Solid Mechanics (1.050)
MIT's sophomore-level course, also known as Statics and Strength of Materials or Solid Mechanics I, covers the fundamentals of structural mechanics. Lessons address static equilibrium, force resultants, support conditions, and analysis of determinate planar structures such as beams, trusses, and frames. Students study stresses and strains, states of stress including shear, bending, and torsion, statically indeterminate systems, displacements and deformations, an introduction to matrix methods, elastic stability, and approximate methods. Design exercises push students toward creative problem solving and systems thinking rather than rote calculation. The course is published through MIT OpenCourseWare and includes lecture materials, assignments, and exams under a Creative Commons license, free to access with no certificate offered.