Rigid body dynamics

{{Classical mechanics}}

{{Classical mechanics}}

In [[classical mechanics]], '''rigid body dynamics''' studies the movement of [[Physical system|systems]] of interconnected [[Physical object|bodies]] under the action of external [[force]]s. Along with [[statics]], it forms the field of '''rigid body mechanics'''. The assumption that the bodies are ''[[rigid body|rigid]]'' (i.e. they do not [[Deformation (physics)|deform]] under the action of applied forces) simplifies analysis, by reducing the parameters that describe the configuration of the system to the translation and rotation of [[Frame of reference|reference frame]]s attached to each body.B. Paul, Kinematics and Dynamics of Planar Machinery, Prentice-Hall, NJ, 1979L. W. Tsai, Robot Analysis: The mechanics of serial and parallel manipulators, John-Wiley, NY, 1999. This excludes bodies that display [[fluid]], highly [[Elasticity (physics)|elastic]], and [[Plasticity (physics)|plastic]] behavior.

In [[classical mechanics]], '''rigid body dynamics''' studies the movement of [[Physical system|systems]] of interconnected [[Physical object|bodies]] under the action of external [[force]]s. Along with [[statics]], it forms the field of '''rigid body mechanics'''. The assumption that the bodies are ''[[rigid body|rigid]]'' (i.e. they do not [[Deformation (physics)|deform]] under the action of applied forces) simplifies analysis, by reducing the parameters that describe the configuration of the system to the translation and rotation of [[body-fixed frame]]s.B. Paul, Kinematics and Dynamics of Planar Machinery, Prentice-Hall, NJ, 1979L. W. Tsai, Robot Analysis: The mechanics of serial and parallel manipulators, John-Wiley, NY, 1999. This excludes bodies that display [[fluid]], highly [[Elasticity (physics)|elastic]], and [[Plasticity (physics)|plastic]] behavior.