N5 ENGINEERING SCIENCE

Simple, detailed study notes • formulas • worked

examples • exam revision
These notes are written in simple language for learning and revision. Engineering Science N5 syllabi can
differ slightly between colleges, so use your lecturer's official module outline together with these notes.

1. MEASUREMENT AND UNITS

Engineering calculations use SI units. Always check units before calculating.

Length: metre (m) Mass: kilogram (kg) Time: second (s) Force: newton (N) Energy: joule
(J) Power: watt (W) Pressure: pascal (Pa).

Prefixes
kilo (k) = 1 000; mega (M) = 1 000 000; milli (m) = 0.001; micro (µ) = 0.000001.

Example: 4.5 kN = 4.5 × 1 000 = 4 500 N.

Exam tip: Do not mix mm with m or kN with N unless you convert first.

2. SCALARS AND VECTORS

A scalar has size only, such as mass, time and temperature. A vector has size and direction,
such as force, velocity and acceleration.

Resolving a force
A force can be split into horizontal and vertical components. For a force F at angle θ: Fx = F cos
θ and Fy = F sin θ.

Example: A 100 N force acts at 30° above the horizontal.

Fx = 100 cos 30° = 86.6 N. Fy = 100 sin 30° = 50 N.

3. FORCE AND NEWTON'S LAWS

Force is a push or pull. Newton's second law is one of the most important engineering formulas:
F = ma.

F = force in N, m = mass in kg, a = acceleration in m/s².

Example: A 20 kg object accelerates at 3 m/s². F = ma = 20 × 3 = 60 N.

Newton's laws
1. An object remains at rest or moves at constant velocity unless an unbalanced force acts on it.

2. The acceleration of an object depends on the net force and its mass.

3. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

4. EQUILIBRIUM
A body is in equilibrium when the forces and moments are balanced.

For translational equilibrium: ΣF = 0. For rotational equilibrium: ΣM = 0.

Example: A 500 N load is supported by two equal vertical reactions. R₁ + R₂ = 500 N. Therefore
R₁ = R₂ = 250 N.
5. MOMENTS AND TORQUE
A moment is the turning effect of a force about a point.

M = Fd, where d is the perpendicular distance from the pivot to the force line.

Example: F = 80 N and d = 0.5 m. M = 80 × 0.5 = 40 N·m.

Principle of moments
For a body in rotational equilibrium: clockwise moments = anticlockwise moments.

Example: A 200 N load is 1.5 m from a pivot. A force F acts 3 m on the other side. F(3) =
200(1.5), so F = 100 N.

6. FRICTION
Friction opposes relative motion between surfaces.

The limiting friction formula is F = μN, where μ is the coefficient of friction and N is the normal
reaction.

Example: μ = 0.25 and N = 800 N. Friction = 0.25 × 800 = 200 N.

Friction can be useful for brakes, tyres and belts, but unwanted friction causes heat and energy
loss.

7. MOTION
Speed tells how quickly distance changes. Velocity is speed with direction. Acceleration is the
rate of change of velocity.

v = u + at

s = ut + ½at²

v² = u² + 2as

u = initial velocity, v = final velocity, a = acceleration, t = time, s = displacement.

Example: A car starts from rest and accelerates at 2 m/s² for 5 s. v = 0 + 2(5) = 10 m/s.
Distance: s = 0 + ½(2)(5²) = 25 m.
8. WORK, ENERGY AND POWER
Work is done when a force causes displacement in the direction of the force.

W = Fs when force and displacement are in the same direction.

Example: A 50 N force moves an object 4 m. W = 50 × 4 = 200 J.

Kinetic energy
KE = ½mv²

Example: m = 10 kg and v = 6 m/s. KE = ½(10)(6²) = 180 J.

Potential energy
PE = mgh

Example: m = 5 kg, g = 9.81 m/s² and h = 2 m. PE = 5 × 9.81 × 2 = 98.1 J.

Power
P = W/t or P = E/t.

Example: 2 000 J of work is done in 10 s. P = 2 000/10 = 200 W.

9. EFFICIENCY
Efficiency compares useful output with total input.

η = output/input × 100%

Example: A machine takes 5 kW input and gives 4 kW useful output. η = (4/5) × 100 = 80%.

The missing 20% represents losses such as friction, heat, sound or electrical losses.

10. STRESS AND STRAIN

Stress is the internal force per unit area. σ = F/A. Unit: Pa or N/m².

Strain is deformation divided by original length. ε = ΔL/L. Strain has no unit.

Example: A 20 000 N force acts on an area of 0.002 m². Stress = 20 000/0.002 = 10 000 000 Pa
= 10 MPa.

Example: A 2 m bar extends by 1 mm. Strain = 0.001/2 = 0.0005.

11. YOUNG'S MODULUS

Young's modulus relates stress to strain in the elastic region.

E = stress/strain

For a straight elastic material, a larger Young's modulus means the material is stiffer.

Example: Stress = 120 MPa and strain = 0.0006. E = 120/0.0006 = 200 000 MPa = 200 GPa.

12. MATERIAL PROPERTIES

Common engineering properties include strength, hardness, toughness, ductility, malleability,
elasticity and brittleness.

Strength: ability to carry load without failure. Hardness: resistance to scratching or indentation.
Toughness: ability to absorb energy before breaking. Ductility: ability to stretch into wire.
Brittleness: tendency to break with little deformation.
Common engineering materials include steels, cast irons, aluminium alloys, copper, plastics and
composites.

13. BEAMS AND SIMPLE LOADING

A beam carries loads mainly through bending and shear. Common beam types include simply
supported, cantilever and fixed beams.

For a simply supported beam, support reactions are found using force equilibrium and moment
equilibrium.

Example: A 1 000 N point load is exactly halfway between two equal supports. Each support
reaction is 500 N.

Bending produces tension on one side of the beam and compression on the other side. The
neutral axis is where longitudinal stress is zero in simple bending.
14. FLUIDS AND PRESSURE
Pressure is force acting over an area.

p = F/A

Example: A force of 2 000 N acts on an area of 0.5 m². p = 2 000/0.5 = 4 000 Pa.

Liquid pressure
p = ρgh, where ρ is density, g is gravitational acceleration and h is depth.

Example: Water density = 1 000 kg/m³, g = 9.81 m/s², depth = 3 m. p = 1 000 × 9.81 × 3 = 29
430 Pa.

Hydraulic principle
In a hydraulic system, pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted through the fluid. This
allows a small input force to produce a larger output force when the output piston has a larger
area.

F₁/A₁ = F₂/A₂.

15. HEAT AND TEMPERATURE

Temperature tells how hot or cold something is. Heat is energy transferred because of a
temperature difference.

The common sensible-heat formula is Q = mcΔT.

Q = heat energy, m = mass, c = specific heat capacity, ΔT = temperature change.

Example: Heat 2 kg of water by 10°C. Taking c = 4 200 J/(kg·°C): Q = 2 × 4 200 × 10 = 84 000

J.

16. DENSITY AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY

Density is mass per unit volume: ρ = m/V.

Example: A material has mass 12 kg and volume 0.004 m³. ρ = 12/0.004 = 3 000 kg/m³.

Specific gravity compares a material's density with the density of water. It has no unit.

17. GASES AND BASIC GAS LAWS

For a fixed amount of gas, pressure, volume and temperature are related. Temperature must be
in kelvin for many gas-law calculations.

A common combined gas relation is P₁V₁/T₁ = P₂V₂/T₂.

Example: If pressure stays constant and absolute temperature doubles, the volume also
doubles. This is the basic idea behind Charles' law.

18. BASIC ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING REVISION

Although Engineering Science is mainly physical science, some programmes include basic
electrical ideas.

Ohm's law: V = IR. Power: P = VI.

Example: A 24 V supply feeds a 6 Ω resistor. I = V/R = 24/6 = 4 A. Power = VI = 24 × 4 = 96 W.

19. SIMPLE MACHINES

Machines make work easier by changing the size or direction of a force. Examples include
levers, pulleys, gears and hydraulic systems.

Mechanical advantage: MA = load/effort.

Velocity ratio compares distance moved by the effort with distance moved by the load.

Efficiency of a machine can be written as η = MA/VR × 100%.

Example: Load = 600 N and effort = 150 N. MA = 600/150 = 4.

20. EXAM CALCULATION METHOD

1. Write down the values given. 2. Convert all units to a consistent system. 3. Write the correct
formula. 4. Substitute the values. 5. Calculate carefully. 6. Write the final answer with its unit. 7.
Ask whether the answer is reasonable.

Example: A 1 500 kg vehicle accelerates at 2.5 m/s². Find force.

Formula: F = ma. Substitute: F = 1 500 × 2.5. Answer: F = 3 750 N.

QUICK FORMULA SHEET
Force F = ma

Weight W = mg

Moment M = Fd

Friction F = μN

Velocity v = u + at

Displacement s = ut + ½at²

Velocity relation v² = u² + 2as

Work W = Fs

Kinetic energy KE = ½mv²

Potential energy PE = mgh

Power P = W/t

Efficiency η = output/input × 100%

Stress σ = F/A

Strain ε = ΔL/L

Young's modulus E = σ/ε

Pressure p = F/A

Liquid pressure p = ρgh

Density ρ = m/V

Heat Q = mcΔT

Ohm's law V = IR

Electrical power P = VI

Mechanical advantage MA = load/effort

Machine efficiency η = MA/VR × 100%

IMPORTANT UNITS TO REMEMBER

Force = N; mass = kg; acceleration = m/s²; work/energy = J; power = W; moment = N·m; stress
= Pa; pressure = Pa; density = kg/m³; temperature change = °C or K depending on the formula;
heat capacity = J/(kg·°C).

FINAL STUDY TIPS

• Learn the meaning of every symbol in a formula.
• Practise calculations without looking at the answer.
• Draw a small force diagram when a question describes a load or beam.
• Always check units before the final answer.
• For moments, use the perpendicular distance.
• For stress, use area in m² if you want the answer in Pa.
• For energy questions, identify whether the problem involves kinetic energy, potential energy
or work.
• Show your working in exams; even if the final answer is wrong, correct working can help you
earn marks.