Statics › Section A · Introduction to statics › Topic A.2
Units, mass, and weight
A beam that carries 20 is meaningless until you know whether that is 20 newtons, 20 kilonewtons or 20 pounds. Engineers in the United States work in two unit systems, so knowing which units you hold, and whether a number is a mass or a weight, prevents some of the costliest mistakes in the subject.
In this topic
- Every number needs a unit
- The SI system
- US customary units
- Mass and weight
- Worked example: weight from mass
- Worked example: mass from weight
- Converting units
- Worked example: converting a moment
- Consistency and sense checks
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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