What does ''dynamics'' mean? Dynamics is one of the central branches of physics. The ideas of dynamics deal with motion and factors that affect motion. Dynamics are any external forces that increase or decrease an item's velocity or affect its acceleration. The four main forces that affect an object's velocity and acceleration are mass, force, momentum, and energy. In the context of dynamics, force is a push or pull influence on an object.
The mass of an object is its size or the amount of matter it has. The more mass an object has, the less effect external forces will have on its motion. Momentum is the potential movement that an object can undergo. The momentum of an object is affected by its velocity and its mass. The energy of an object is the level of its capacity to move or act on another object. This potential action is referred to as ''work.''
In other words, dynamics is the term in the world of physics that refers to the forces that can cause changes in an object's velocity or acceleration through altering its mass, other forces, momentum, or energy. Much of this is done through the transference of one of these attributes.
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An example of dynamics is a car moving despite the forces of multiple objects trying to stop it. The car has a large mass, which means that its momentum will increase if it is not stopped. This is especially true if the surface upon which it is moving has a negative slope. Energy from combustion or other external forces will keep the car from stopping. Additionally, an external push on the car that is strong enough can cause it to move.
Statics vs. Dynamics
Dynamics is directly contrasted to statics. Statics is the studyof forces that cause an object to remain in the same place. An example of statics is a car sitting on the ground that will not move despite the efforts of various people and forces to move it. Just like dynamics, the same forces that are responsible for an object remaining static rather than dynamic are force, mass, energy, and momentum.
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