free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Kinematics of fluids
This free course examines the basic kinematics of two-dimensional fluid flows. Section 1 introduces the differential equations for pathlines and streamlines. Section 2 introduces a scalar field, called the stream function, which for an incompressible fluid provides an alternative method of modelling the flow and finding the streamlines. Sections 2 ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Dynamics
This free course is concerned with moving objects, that is, dynamics. Section 1 introduces concepts like position, velocity and acceleration, which describe the way an object moves. Section 2 discusses Newton’s laws of motion, which predict the motion of an object when the forces acting on it are known. Section 3 shows how Newton’s second law of...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Manufacturing
How are designs turned into products? What resources, materials and methods are used and what set of activities goes under the heading of 'manufacturing'? This free course will introduce manufacturing as a system and will describe some of the many different ways of making products. We will illustrate how the required properties of the materials ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Introducing engineering
Engineering encompasses a broad range of disciplines from design to manufacturing. This free course, Introducing engineering, introduces a number of key themes that explore how engineering is undertaken in our modern world. These themes include engineering design, rules that govern engineers, manufacturing for products and electricity ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Engineering: The challenge of temperature
Engineering is about extending the horizons of society by solving technical problems, ranging from the meeting of basic human needs for food and shelter to the generation of wealth by trade. This free course, Engineering: The challenge of temperature, looks at the impact of changes in temperature on a variety of objects and looks at the problem ...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Engineering: The nature of problems
Engineering is about extending the horizons of society by solving technical problems, ranging from the meeting of basic human needs for food and shelter to the generation of wealth by trade. In this free course, Engineering: The nature of problems, we learn that engineers see the problems more as challenges and opportunities than as difficulties...
free course icon
level 2: intermediate icon
Nature & Environment
An introduction to energy resources
Energy resources are essential for any society, be it one dependent on subsistence farming or an industrialised country. There are many different sources of energy, some well-known such as coal or petroleum, others less so, such as tides or the heat inside the Earth. Is nuclear power a salvation or a nightmare? This free course, An introduction ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Design
This free course looks at the process of design, from assessing the complexity of design as an activity to exposing the difficulty in making general conclusions about how designers work. You will be able to identify innovation in a wide variety of designed objects and evaluate the impact of this innovation.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Assessing risk in engineering, work and life
Risk is something that must be taken into account at all times when practising as an engineer. We accept risk as part of everyday life so there is a need to balance the risks of an activity against the benefits that it brings. This free course, Assessing risk in engineering, work and life, investigates how we can manage risks at work, in the ...
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
An introduction to design engineering
This free course, An introduction to design engineering, looks at the way in which engineers use ideas and approaches from the discipline of design thinking to inform their work. The complexity that people bring to design problems is introduced, along with some basic methods of dealing with such complexity.
free course icon
level 1: introductory icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to differential equations
Differential equations are any equations that include derivatives and arise in many situations. This free course, Introduction to differential equations, considers three types of first-order differential equations. Section 1 introduces equations that can be solved by direct integration and section 2 the method of separation of variables. Section...
free course icon
level 3: advanced icon
Science, Maths & Technology
Introduction to polymers
This free course, Introduction to polymers, examines the use of polymers and demonstrates how their properties are controlled by their molecular structure. You will learn how this structure determines which polymer to use for a particular product. You will also explore the manufacturing techniques used and the how the use of polymerisation can ...