that every mechanical engineer
Brake design – calculations
Brakes are machine elements that absorb kinetic or potential energy in the processes of slowing down or stopping a moving part. The absorbed energy is
