An accelerometer is a device used to measure linear acceleration without an external reference. The main idea has already been illustrated in the previous lecture with the example of the boy in the elevator. Clearly, if we know the weight of the boy when the acceleration is zero, we can determine from the reading on the scale the value of the acceleration. In summary, the acceleration will produce an inertial force on a test mass, and this force can be nulled and measured with precision. Below we have sketch of a very simple one axis accelerometer

Inertial reference frames In the previous lecture, we derived an expression that related the accelerations observed using two reference frames, A and B, which are in relative motion with respect to each other. aA =aB+(aA/ B)'y'' 22 x (DA/ B) 'y'2'+ TA/B+ X TA/B). (1) Here, aA is the acceleration of particle A observed by one observer, and

Non-Inertial Reference Frame Gravitational attraction The Law of Universal Attraction was already introduced in lecture D1. The law postulates that the force of attraction between any two particles, of masses M and m, respectively, has a magnitude, F, given by F= (1) where r is the distance between the two particles, and G is the universal constant of gravitation. The value of G is empirically determined to be

In the previous lecture, we related the motion experienced by two observers in relative translational motion with respect to each other. In this lecture we will extend this relation to our third type of observer.That is, observers who accelerate and rotate with respect to each other. As a matter of illustration, let us consider a very simple situation, in which a particle at rest with respect

D244BD RIGID BODY DYNAMICS KINETIC EWEGY In echure we derwed am kinenc a susem u dm T= Fere ts the velouty relanve to G. for a nald body we ca wate Uing the vechor nidontklyAxB=Ax

In this lecture, we will derive expressions for the angular momentum and kinetic energy of a 3D rigid body. We shall see that this introduces the concept of the Inertia Tensor. Angular Momentum We start form the expression of the angular momentum of a system of particles about the center of mass

A pendulum is a rigid body suspended from a fixed point (hinge) which is offset with respect to the body's center of mass. If all the mass is assumed to be concentrated at a point, we obtain the idealized simple pendulum. Pendulums have played an important role in the history of dynamics. Galileo identified the pendulum as the first example of synchronous motion, which led to the first successful clock developed

In the previous lectures we have described particle motion as it would be seen by an observer standing still at a fixed origin. This type of motion is called absolute motion. In many situations of practical interest, we find ourselves forced to describe the motion of bodies while we are simultaneously moving with respect to a more basic reference. There are many examples were such situations occur. The absolute motion of a passenger inside an aircraft is best

So far we have used Newton's second law= ma to establish the instantaneous relation between the sum of the forces acting on a particle and the acceleration of that particle. Once the acceleration is known,the velocity (or position) is obtained by integrating the expression of the acceleration (or velocity). There are two situations in which the cumulative effects of unbalanced forces acting on a particle are of interest to us. These involve:

In addition to the equations of linear impulse and momentum considered in the previous lecture, there is a parallel set of equations that relate the angular impulse and momentum. Angular Momentum We consider a particle of mass, m, with velocity v, moving under the influence of a force F. The angular momentum about point O is defined as the \moment\ of the particle's linear