Basic Machines and How They Work

by Naval Education and Training Program Development Center and Naval Education And Training Program

Book Overview

This revised edition of an extremely clear Navy training manual leaves nothing to be desired in its presentation. Thorough in its coverage of basic theory, from the lever and inclined plane to internal combustion engines and power trains, it requires nothing more than an understanding of the most elementary mathematics. Beginning with the simplest of machines -- the lever -- the text proceeds to discussions of the block and tackle (pulleys and hoists),...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486217094
• ISBN13: 9780486217093
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

this is great book

very fast delivery

Title is accurate -- Machines and how they work

Good, clear illustrations. Internal combustion engine explanation is especially good. Exploded views, cutaway diagrams, and metaphorical examples help to explain the concepts. Progression from simple-to-complex is well-paced, too.

A good foundation book

A great reference book that my dad gave me when I was in the service. It helped me understand the basics of the many devices I was working with in the various engineering groups. I kept it on my bookshelf through college and my kids have used it since for their high school physics. We found it to be a clear, well written companion book for any physics class. Yes it could stand some updating here and there but it does approach things mechanical in a simple and direct manner than the typical texts

Extremely Useful

As a Mechanical Engineering student I found the book to be extremely useful. I was already familiar with most of the theories from Dynamics and Statics, but it was cool to see how non textbooks refer to certain things (IE rather than saying the pivot point they call it the fulcrum). While we generally go over gear theories and calculations in Dynamics, we certainly don't get into their classifications so that was another useful piece of knowledge that I picked up. The last two chapters were extremely knowledgeable, since neither was in any of my textbooks. The last two chapters covered power trains and the internal combustion engine and were surprisingly in depth. I would highly recommend this book for any Engineering student seeking to get an out of the textbook perspective on your Mechanics classes, or to pick up some information on the inner workings of the engine.

Amazingly simple book

Are you looking for a book that will help get more mechanically minded? This is it. This book is written for Navy personnel, yet it is relevant to anyone who needs to know more about simple machines. Check out the table of contents.

Just a great book, an invaluable reference..A real must-have

I borrowed this book from a friend and held on to it for almost six months, and in that time I poured over it. It's EXTREMELY useful if you're doing model building or playing with simulators and stuff. I use it with LEGOs and LEGO Mindstorm robotics kits. It taught me ALL SORTS of secrets about motion and principles behind gears and gear-driven mechanisms. Just a great book, I highly reccommend it if you're looking for a great reference for basic mechanical devices. I had to buy my own copy to have.