Avergonzado, Darylle Mei E.

BSME – 2C

Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

College of Engineering
Western Mindanao State University

HOMEWORK 1

1. A. Define the term “dynamics” in the context of mechanical engineering.

 Dynamics is the study of how moving objects behave. It is the part of mechanics that
studies movement and its causes. The study of the causes of motion and changes in
motion is known as dynamics.
B. Differentiate between statics and dynamics.
 Statics is the study of internal and external forces in a structure. It is the branch of
mechanics that deals with bodies at rest. The study of systems in which momentum
does not change is called statics, whereas dynamics involves the study of changes in
momentum, having been said it deals with moving objects caused by forces acting
upon them.
C. Explain why the study of dynamics is crucial in the field of mechanical engineering.
 The study of dynamics is crucial in the field of engineering for it will help the
students, as future engineers, to make efficient design and analysis of mechanical
systems, to understand its complexities, improve the safety and reliability of these
systems, and make strong and authentic problem-solving ability. A good
understanding of Engineering Dynamics is a critical part for such profession, as it will
enable an extensive knowledge regarding motion of bodies and how they interact with
each other. This provides a solid foundation in engineering, having applied in real
world situations.

2. A. Define a rigid body.

 A rigid body is an idealization of a body that does not deform or change shape.
Formally it is defined as a collection of particles with the property that the distance
between particles remains unchanged during the course of motions of the body.
B. Explain the difference between translational and rotational motion.
 Translational motion is the movement of an object from one point to another, whereas
rotational motion is a type of motion in which an object or body rotates around a
fixed point.
C. Provide examples of real-world systems where rigid body motion is prevalent.
 A real-world example of rigid body motion is a door rotating about its hinges. Here,
the force applied to the door handle (further from the rotation axis or the hinge) can
open or close the door with less effort compared to when the force is applied near the
hinge. This scenario explains the concept of torque in a simplistic fashion.
3. A. Define kinematics and its role in dynamics.
 Kinematics is the study of the motion of objects without regard to the forces that
cause the motion, whereas dynamics is the study of how forces affect the motion of
objects. Kinematics can be used to determine how a machine will move under given
conditions. Dynamics can be used to determine what forces are required to produce a
given amount of movement. In other words, kinematics is concerned with describing
motion, while dynamics is concerned with explaining why motion occurs.
B. Differentiate between linear and angular displacement.
 Linear displacement is a measure of how far an object has moved from its initial
position along a straight line, whereas angular displacement refers to the angle
through which an object or system has rotated or turned. When an object undergoes
linear displacement, its position changes with respect to a reference point. When an
object undergoes angular displacement, it moves along a circular path, and the change
in its position is described by the angle it has covered.
C. Discuss the significance of velocity and acceleration in rigid body kinematics.
 We all know that the study of kinematics deals with motion, hence making the
aspects of velocity and acceleration an essential aspect to determine the dynamics of
any mechanism. The effectiveness in formulating equations of motion depends
primarily on the ability to construct simple and correct mathematical expressions for
kinematics quantities such as angular velocities and accelerations of rigid bodies,
velocities, and accelerations of points in the bodies. For both method of synthesis, we
are able to understand and produce the required and exact motion properties.

4. A. Summarize Newton’s three laws of motion.

 In the first law of Newton, it states that ‘a body at rest will remain at rest, and a body
in motion will remain in motion unless it is acted upon by an external force.’ The
second law on the other hand presents that the force acting on an object is equal to the
mass of that object times its acceleration, F=ma. Lastly, the third law reveals that ‘for
every reaction, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
B. Discuss the application of those laws to rigid bodies.
 The application of these laws to a rigid body is that, for the first law “The law of
inertia”, it simply implies that if there is no net external force acting on the body, it
will maintain its state of motion whether it is at rest or moving with constant velocity.
If a rigid body is at rest, it will stay at rest unless a force is applied to set it in motion.
Additionally for the second law “The law of force and acceleration”, with its formula
F=ma, we can tell that the acceleration of a rigid body is directly proportional to the
net force applied to it. Whereas for the third law “The law of action and reaction”, it
emphasizes that when dealing with rigid bodies, the forces always occur in pairs. If
object A exerts a force on object B, then object B exerts an equal and opposite force
on object A. Having been said, these three laws by Newton provides a comprehensive
framework for analyzing the motion of rigid bodies. They can be applied to
understand how external forces influence the translational and rotational motion of
 rigid bodies and how internal forces between different parts of a body contribute to its
overall motion.
C. Provide examples illustrating the application of Newton’s laws in solving dynamic
problems.
 1.

 2.
  3.

5. A. Introduce the concept of equations of motion for translational and rotational motion.

Translational Motion Rotational Motion

d = vt θ = ωt

VF = V0 + at ωF = ω0 + αt

VF2 = V02 + 2ad ωF2 = ω02 + 2αθ

1 2 1 2
d = V0t + at θ = ω0t + αt
2 2
1 1
d= [ V0 + VF ] t θ= [ ω0+ ωF] t
2 2

B. Derive the equations of motion for a rigid body undergoing linear motion.
 dx dV dV
F = ma a= } dt =
V=
dV dt dt a
a= dx dx
dt Vdt =d x
V= }dt =
adt =dV t Xf d t V
t Vf ∫ ( Vi+ a t ) dt = ∫ d x dV d x
=
∫ a dt = ∫ d V 0 Xi
a V
0 Vi Vf xf
1
at = Vf - Vi
Vit + at2 = Δx ∫V d V = ∫ ad x
2 Vi xi

Vf = Vi + at v
2 Vf

2 V
∫ ¿ a ¿ x f −x i ¿
Δx = change in position or/also d i

Vi = initial velocity or/also V0 1

¿ Vf 2 – Vi 2 ] = aΔx
2

C. Derive the equations of motion for a rigid body undergoing angular motion.


dω dθ dω
d (t ) = ω (t) = α=
dt dt dt
d ω=¿ a (t)d t d θ = ω (t) dt d ω dθ
·
ωt t θt t dt d θ
∫ d ω = ∫ d (t) d t ∫ d θ = ∫ ω(t) d t d ω dθ
·
ω0 t0 θ0 t0
ωt t θt t
d θ dt
ω ∫ ¿ ∫ a(t)d t θ ∫ ¿ ∫ ω(t) d t dω
ω=α
ω0 t0 θ0 t0 dθ
t t ∴ ω d ω=α d θ
ω t−ω0=∫ a(t)d t θt =∫ ω (t) d t +θ0 ω θ

t
t0 t0
t
∫ ωd ω = α∫ dθ
ω0 θ0
ω t=∫ a(t) d t+ ω0 θ=θ0 +∫ ω (t)d t ω θ
1 2
t0 0 ω ∫ ¿ α θ∫
t t 2 ω θ
ω t=ω0 +∫ a (t)d t θ f =θ 0+∫ [ω0 + a t]d t
0 0

1 2 2
t0 0 (ω -ω0 ) = α (θ-θ0)
t t t 2
ω t=ω0 +a ∫ d t θ f =θ 0+∫ ω0 d t+¿ ∫ a t d t ¿