IMPULSE AND MOMENTUM APPLICATIONS

The concepts of rigid body or particle dynamics are used in engineering when motion is involved. This can be motion of a fluid element, a controller such as a flap or landing gear mechanism, and trajectories of vehicles.

It is important that the principles of dynamics are well understood by engineers. An engineering problem can be thought of as a word problem, similar to word problems solved in mathematics. Dynamics provides the basics by which the equations of motions that govern the problem can be derived and applied.

The moment of momentum (angular momentum) of a rigid body is an important concept in deriving equations of motion when rotation is involved. The moment of momentum is also important for rotorcraft autorotation, in which both the energy and the moment of momentum of the rotor play an important role in determining whether a successful autorotation may be performed. The concept is also important in turbomachinery, engines, and many other rotating dynamic systems.