Introduction
Engineering dynamics is often the second topic of study (after engineering statics), within the more general discipline of engineering mechanics. It is fundamental (but not limited to) most branches of engineering, including aerospace, aeronautical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. It is also the basis for more advanced study in vibration and mechanics of materials within civil engineering, engineering mechanics, and mechanical engineering.

Prerequisites
Prerequisites for studying dynamics include a background in calculus, engineering physics, and engineering statics. Students will make use of the mathematical principles learned in calculus and analytical geometry, as well as the classical mechanics principles studied in physics and statics. In reality, much of dynamics is an extension of physics principles applied to engineering structures and machines.

Definition
Engineering mechanics dynamics is the engineering student’s first exposure to understanding bodies that are in motion. Dynamics is a departure from statics, where structures are in static equilibrium. The concept of dynamic equilibrium requires study of the variable forces that occur in rigid and elastic bodies that experience loads such as acceleration and vibration.

Topics of Study
The first topic of study is the application of Newton’s Laws to basic engineering systems. Learning about particle kinematics will re-acquaint the student with concepts of linear and angular motion. Developing equations of motion for single and multiple degree-of-freedom systems is an important skill for the dynamic analyst. As in statics analysis, vector mechanics will be necessary during the study of dynamics. Vibration of rigid and elastic structures and dynamic response are advanced topics of study.

Free Body Diagrams (FBD’s)
The concept of Free Body Diagrams (FBD’s) is just as critical in dynamic analysis, as it is in static analysis. The main difference in the two FBD’s is the difference in static and dynamic equilibrium. In static equilibrium, the sums of the forces and moments must be zero. In dynamic equilibrium, the sums of the forces and moments would equal the product of mass and acceleration. This leads to the determination of the appropriate equations of motion for the dynamic system being analyzed.

Introduction
Engineering statics is often the first topic of study, within the more general discipline of engineering mechanics. It is fundamental (but not limited to) most branches of engineering, including aerospace, aeronautical, civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering. It is also the basis for more advanced study in dynamics, vibration, and mechanics of materials within civil engineering, engineering mechanics, and mechanical engineering.

Prerequisites
Prerequisites for studying statics include a background in calculus and college-level physics. Students will make use of the mathematical principles learned in calculus and analytical geometry, as well as the classical mechanics principles studied in physics. In reality, much of statics is an extension of physics principles applied to engineering structures.

Definition
Engineering mechanics statics is a fundamental topic that is necessary to understanding the forces (and their effects) in real-world engineering applications. Statics consists of analyzing the interactions of forces that occur in rigid bodies. It is the analysis of how multi-dimensional simple structures react and support applied loads. It is imperative that the structure being analyzed be in static equilibrium

Topics of Study
During the study of statics, the student will learn how to resolve forces, moments, and couples to achieve equilibrium in stationary structures. The calculation of centers of gravity, properties of plane areas, and moments of inertia will form the basis for further study in dynamics and engineering mechanics of materials. Additional topics include vector analysis, particle equilibrium, distributed forces, and internal forces in structural members. Finally, the analysis of friction in structures, and the concepts of virtual work typically conclude the study of engineering statics.

Vector Analysis (Vector Mechanics)
Vector analysis is a diagnostic skill that is critical to understanding engineering statics. It is often necessary to analyze a single force by considering it as two separate forces. These unique forces are known as components, and have same effect on a structure as the original force (the resultant). Analyzing forces as vectors requires the analyst to differentiate between a resultant and its components. This can be accomplished graphically by using any technique that clearly shows the difference between the resultant and it components.

Free Body Diagrams (FBD’s)
Drawing Free Body Diagrams (FBD’s) is probably the most important process for correctly assessing forces, and for solving engineering mechanics problems. Without doing this, forces can easily be mis-calculated, and the resulting analysis can become erroneous. Additional study in dynamics and mechanics of materials cannot be done without using free body diagrams.

Simple Structures
In engineering mechanics, rigid members that are connected in specific patterns form the basis for simple structures. A bridge, a wind turbine tower, and the frame of a car all are all considered simple structures. Simple structures include trusses, beams, frames, and machines. These simple structures are the types that are studied in engineering statics. For instance, the method of joints is a method that is used to determine the forces in each member of a simple truss or space frame.