Here’s a very handy freeware units conversion program

MET 311 EXPERIMENTAL MECHANICS		3 CREDITS Fall 2008 Syllabus and Lab Schedule
TEXT:		Theory and Design for Mechanical Measurements by Figliola and Beasley
PREREQUISITE:		Grade of C or better in MET 211
INSTRUCTOR:		Mark French
OFFICE HOURS:		8:30 – 9:30 M-F, 9:30 – 10:30 MT
OFFICE LOCATION:		138 Knoy Hall, (765) 494-7521
EMAIL CONTACT:		rmfrench@purdue.edu
LAB MECHANICIAN:		Marc Williams (mewillia@purdue.edu)
LECTURE LOCATION:		Gris 274
LECTURE TIMES:		WF 10:30 – 11:20
LABORATORY LOCATION:		Knoy Hall, Room 106
LABORATORY TIME:		Sec 1: W 3:30 - 5:20 Sec 2: F 3:30 - 5:20
GRADING:		Exam 1	20%
A:	> 90%	Exam 2	20%
B:	80% - 90%	Homework:	15%
C:	70% - 80%	Labs:	20%
D:	60% - 70%	Project:	25%
F:	< 60%

MET 311 EXAMINATIONS: Two exams are scheduled for the semester. Exams are open book, open notes and calculators are the only number crunching devices that may be used.

MET 311 HOMEWORK: Homework problems will be assigned at most class sessions. All problems will be graded. All assigned problems must be handed in at the end of the day on which they are due and will be graded on a ten-point basis. Homework up to one week late will have a 20% penalty (20% of the possible number of points). Homework more than one week late will not be graded. Homework should be turned in at the drop box in Knoy Hall by 4:30 on the day it is due. I encourage students to work together on their homework if it helps them learn and if the work they turn in is their own. Test questions are patterned on homework questions. If you don’t really understand the homework solutions you’ve turned in, the tests are likely to be a problem for you.

Submit homework on green engineering paper (or equivalent), using GFSA format on the plain side of the paper. Label each page with the date, MET 311, your lecture time, the assignment number, and your name. Your solution must be laid out neatly and logically so that the grader can easily follow your work. State each equation in symbols, then show substitution of the values into the equation on the line below. Answers should appear to the right, below the solution. Intermediate answers should be underlined; final answers must be clearly boxed. No more than two problems/questions should be answered per page, separated by a double line.

MET 311 POLICIES AND PRACTICES:

ATTENDANCE: You are expected to attend in all lecture and laboratory sessions, including exam sessions. If a lab or exam absence is unavoidable, contact the instructor beforehand. Any unexcused missed lab session will result in a grade of zero for that lab. In all circumstances, you are responsible for learning the material covered during all class meetings. Safety glasses are required for all labs; bringing a thumb drive is recommended. Assuming extenuating circumstances do not apply, if you miss three lab sessions or fail to submit three reports within two weeks following their due dates, you will automatically fail the laboratory portion of the course.

REPORTS: Lab reports are due one week after the lab session, unless otherwise specified. Lab reports will be accepted up to one week after their respective due date, with a 5 point per day late penalty. Under extenuating circumstances, late penalties may be waived.

COMMUNICATION: Course communication is primarily electronic. Students will need to have a valid School of Technology career account to access the course website and materials. Check the course web site regularly for updates and notices. It will be updated regularly throughout the semester to include new sample problems, test answers keys and class administrative information.  Some information will only be available during class meetings.

PARTICIPATION: You will learn more if you actively participate in all class and lab sessions, complete all assignments (reading, homework, and lab reports), and take responsibility for learning the course material. When you have questions, you need to pursue their answers. However, if, after a reasonable amount of effort, you are still struggling, come to my office. I can’t help if I don’t know you have a problem.

INTEGRITY and ETHICS: No student should take unfair advantage of another. All students are assumed to be acting honorably until they show otherwise. However, I won’t tolerate cheating in any form. 

If you are not sure whether what you are doing is cheating, ask yourself whether it would make your mother proud of you if she knew about it. For a more formal description, refer to University Regulations, Part 5, Section III.B.2.a., regarding dishonesty.

LINKS TO OTHER WEB PAGES:

http://www.vishay.com/brands/measurements_group/guide/indexes/i_index.htm - manufacturer of strain gages, photoelastic material, and related instrumentation. Good explanations of how strain gauges work.

www.omega.com – Sells every kind of strain gauge known to man and lots of other cool test hardware. Their catalogs are include extensive tutorials on experimental mechanics.

http://www.onlineconversion.com/ – Convert any unit ever used to just about any other unit ever used.

Course Core Learning Objectives:

1. Calculate principal stresses, maximum shear stress, and principal direction in a plane when given the loading condition.

2. Select the appropriate type of strain gage(s) for a given test specimen or component.

3. Determine the proper strain gage orientation for measurement of the strain induced by a single loading.

4. Calculate principal strains, maximum shearing strain, and principal direction on a surface from strain gage rosette data.

5. Convert strain values to stress values when given appropriate material information.

6. Manipulate strain gages in a simple Wheatstone Bridge circuit configuration to isolate and measure strain from one of several loadings.

7. Perform an open-ended experimental investigation in solid mechanics.