Home Experiments In Mechanical Engineering

This paper describes 14 experiments in mechanical Engineering which students can perform at home using readily available supplies. The experiments are designed for integration with lecture courses in thermodynamics, fluid flow, heat transfer and solid mechanics. hey represent applications of theoretical concepts taught in mechanical engineering, In each experiment theoretical predictions are compared with experimentally obtained results. Although crude measuring techniques are used at home, comparison between theoretical and experimental results is usually satisfactory. A key feature of the experiments is that they are simple and easy to carry out, requiring approximately one hour to perform. Aside from enhancing students’ comprehension of theoretical concepts, they provide opportunities for hands-on experience-, encourage resourcefulness and raise questions about accuracy, approximations, assumptions and modeling. Experience with home experiment assignments at the City College has demonstrated their utility as an effective learning tool. In general students enjoy doing the experiments and view them as a welcomed departure from traditional assignments.