Intro to Dynamics – Lesson 1

What would the world be like without dynamics? Imagine no music — not a single note! — and no thrills from amusement rides like a roller coaster.  Life would be terribly boring and so different from what we are used to. Dynamic effects are all around us. They affect everything we do and we interact with them all the time, from recreational activities to the comfort and safety we enjoy in our lives.

What governs the behavior of a diving board? If a diver just walks to the tip of the board rather than jumping, would the board respond in the same manner?

Would music sound the same without the dynamic effects of an instrument like this guitar?  Think about the guitar string and how it is being excited to produce musical tones. Does it vibrate forever or does it need repeated excitation?

Why is this truck bouncing so much?  Is there a 1,000 pound gorilla jumping up and down inside or is something wrong with the suspension system that should dampen out this type of vibration? It certainly does not look safe.

These robots must move dynamically and quickly, but also be precise in movement and placement of delicate objects.

Lecture

These four examples are all dynamics problems. So, what makes a problem dynamic?  What are the key differences between a static and dynamic problem?  We will discuss inertia, damping and loads that vary with time. We will also touch upon rigid body dynamics in this lesson. In later lessons we will explore these topics in more detail.

Alternate video link.

Handout

Here is the reading material for this lesson.