Work In Progress: A Hands-On Activity on Equilibrium of Rigid Bodies in Statics

One of the most important, yet challenging topics for engineering students in Statics is the equilibrium of a rigid body in 3D. To analyze a rigid body in 3D, students need to know supports and free-body-diagrams (FBD) in 3D, have the ability to visualize vectors in 3D, and understand moments in 3D. The concepts of moment and FBD in 3D have various engineering applications such as ensuring the stability of aircraft in aerospace engineering. To enhance students' understanding of these concepts and connect them to a real-world scenario, a hands-on activity was designed and assigned for completion. Failure of a guyed antenna tower during a tornado was used as the activity prompt. Additionally, students were provided with a small-scale model representing the full-scale antenna tower. The model served as a physical and interactive visualization of the tower, allowing students to engage with the problem described in the prompt. The combination of hands-on experience and a real-world context aimed to foster a deeper understanding of the material targeted by the activity. Following the completion of the activity, a questionnaire was sent to students to gauge their understanding. The survey included multiple questions regarding students' confidence in the material. Currently, the data is being compiled and analyzed. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive description of the activity, discuss the survey questions, explore the results of the survey, and assess the overall impact of the activity on students' comprehension of equilibrium of rigid bodies in 3D.