Are you a GATE Mechanical/Production & Industrial Aspirant? Are you doing self-study for GATE 2020 Exam Preparation? If so then you will find this blog very useful. Engineering mechanics (EM) is very important subjects from the exam point of view as it forms the base for most of the mechanical engineering subjects.

I know many of you find it difficult to solve questions but if a proper strategy is followed then you can solve those tough and innovative questions with ease. Engineering mechanics concepts can be improved by solving lots of numerical problems. So, follow this blog to prepare effectively for this subject. And if done properly then you can even master industrial engineering for GATE Mechanical.

Note: In this blog, the time duration and day wise analysis are given, so, time taken by any aspirants may vary that depends on the aspirant’s intellectual.

Marks analysis of previous year questions has been shown below:

Marks	No. of questions
1 mark	43
2 marks	57
5 marks	5

 

Preparation Strategy to study Engineering Mechanics for GATE 2020 Exam.

 

CONCURRENT FORCES IN A PLANE Duration- 2 days

Force, Scalar and Vector, Addition of Two Forces: Parallelogram Law & Triangle law Concept of the Resultant of Several Forces, Resultant of Several Concurrent Co-planar Forces: Polygon Law, Resolution of a Force into Components, Resultant of a Several Concurrent Coplanar Forces by summing Rectangular Components (Method of Projections), Equation of Equilibrium for a System of Concurrent Forces in plane constraint, action and reaction, Types of Supports and Support Reactions,

Free-Body Diagram.

(a) Equilibrium of a body Subjected to Two Forces (Two Force Body)

(b) Equilibrium of a Body Subjected to Three Forces

Moment of a Force, Theorem of Varignon, Equations of Equilibrium

PARALLEL FORCES IN A PLANE

Parallel Forces, Resultant of Two Parallel Forces Acting in the same Direction, Resultant of Two Unequal Parallel Forces Acting in Opposite Directions, Two Equal Parallel Forces Acting in Opposite Directions: Couple, Resolution of a Force into a Force and a Couple

Equivalent System of Forces

General Case of Parallel Forces in a plane,

Distributed Forces in a Plane

Hydrostatic Pressure: Forces on Submerged Surfaces.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: These topics are very basic things, you must have done in your school level. You won’t find questions directly been asked from these topics but these are the fundamental concepts which will be required in other subjects. You don’t have to go in-depth but you must know basic concept at least. So, go through it once from the book mentioned above. Solve questions from standard books as much as possible.

No. of hours: – 15-16 hours

CENTROID, CENTRE OF MASS AND CENTRE OF GRAVITY: Duration-1 Day

Topics to be done: -Centre of Gravity of a Body, Concept of centroid, Centroid of Two-Dimensional Body, Centroid of a Composite Plane Figure, centroids of Various Shapes of Areas. Solved example of standard book.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

No. of hours: 12 hours

Tips & instruction: This is one of the important topics from the GATE point of view, few questions have been asked from this part till now, also this part is important for the other subjects like SOM, FM. Attempt test series as much as possible. Solve previous year questions of GATE & ESE (ME).

GENERAL CASE OF FORCES IN A PLANE: Duration-1 Day

General Case of Forces Acting on a Plane: Equations of Equilibrium.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: Solve questions from the book i.e. A.K.Tayal. Questions can be solved with the previous concepts which you have.

No. of hours: 5-6 hours

FRICTION:  Duration – 2 days

Topics: Introduction, Dry Friction, Laws of Dry Friction, Rolling Resistance, Force of Friction on a Wheel

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: Spend time on developing concepts on Friction. All of the topics which are mentioned above are very important. Solve questions from the book i.e. A.K.Tayal. Try to Solve all the examples and exercises questions. Good questions are there in the previous year questions also solve those questions.

No. of hours: 12-14 hours

ANALYSIS OF PLANE TRUSSES : Duration – 2 days

Topics:

Engineering Structures

Rigid or Perfect Truss: Mathematical condition for Rigid or perfect Truss.

Truss: Determination of Axial Forces in the Members

1. The Method of joints
2. The Method of Sections

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: This is a very important topic from the GATE point of view. Questions should be practised on the method of joints & the method of sections. The method of sections is easy to solve and you can reach to answer very fast with this method. There are some special cases where we can directly tell the zero-force member and question become very easy to solve which should be practised a lot. Solve previous year questions too.

No. of hours: 15-16 hours

Moment of Inertia: Duration-1 day

Topics: Moment of Inertia, Polar Moment of Inertia, Radius of Gyration of an Area, Parallel Axes Theorem and its examples, Moment of Inertia of a Composite Section/Hollow Section, Moment of Inertia of a Mass (Rigid Body), Mass Moment of inertia of various bodies about different axes.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: This topic is important for solving numericals related to vibration and Dynamics questions in Engineering Mechanics. Practice parallel axis theorem enough so that you can apply it whenever is required. Memorize some of the general formulae of Disc, rod, ring etc.

No. of hours: 5-6 hours

RECTILINEAR MOTION OF A PARTICLE :  Duration – 2 days

Kinematics:

Topics: Introduction to Dynamics, Rectilinear Motion; Displacement, Velocity and Acceleration, Graphical Representations, Motion with uniform Acceleration, Motion with Variable Acceleration

Kinetics:

Topics: Equations of Rectilinear Motion, Equations of Dynamic Equilibrium: D’Alembert’s Principle.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: Very less theory in it and lots of questions to solve. So I will suggest you to solve lots of numerical problems from the standard books. Just don’t hesitate to use your logical brain. Questions from Motion with uniform acceleration and Motion with variable acceleration are important. Learn D’Alembert’s Principle and solve the related questions.

No. of hours: 12-13 hours

CURVILINEAR MOTION OF A PARTICLE:  Duration – 2 days

Part-A: Kinematics

Topics: Introduction, Position Vector, Velocity and Acceleration, Components of Motion Rectangular Components, Components of Acceleration Normal and Tangential, Components of Motion Radial and Transverse.

Part-B: Kinetics

Topics: Introduction, Equations of Motion: In Rectangular Components, Equations of Motion: In Tangential and Normal Components, Equations of Dynamic Equilibrium (D’ Alembert’s Principle)

Working Concepts Curvilinear Motion.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: Again don’t spend much in theory part instead practice lots of questions from the standard book. Just don’t hesitate to use your logical brain. Few theoretical questions have been asked in GATE. Learn D’Alembert’s Principle with solving the question.

No. of hours: 12-13 hours

KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: WORK AND ENERGY

Introduction, Work of a Force, Energy of a particle, Principle of Work and Energy, Work and Energy Principle for a System of Particles, Potential Energy and Conservative Forces, Principle of Conservation of Energy, Power.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: The Conceptual theory is there so learn it and solve lots of questions from the standard books. Learn how to use the principle of conservation of energy & Work energy principle.

No. of hours: 12-13 hours

KINETICS OF A PARTICLE IMPULSE AND MOMENTUM, IMPACT: COLLISION OF ELASTICS BODIES

Conservation of Momentum

Angular Momentum

Conservation of the Angular Momentum

Introduction, Direct Central Impact, Nature of Impact and Coefficients of Restitution, Important Cases of Impact, Loss of Kinetic Energy During Impact, Oblique Central Impact, Problems involving Energy and Momentum, Principle of Impulse and Momentum

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: Application of conservation of momentum is very important, practice questions from it. Practice questions on the collision of elastic bodies. Some good questions are there from the previous year.

No. of hours: 12-13 hours

MOTION OF PROJECTILE

Equation of Path: Trajectory, Expressions for Time of Flight, Height, Range, and Angle of Projection

Motion of Projectile Thrown Horizontally Motion of a Projectile up an Inclined Plane.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: This is the school level topic, you must have learned in your class-12. Questions have never been asked till now from this topic. But GATE is unpredictable so better prepare for the least expected as well.

No. of hours: 5-6 hours

KINEMATICS OF RIGID BODY (Duration- 2-3 days)

Rotation, Linear and Angular Velocity, Linear and Angular Acceleration in Rotation, General Plane Motion, Instantaneous Centre of Rotation in Plane Motion, Absolute and Relative Velocity in Plane Motion, Location of the Instantaneous Centre.

KINETICS OF RIGID BODY: FORCE AND ACCELERATION

Plane Motion of a Rigid Body: Equations of Motion, Relation between the Translatory and Rotary Motion of a Body in Plane Motion, D’ Alembert’s Principle in Plane Motion.

KINETICS OF RIGID BODY: WORK AND ENERGY

Kinetic Energy of Rigid Body, Work of the Forces Acting on a Rigid Body, Principle of Work and Energy for a Rigid body, Principle of Conservation of Energy.

Book: A.K. TAYAL

Tips & instruction: Recently Questions have been asked from the topics, Questions can be solved with the help of both the methods whether it is D’ Alembert’s Principle or work energy Principle. This is also very important from GATE point of view. Pure rolling problems are important. A.K. TAYAL book has some good questions, you must solve it. Previous year questions of GATE are also recommendable.

No. of hours: 20-24 hours

This is my suggestion that you can follow to Prepare Engineering Mechanics for GATE Exam. If you want to know more or have some doubts or even if you want to add something more to this, then feel free to tell me in the comment section below.