Georgia Institute of Technology
School of
Aerospace Engineering
Aerospace
Engineering 2220: Dynamics
Prof. Dewey H. Hodges
Office: 200-C SSTC/Weber; Phone:
4-8201
E-mail: dhodges@gatech.edu
Time and place: The class hours are 3:05-4:25
p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the place is Guggenheim 244.
Text: The text is the outstanding
book by McGill and King, An Introduction to Dynamics, fourth edition. The notation and
methodology of the text will be followed strictly, and you are expected to do
the same. You are also expected to read the assignments listed in the syllabus
and to come to class with questions on this material. Any material in the
reading assignments will be considered as fair game for the quizzes and final
exam even, if this material is not covered in the lectures. The text carefully
distinguishes between vectors and scalars. If you do not do so, you will get
hopelessly confused and fail the course. I will accelerate that process by
docking points from the quiz grades of anyone who fails to make the appropriate
distinctions, and the amount deducted will increase with each test. If you
passed Statics but still cannot carry out vector operations such as dot and
cross products, you will most definitely fail this course (as well you should!)
unless you get your act together.
Human lives may depend on your correctly carrying out a cross product!
Lectures: The lectures cover theoretical
foundations of dynamics. The syllabus will be followed as closely as possible.
Because of time constraints I will have to cover some material very quickly.
You are expected to wisely use time outside of class to learn the material.
This strongly suggests that you be willing to ask questions in class for clarification.
If you do not ask questions, I will be forced to conclude that you understand
the material, and understand it well. If I am convinced that you have attempted
to solve an assigned problem, I will happily answer questions about it in
class.
Homework: About nine problems per week
are assigned (on average). If you can work the homework problems on your own,
it is very likely that you will also be able to work problems on the quizzes
and on the final exam. If you choose the dishonest route of getting solutions
out of fraternity files, solution manuals, etc., you will not learn how to work
the problems on your own! Consequently, you will likely fail the course (as
well you should!). You can watch someone else solve dynamics problems until
doomsday and never learn anything. You will learn best by thinking them through
on your own. Working on homework in pairs is acceptable as long as you really
interact and both of you really contribute. If you play the role of a
"sponge" you will learn next to nothing. You should attempt to solve
the assigned problems and as many related problems for which you have time. If
you have difficulty doing the problems, please raise a question in class.
Alternatively, you may see the TA or me during our scheduled office hours. If
you do come, please have specific questions. Do not simply ask, "How do
you work problem 2.32?" I want to know whether you have really tried to
solve it or not and what you have tried. Work your nine problems per week, and
you should be able to do the quizzes and final without last-minute panic.
Problems will be collected according to the schedule in the detailed syllabus. Late homework is not accepted. On the
attached syllabus, each quiz has in parentheses by it the article numbers
covered on the quiz. Make certain that you have solved the assigned problems
associated with those articles before the last class prior to each quiz so you
can ask questions in class about the problems. The assigned homework sets will
be weighted as 50 out of 675 points toward your grade (see "Grading"
below). If, at the end of the semester, you are on the borderline between two
grades, your homework grade will be increased to the full 50 points if you turn
in a complete and correct set of homework at the final exam. No partial credit
will be given: It must be complete, and it
must be correct.
Quizzes/exams: there will be at least seven
quizzes, of about 30 minutes duration each, and a comprehensive final
examination. You will be permitted to overwrite one quiz grade with the grade
from a computer project. The quizzes will count 50 points each (total=350), the
homework a total
of 50 points, and the final will count 275 points for a total of 675
points. Should you miss class on a quiz day, a make-up quiz will only be given
if you have a doctor's note stating that you are too sick to attend class or if
you have a death in your immediate family. In the latter case, if possible, you
must notify me before the quiz. You must either send me e-mail or you must
phone our office, leaving a voice-mail message if I am not in. Note: in
homework, on quizzes or on the final you may be asked to "show that"
certain results are obtained. If it is determined that you are trying to
deceive me into thinking that you have correctly obtained the result when in
fact you really have not, you will get zero credit for that problem. If this
happens more than once, you will receive a zero on all tests on which you are
caught after the first time. On the attached syllabus, each quiz has in
parentheses by it the article numbers covered on the quiz. Make certain that
you have solved the assigned problems associated with those articles before the
last class prior to each quiz so you can ask questions in class about the
problems.
Grading: Grading will be based on your
percentage grade out of 675 points. 60-70% is a D, 70-80% a C, 80-90% a B, and
90% or better an A. Do not expect the course to be easy or the grades to be
"curved" as others may do. This course provides a foundation to upper
division courses, and I would not be doing you a favor to pass you if you do
not know the material.
Office Hours: My office hours are 1:15-2:45
p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays. You may phone or e-mail me and make an
appointment if these hours are not suitable for you. You may also see the
teaching assistant who will also be conducting help sessions when needed (at
most weekly). The TA is Mr. Wei-En Li <gtg853i@prism.gatech.edu>. His
office is in Weber 213; his office hours are Mondays 1:00-2:00 p.m., Wednesdays
2:00-3:00 p.m., and Thursdays 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
·
To
be able to derive equations for the kinematics and kinetics of particles in
three-dimensional motion
·
To
be able to derive and use equations for the kinematics of rigid bodies in
two-dimensional motion
·
To
be able to set up and solve equations of motion for rigid bodies in
two-dimensional motion
·
To
be able to apply work-energy principles in the solution of rigid-body dynamics
problems in two dimensions
·
To
be able to derive and use equations for kinematics of rigid bodies in
three-dimensional motion
·
To
be able to set up equations of motion for rigid bodies in three-dimensional
motion
Updated
3/5/2008