GATE Mechanical Engineering (ME) Syllabus

Mechanical Engineering (ME) syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Mechanical Engineering (ME) in GATE, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Engineering Mechanics and Strength of Materials

   4 topics

   • Statics and Dynamics
     • Free body diagrams and equilibrium
     • Trusses and friction
     • Kinematics and kinetics of particles
   • Stress and Strain
     • Axial, shear and thermal stresses
     • Mohr's circle
   • Bending and Torsion
     • Shear force and bending moment diagrams
     • Torsion of shafts
   • Deflection and Failure Theories
     • Euler's buckling of columns
2. 2

   Theory of Machines and Vibrations

   3 topics

   • Mechanisms and Kinematics
     • Degrees of freedom and linkages
     • Cams and gears
   • Dynamics of Machinery
     • Flywheels and governors
     • Balancing of rotating masses
   • Free and Forced Vibrations
     • Single degree of freedom systems
     • Resonance and damping
3. 3

   Thermodynamics and Applications

   4 topics

   • Laws of Thermodynamics
     • First and second laws
     • Entropy and availability
   • Power and Refrigeration Cycles
     • Rankine and Brayton cycles
     • Otto, Diesel and dual cycles
     • Vapour compression refrigeration
   • Properties of Pure Substances
   • Internal Combustion Engines
4. 4

   Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer

   4 topics

   • Fluid Statics and Kinematics
     • Manometry and buoyancy
     • Continuity and stream function
   • Fluid Dynamics
     • Bernoulli's equation
     • Laminar and turbulent flow in pipes
   • Conduction and Convection
     • Fourier's law and fins
     • Free and forced convection
   • Radiation and Heat Exchangers
     • LMTD and NTU methods
5. 5

   Manufacturing and Industrial Engineering

   4 topics

   • Casting, Forming and Joining
     • Casting processes and defects
     • Forging, rolling and extrusion
     • Welding and brazing
   • Machining and Machine Tools
     • Tool geometry and cutting forces
     • Machining economics
   • Metrology and Inspection
     • Limits, fits and tolerances
   • Operations Research and Production Planning
     • Inventory control and forecasting
     • Linear programming and scheduling

Mechanical Engineering (ME) flashcards for GATE

19 of 54 cards from the Mechanical Engineering (ME) deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. In statics, what condition must a rigid body in two dimensions satisfy to be in complete equilibrium?

   The vector sum of all forces and the sum of all moments must vanish: $\sum F_x = 0$, $\sum F_y = 0$, and $\sum M = 0$.

2. What is a free body diagram (FBD)?

   A sketch of a single body isolated from its surroundings, showing all external forces and moments (including reactions and the body's weight) acting on it, used to apply the equilibrium equations.

3. How many independent equilibrium equations are available for a particle versus a rigid body in 3D?

   A particle (concurrent forces) has 3 equations: $\sum F_x = \sum F_y = \sum F_z = 0$. A rigid body in 3D has 6: three force and three moment equations.

4. State the assumptions made in the analysis of an ideal (pin-jointed) truss.

   Members are straight two-force members joined by frictionless pins; loads and reactions act only at the joints; member weights are neglected. Consequently every member carries only axial force (tension or compression).

5. What is a zero-force member in a truss, and give one rule to identify it?

   A member that carries no axial load. Rule: at an unloaded joint where only two non-collinear members meet, both are zero-force members; at a joint with three members where two are collinear and no external load acts, the third (non-collinear) member is zero-force.

6. Determine the determinacy condition for a planar truss with $m$ members, $r$ reactions and $j$ joints.

   Statically determinate when $m + r = 2j$. If $m + r > 2j$ it is indeterminate; if $m + r < 2j$ it is a mechanism (unstable).

7. State the laws of dry (Coulomb) friction relating limiting friction to the normal reaction.

   Limiting friction is $F = \mu_s N$, independent of contact area and (for kinetic) of sliding speed, where $\mu_s$ is the coefficient of static friction and $N$ the normal reaction. Kinetic friction $F_k = \mu_k N$ with $\mu_k < \mu_s$.

8. Define the angle of friction $\phi$ in terms of the coefficient of friction $\mu$.

   $\tan\phi = \mu$, where $\phi$ is the angle the resultant reaction makes with the normal at the point of impending slip.

9. What distinguishes kinematics from kinetics of particles?

   Kinematics describes motion (position, velocity, acceleration) without regard to forces; kinetics relates the motion to the forces causing it, via Newton's second law $\vec{F} = m\vec{a}$.

10. Write the work-energy theorem for a particle.

    The net work done on a particle equals its change in kinetic energy: $W_{net} = \Delta KE = \frac{1}{2}m v_2^{2} - \frac{1}{2}m v_1^{2}$.

11. State the impulse-momentum principle for a particle.

    $\int_{t_1}^{t_2} \vec{F}\, dt = m\vec{v}_2 - m\vec{v}_1$, i.e. the linear impulse of the resultant force equals the change in linear momentum.

12. Give the normal (centripetal) and tangential acceleration components for a particle in curvilinear motion.

    Tangential: $a_t = \dfrac{dv}{dt}$; Normal: $a_n = \dfrac{v^{2}}{\rho}$, directed toward the centre of curvature, where $\rho$ is the radius of curvature.

13. Define normal (direct) stress and shear stress.

    Normal stress $\sigma = \dfrac{P}{A}$ acts perpendicular to the cross-section; shear stress $\tau = \dfrac{V}{A}$ acts parallel (tangential) to the cross-section.

14. Define engineering strain and state Hooke's law for uniaxial loading.

    Strain $\varepsilon = \dfrac{\Delta L}{L}$. Hooke's law: $\sigma = E\varepsilon$, where $E$ is Young's modulus (valid up to the proportional limit).

15. What is the elongation of an axially loaded prismatic bar?

    $\delta = \dfrac{PL}{AE}$, where $P$ is the axial load, $L$ the length, $A$ the cross-sectional area and $E$ Young's modulus.

16. Define Poisson's ratio.

    $\nu = -\dfrac{\varepsilon_{lateral}}{\varepsilon_{axial}}$, the negative ratio of lateral strain to axial strain. For most metals $\nu \approx 0.25$–$0.35$.

17. Give the relation between the three elastic constants $E$, $G$ and bulk modulus $K$ with Poisson's ratio.

    $E = 2G(1+\nu)$ and $E = 3K(1-2\nu)$.

18. What is the thermal stress in a fully restrained bar subjected to a temperature rise $\Delta T$?

    $\sigma = E\,\alpha\,\Delta T$, where $\alpha$ is the coefficient of thermal expansion. If free expansion is allowed, the thermal strain is $\varepsilon = \alpha\,\Delta T$ with no stress.

19. Write the formula for strain energy stored in an axially loaded bar.

    $U = \dfrac{P^{2}L}{2AE} = \dfrac{1}{2}P\delta = \dfrac{\sigma^{2}}{2E}\times \text{Volume}$.

See more Mechanical Engineering (ME) flashcards →

Planning Mechanical Engineering (ME) for GATE

Mechanical Engineering (ME) (GATE) FAQ