King's FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS WITH SOLIDWORKS SIMULATION prepares you for a range of professional applications using an innovative, efficient approach that combines presentation theory with solid mechanics calculations to confirm your configurations. The author demonstrates calculations in PTC Mathcad, providing an interactive "what-if" environment. You then build SOLIDWORKS simulations. The book focuses on 3D analysis of real-world designs while emphasizing fundamentals. You master critical concepts such as singular stiffness matrices, digital resolution, and rigid-body motion. You build a small FEA software program in PTC Mathcad that implements a 1D spring model. Investigations help you explore the effects of changing your analyses as you compare solutions, identify errors, make decisions and examine alternative configurations and new models as problem solvers and critical thinkers.