Dynamics is very concerned with the motion of objects. It describes the effect of forces and energy on particles (pointlike objects) as well as large scale rigid bodies. The analysis of motions is often divided into translational and rotational motion.

The following topics are taken from the chapter headings of current engineering textbooks and is provided to give an overview of the topics, vocabulary and the symbology:

Dynamics: Engineering Mechanics, A. Bedford, W. Fowler, Addison Wesley, 1995

CH 01: INTRODUCTION

CH 02: MOTION OF A POINT

CH 03: FORCE, MASS AND ACCELERATION

CH 04: ENERGY METHODS

CH 05: MOMENTUM METHODS

CH 06: PLANAR KINEMATICS OF RIGID BODIES

CH 07: TWO-DIMENSIONAL DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES

CH 08: ENERGY AND MOMENTUM IN PLANAR RIGID-BODY DYNAMICS

CH 09: THREE-DIMENSIONAL KINEMATICS AND DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES

CH 10: VIBRATIONS

Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics, R. C. Hibbeler, Prentice Hall, 8th Edition, 1998

CH 01: KINEMATICS OF A PARTICLE

CH 02: KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: FORCE AND ACCELERATION

CH 03: KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: WORK AND ENERGY

CH 04: KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: IMPULSE AND MOMENTUM

CH 05: PLANAR KINEMATICS OF A RIGID BODY

CH 06: PLANAR KINETICS OF A RIGID BODY: FORCE AND ACCELERATION

CH 07: PLANAR KINETICS OF A RIGID BODY: WORK AND ENERGY

CH 08: PLANAR KINETICS OF A RIGID BODY: IMPULSE AND MOMENTUN

CH 09: THREE-DIMENSIONAL KINEMATICS OF A RIGID BODY

CH 10: THREE-DIMENSIONAL KINETICS OF A RIGID BODY

CH 11: VIBRATIONS

Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics, Robert W. Soutas-Little, Daniel J. Inman, Prentice Hall, 1999

CH 01: Kinematics of a Particle

CH 02: Kinetics of Particles

CH 03: Work-Energy and Impule-Momentum First Integrals of Motion

CH 04: System of Particles

CH 05: Kinematics of Rigid Bodies

CH 06: Dynamics of Rigid Bodies in Plane Motion

CH 07: Power, Work, Energy, Impulse, and Momentum of a Rigid Body

CH 08: Three-Dimensional Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

CH 09: Vibration

The Dynamics textbooks use symbols to denote various important engineering terms or parameters. Each one of these terms has a specific meaning and so it is important to consistently use the same sign when referencing it.

Common textbook symbols:

• a: acceleration
• A: area, amplitude
• d: distance, diameter
• D: diameter
• e: general unit vector, eccentricity, mechanical efficiency, coefficient of restitution
• E: total energy
• f: frequency
• F: force
• g: acceleration of gravity
• G: universal gravitational constant
• H: angular momentum
• h: height
• I: moment of inertia
• i,j,k: cartesian unit vectors
• k: spring constant
• L: linear momentum, pendulum length
• m: mass
• M: bending moment, couple, mass
• N: normal force or component of a vector
• O: origin
• P: power
• r: radius, position vector
• R: radius
• s: distance
• S: spring stretch (or compression)
• t: time
• T: kinetic energy, period of oscillation, tension force
• U: potential energy
• v: velocity
• V: volume, potential energy
• W: work, weight
• x, y, z: rectangular axes
• a: angular acceleratiom
• D: difference, change
• f: phase angle
• m: coefficient of friction
• q, , y: angles, angular displacement
• r: density, radius of curvature
• t: orbit period
• W, w: angular velocity