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Engineering Flashcards

Engineering Flashcards
Master Formulas & Concepts

Free flashcards for all engineering disciplines—thermodynamics, circuits, statics, fluid mechanics, and more. Generate cards from your lectures or use our curated study sets.

Create Engineering Flashcards Try AI Flashcard Maker

What are the best engineering flashcards?

The best engineering flashcards cover: (1) Core fundamentals—statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, (2) Key formulas with units and applications, (3) Discipline-specific concepts—circuits for EE, fluid mechanics for ME, structures for CE, (4) Problem-solving procedures and when to apply each method, (5) FE/PE exam reference topics. AI-generated cards from your lectures ensure you study what your professor emphasizes.

Engineering Flashcard Topics by Discipline:

Mechanical Engineering

  • Thermodynamics & heat transfer
  • Fluid mechanics
  • Machine design & materials

Electrical Engineering

  • Circuit analysis
  • Signals & systems
  • Electromagnetics

Civil Engineering

  • Statics & structural analysis
  • Geotechnical engineering
  • Transportation & hydraulics

Chemical Engineering

  • Mass & energy balances
  • Reaction engineering
  • Separation processes

Sample Engineering Flashcards

Preview cards covering fundamental engineering concepts and formulas

Front

State the First Law of Thermodynamics

Back

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred or converted. For a closed system: ΔU = Q - W, where ΔU is internal energy change, Q is heat added, W is work done by the system. Forms the basis of energy balance calculations in engineering.

Front

What is Ohm's Law?

Back

V = IR, where V is voltage (volts), I is current (amperes), R is resistance (ohms). Describes the linear relationship between voltage and current in a resistor. Foundation of circuit analysis. Power form: P = IV = I²R = V²/R.

Front

Define 'moment of inertia' in statics

Back

A measure of an object's resistance to rotational acceleration about an axis. I = ∫r²dm for mass, or I = ∫y²dA for area. Units: kg·m² (mass) or m⁴ (area). Larger I means more resistance to rotation. Critical for beam bending analysis.

Front

What is Bernoulli's equation?

Back

P₁ + ½ρv₁² + ρgh₁ = P₂ + ½ρv₂² + ρgh₂. Relates pressure, velocity, and elevation in steady, incompressible, inviscid flow along a streamline. Applications: venturi meters, pitot tubes, pipe flow analysis. Assumes no friction losses.

Front

What is the factor of safety?

Back

Factor of Safety (FoS) = Failure Load / Actual Load, or = Material Strength / Actual Stress. Accounts for uncertainties in loading, material properties, and analysis. Typical values: 1.5-3 for static loads, 3-5 for dynamic loads. Higher for life-critical applications.

Front

State Fourier's Law of Heat Conduction

Back

q = -kA(dT/dx), where q is heat transfer rate (W), k is thermal conductivity (W/m·K), A is area (m²), dT/dx is temperature gradient. The negative sign indicates heat flows from high to low temperature. Basis for conduction heat transfer calculations.

Generate Cards from Your Lectures

How to Create Engineering Flashcards

Turn your engineering lectures into study-ready flashcards in 3 steps

1

Upload Your Lecture

Record your engineering lecture or upload notes/PDFs. Works with any discipline—ME, EE, CE, ChE, and more.

2

AI Generates Flashcards

Our AI identifies formulas, definitions, units, and problem-solving steps. Creates cards with examples.

3

Study & Export

Review with spaced repetition or export to Anki/Quizlet. Perfect for midterms, finals, and FE prep.

The Complete Guide to Engineering Flashcards

Engineering education demands mastery of fundamental principles that apply across countless applications. Whether you're analyzing circuit behavior, calculating beam deflections, or optimizing thermodynamic cycles, success requires instant recall of core formulas, unit conversions, and problem-solving approaches.

Why Engineering Students Need Flashcards

Engineering exams are often time-pressured and formula-intensive. You can't derive Euler's buckling formula from first principles during a 50-minute exam—you need it memorized. Flashcards build the automatic recall that lets you focus on problem-solving rather than formula hunting:

  • Core formulas: Newton's laws, thermodynamic relations, circuit laws, stress-strain relationships
  • Unit conversions: SI to Imperial, pressure units, energy units—essential for avoiding calculation errors
  • Problem-solving approaches: When to use energy methods vs. force methods, when to apply simplifying assumptions

Creating Effective Engineering Cards

Engineering flashcards should include units, applicability conditions, and common variations:

Basic formula card: "Ohm's Law" → "V = IR"

Better formula card: "Ohm's Law with units and power forms" → "V = IR [V, A, Ω]; P = IV = I²R = V²/R [W]"

Application card: "5V source, need 20mA through LED. Required resistance?" → "R = V/I = 5V/0.02A = 250Ω (use 270Ω standard value)"

Organizing Your Engineering Deck by Discipline

  1. Engineering Fundamentals: Statics, dynamics, materials, math (shared across disciplines, 60-80 cards)
  2. Mechanical: Thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer, machine design (50-70 cards each)
  3. Electrical: Circuits, signals, electromagnetics, digital systems (50-70 cards each)
  4. Civil: Structures, geotechnical, transportation, environmental (40-60 cards each)
  5. FE Exam Prep: Cross-disciplinary fundamentals, reference handbook navigation (100+ cards)

LectureScribe generates flashcards from your engineering lectures, capturing the specific notation and problem-solving approaches your professor teaches—invaluable for exam preparation.

Engineering Flashcards FAQ

What are the best engineering flashcards?▼

The best cover core fundamentals (statics, thermo, circuits), discipline-specific concepts, key formulas with units, and problem-solving approaches. LectureScribe generates cards from your lectures.

How do I memorize engineering formulas?▼

Create cards with formula name/application on front, formula with units on back. Group related formulas, practice problems, and understand derivations to remember relationships.

What topics should I make flashcards for?▼

By discipline: ME—thermo, fluids, heat transfer. EE—circuits, signals, EM. CE—statics, structures, geotech. ChE—mass balance, reactions, separations. All—engineering math, materials.

Can I create flashcards from my engineering lectures?▼

Yes! LectureScribe transcribes and generates flashcards automatically, recognizing engineering notation, formulas, and units.

Are flashcards useful for the FE exam?▼

Yes! Create cards for reference handbook navigation, key formulas, unit conversions, and problem types. Flashcards help you quickly recall where to find information.

How many flashcards do I need?▼

Typically 50-70 for formulas, 40-50 for definitions, 30-40 for procedures. Total: 120-160 cards per course. Focus on when to apply each formula.

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