Mechanical Behavior of Materials
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this materials science course covering how structures and materials respond to stress, from continuum-level properties down to atomistic and molecular mechanisms. Topics include elastic and plastic deformation, creep, and fracture in crystalline and amorphous metals, ceramics, and biopolymers, with emphasis on designing and processing materials across scales to achieve specific mechanical properties. Integrated laboratory work lets students instrument pressure vessels, visualize atomistic deformation using bubble rafts, run nanoindentation tests, and perform uniaxial mechanical testing. Writing assignments require communicating lab findings to both technical and nontechnical audiences. Materials are freely available through MIT OpenCourseWare under a Creative Commons license, including lecture notes, lab exercises, and assignments, though no certificate is offered. The course suits students in mechanical or materials engineering looking to connect molecular-scale behavior to real-world structural performance.