Engineering Dynamics

In this module, students will be taught Kinematics – on what is meant by velocity and acceleration and on how to describe the motion of a particle and a rigid body in planar motion by its position, velocity and acceleration with respect to inertial and rotating frame.

Given physical constraints and imposed motions, they will learn how to analyse and to compute the resulting position, velocity and acceleration of the particle or the point of interest on a rigid body.

In Kinetics, students will be introduced to Newton’s 3 laws of motion, and for linear motion, to conceptualise physical systems as a point mass and to apply F = ma. Through discussions of linear and angular momentum, they will understand, through the use of Newton’s laws of motion, how forces and moments change the momentum and the energy of a rigid body and its motion – translation and rotation – in 2D space.

For a rigid body constrained by elastic parts or springs, they will learn that the body is likely to vibrate when perturbed; and they will be taught how to determine the body position and velocity under free and forced excitation. Only one and two degrees of freedom only will be discussed.

There will be an emphasis on sketching Free Body Diagram (FBD) and Kinetic Diagram (KD) to represent physical systems and to derive the kinematic relations and equations of motions to determine the states – the velocity and acceleration at a single instant – of the systems (gears, wheels, linkages and vehicles) as well solving equations of motion using Matlab/Simulink. Learning will be enhanced by tutorial exercises and laboratory experiments. Selected Matlab/Simulink assignment, submitted log sheets and end of trimester examination will be assessed, and the grades count towards the final grade of the module.