MEAM 535 Advanced Dynamics

Fall 1999

Summary of Week #2

Sep. 14, 1999 (Sep. 16 class was cancelled)
Sections covered: 1.6, 1.7, and 3.2 in [HB]

  1. Path variable coordinate system
    Deducing and defining the unit tangent vector, unit normal vector, and unit bi-normal vector
  2. Choice of coordinate system matters!
    Solving the bead on a parabola problem using path variable coordinates to show that it becomes much simpler than using Cartesian coordinate system.
  3. Velocity and acceleration of a particle in cylindrical coordinate system.
  4. Some simple functional forms for integration of F = ma
    • a is a function of x, position
    • a is a function of t, time
    • a is a function of v, velocity
  5. Integrals of motion for the rectilinear motion
  6. System of particles
    Definition of center of mass
    Newton's laws applied to a system of particles: We can simply consider the center of mass as a particle of mass equal to the total mass of the system and treat that all external forces on the individual particles act on the center of mass.

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