Have you wondered why an acrobatic motorcycle rider can loop the loop without falling? When Nik Wallenda walked the tightrope stretched over the Niagara Falls, why did he carry a long pole? And how do figure skaters control their speed of rotation by adjusting their posture? Mechanics, the science of studying things under forces and their responses, will help you answer these questions. In this course, we will study the fundamental concepts in mechanics, including how to describe the motion of an object and how to relate the motion to the forces acting on the object. We will use these concepts to perform mathematical calculations for real-life examples such as those mentioned above.
Instructor: Tian Tang
Dr. Tang is a professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Alberta. She received her bachelor’s degree in engineering mechanics from Tsinghua University (2001) and PhD in theoretical and applied mechanics from Cornell University (2005). She worked as a visiting research scientist at Lehigh University before joining the U of A where she has been an assistant professor (2007-2011), associate professor (2011-2015), and professor (2015-present). Dr. Tang’s research interests lie in the modelling of soft materials and interfaces. She has received many awards, including the Adhesion Society’s Distinguished Paper Award (2006), Outstanding Young Adhesion Scientist Award (2009), the Martha Cook Piper Research Prize (2014) and Canada Research Chairs (Tier 2, 2007-2018; Tier 1, 2021-present). Dr. Tang also serves on the advisory board of WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology), to empower women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics).
