Course · 11 lessons · 11 interactive gamesFor beginners

Mechanics basics course

The physics behind every motor and every load, without memorising. Every idea in one line and a picture, and a game in every lesson: brake a car, launch a ball at a target, balance a seesaw, lift a car with a jack. At the end you size a real winch motor.

Start the course →Try lesson 1

Lesson 1 is open to everyone

Course playgrounds: a ball flying in an arc towards a target, two meshing gears, and a car braking before a barrier
From the course games: launch the ball at the target, choose the gears, and brake the car before the barrier.
Contents

11 lessons in order, with a game in each

Each lesson gives every idea in one line and a picture you get at a glance, then a 3-round game and short questions. The last lesson is a project and the final exam.

  1. Where mechanics starts: quantities, units and vectorsOpen to all
    • Mechanics = motion and force
    • Three quantities build everything
    • Mass is not weight
    • Scalar or vector?
    • GameVector playground: add two forces
    • QuizLesson questions
  2. Speed and acceleration
    • Distance and displacement
    • Speed
    • Acceleration = speed changing
    • Three equations solve any problem
    • Braking distance
    • GameBrake the car on the line
    • QuizLesson questions
  3. Free fall and projectiles
    • Gravity = a constant acceleration
    • The feather and the hammer
    • Falling from a height
    • A projectile = two motions at once
    • The best launch angle
    • GameLaunch the ball onto the target
    • QuizLesson questions
  4. Force and Newton’s laws
    • Force = a push or a pull
    • First law: inertia
    • Second law: F = m·a
    • Third law: action and reaction
    • Net force
    • GamePush the crate there in 4 seconds
    • QuizLesson questions
  5. Weight, friction and the ramp
    • Weight and the normal force
    • Friction
    • The friction coefficient μ
    • Friction is your friend
    • The ramp
    • GameFind the sliding angle on the ramp
    • QuizLesson questions
  6. Work, energy and power
    • Work
    • Potential and kinetic energy
    • Energy is never lost
    • Power = work per time
    • Efficiency
    • GameFun-fair loop: the lowest start height
    • QuizLesson questions
  7. Momentum and collisions
    • Momentum
    • In a collision, momentum is conserved
    • Elastic or sticky?
    • Impulse: why the airbag protects you
    • GameMake both carts stop after the crash
    • QuizLesson questions
  8. Torque, levers and balance
    • Torque = a turning force
    • Where to hold it
    • The lever
    • The two balance conditions
    • Torque and the motor
    • GameBalance the seesaw
    • QuizLesson questions
  9. Rotation and gears
    • Turns and rpm
    • Speed at the rim
    • Centripetal force
    • Gears and belts
    • Power in rotation
    • GameChoose gears for speed and torque
    • QuizLesson questions
  10. Pressure and hydraulics
    • Pressure = force on an area
    • Units
    • Pressure in liquids
    • Pascal’s principle
    • Where you meet it
    • GameLift a car with the hydraulic jack
    • QuizLesson questions
  11. Project: size a winch motor + final exam
    • The job
    • The plan
    • What you learnt
    • GameSize the winch motor step by step
    • QuizLesson questions
    • QuizFinal exam (18 questions)
Start the course →

The course in numbers

11lessons from units to sizing a motor
11interactive games, 3 rounds each
84questions in the lessons and the final exam
80%to pass and earn a certificate
Mechanics

What you will learn

  • Convert units, tell mass from weight, and add forces as vectors
  • Work out speed, acceleration, braking distance and the path of anything thrown
  • Apply Newton’s three laws and calculate friction on the floor and on a ramp
  • Calculate work, energy and power in watts and horsepower, and efficiency
  • Understand torque, levers and gears, and the P = T·ω on every motor nameplate
  • Calculate pressure and a hydraulic jack’s force, and size a winch motor from scratch
Who it is for

Who this course is for

  • Anyone who wants the physics behind machines without heavy maths
  • Electrical and maintenance technicians who want to understand the load a motor drives
  • Diploma and engineering students as a quick, fun refresher
  • No experience needed
FAQ

Before you ask

Do I need strong maths?
No. Every equation comes with a worked example, and every calculation is multiply, divide and square root on a calculator.
Do the games work on a phone?
Yes. Every game runs in the browser; you move the sliders with your finger.
Is there a certificate?
Yes. Finish all the lessons and pass the final exam (80% or more), then get a course completion certificate from your account page.

Ready to brake your first car?

Lesson 1 is open to everyone, and the whole course opens when you buy it. Your progress is saved.

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