Course Description

MAE250: Dynamics

Basic principles of dynamics are introduced in this course. Rotating and inertial coordinate frames are used to describe dynamic motion of a number of example problems. Absolute and relative motion descriptions are introduced depending upon the types of problems. Principles of work-energy and conservation of angular and linear momentum are presented with example systems. Systems of particles are also discussed with definition of the center of mass. Both particle dynamics and rigid body dynamics including rotational degree-of-freedom are covered extensively. We also cover definition of angular momentum with respect to different base points. Various aerospace vehicle examples are used to help understanding basic concepts.