Overview

After a review of the fundamental concepts of kinematics and dynamics, this course concentrates on those two areas of dynamics of simple bodies which are most relevant to applications in Combat Systems: vibrations and projectile motion. Topics include: damped and driven oscillations, projectile motion with atmospheric friction, satellite orbits, and rotating coordinate systems.

Prerequisites

• MA2121
• Or equivalent course in ordinary differential equations (may be taken concurrently)
• PH1121
• Or equivalent

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course the student will:

• Understand basic physical concepts and physical quantities in Mechanics.
• Understand and learn to apply physical and mathematical method of solving problems in Mechanics.
• Apply Newton’s laws to solving a variety of problems.
• Understand and apply center-of-mass concepts to qualitatively predict and quantitatively calculate the behavior of mechanical systems.
• Understand the properties of conservative forces and the connection to potential energy and the energy method of solving problems.
• Understand and apply conservation laws to predict system behavior.
• Understand the behavior of simple oscillators, in one or more dimensions.
• Understand the solution to the two-body problem. Apply the solution to solve for orbital motion of spacecraft based on initial conditions.
• Apply the Hohmann transfer orbits method to solve for redirecting spacecraft from one orbit to another.