Dynamics

Dynamics is a branch of physics that is concerned with the study of forces and torques and their effect on motion, as opposed to kinematics, which studies the motion of objects without reference to these forces. Dynamics is a sub-discipline of mechanics, which is in turn a branch of physical sciences. Dynamics is also related to the concept of system dynamics in systems theory.

Overview

Dynamics can be divided into two sub-disciplines: kinetics and kinematics. Kinetics is the study of the causes of motion, namely forces and torques. Kinematics, on the other hand, is the study of the motion itself.

The fundamental principle of dynamics is Newton's laws of motion, which are three physical laws that form the foundation for classical mechanics. They describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting on it.

Newton's Laws of Motion

Newton's first law, also known as the law of inertia, states that an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.

Newton's second law states that the rate of change of momentum of a body is directly proportional to the force applied, and occurs in the direction in which the force is applied.

Newton's third law, known as the action-reaction law, states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Applications of Dynamics

Dynamics has a wide range of applications in many fields of science and engineering. For example, in civil engineering, dynamics is used to analyze the forces in structures like bridges and buildings. In aerospace engineering, it is used to calculate the motion of rockets and other spacecraft. In biomechanics, dynamics is used to understand the motion of the human body and other biological systems.

See Also

• Statics
• Kinematics
• Kinetics
• Mechanics
• Physics

References

Dynamics Resources
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