CHAPTER 5

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

What it's all about
OVERVIEW

Study Guide

Concepts

Phenomena

CASES

Main Case

Further Suggestions


ACTIVITIES

Investigations

Problems


READINGS

A Brief Text

Books & Notes


MATERIALS

Files & Links

Tables

Relations

SOME TOOLS

Quick Access

Glossary


Here we introduce rotational and translational motion in analogy to fluids and electricity. Combine the starting and stopping of currents with storage, and you get oscillations. If these processes run in extended media, we get waves.

In processes of rotational and translational motion, objects exchange spin (angular momentum) and "quantity of motion" (momentum), respectively. The principles of balance of spind and momentum are at the heart of the phenomenon of motion.

Nature provides us with many examples of motion. Fly-wheels, clock pendulums, bungee jumping, train switching, or space travel will serve as intersting cases that provide the background for our study of motion.


Applications

Rotational collisions. Fly-wheels. A torsion oscillator and resonance. Collision with magnets. Falling muffin cups. Steel balls dropping in liquids. Bungee jumping. Projectile motion. Jovian Trojans. Rolling cylinders. An inverted pendulum. Parking spacecraft at L2. And more…