Contents

Syllabus: ME 5180 Spring 2024

Syllabus: ME 5180 Spring 2024

Course and Instructor Information

Course Title: ME5180 - Dynamics

Format: Online

Credits: 3 credits

Prerequisite: Advanced Calculus and Introductory Physics

Instructor: Prof. Ryan C. Cooper ryan.c.cooper@uconn.edu

Office Hours/Availability: by appointment Calendly post questions on GitHub Discussions (the preferred contact) I will respond to questions within one business day (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)

Preferred Contact: Post course-related questions and comments GitHub Discussions

Personal questions should be communicated privately via email

Course Assignments and Discussions

Submit assignments

HuskyCT

Discuss course assignments/materials

Github Discussions

Note: make an account with github.com to post questions and answers.

Course Description

This is the study of moving objects and how they interact. We will explore equations of motion using kinematics: the geometry of motion and kinetics: the study of forces acting on objects. We will compare solving problems analytically and numerically using Newton’s equations of motion and Lagrange’s equations of motion.

Course Expectations

Students are expected to understand modern physics techniques applied to single particles and rigid body motion. Topics will include linear algebra, variational calculus, Lagrangian formulation, work-energy relationships, moments and products of intertia, and solutions to ordinary differential equations. The Lagrangian formulation will introduce variational calculus, generalized coordinates, coordinate transformation, and generalized forces. Numerical methods will introduce linear algebra and numerical integration.

This course will introduce analytical and numerical solutions to multibody dynamic systems. We will use Newton’s laws of motion and Lagrange’s laws of motion, calculus, and linear algebra to derive differential equations of motion. We will use Python 3.8+ to analyze and visualize solutions to dynamics problems.

Course Outcomes

Students will

  1. Build engineering models of motion

  2. Explain motion using vectors and calculus

  3. Formulate equations of motion using variational calculus

  4. Model motion of multibody engineering systems

  5. Compare and contrast engineering models of motion

Applications

  • Automotive design: cam shafts, power requirements (both engine and brakes), windshield wipers, frame design, etc.

  • Aerospace design: turbine blades, power requirements, flight tracking, etc.

  • Biomechanics design: artificial knees/hips/…, sports physics, health/fitness tracking, etc.

  • Sports: ball-tracking, speedometers, helmet design, equipment design (baseball bat, lacrosse stick,…), etc.

  • …

Lectures: Videos posted on the course website - watch the lecture and ask/answer questions in GitHub Discussions

Instructor: Prof. Ryan C. Cooper (ryan.c.cooper@uconn.edu)

Office hours: by appointment reach out via email or through GitHub

Course Material

Textbooks

Computational Dynamics, 3rd edition by Ahmad Shabana: available through UConn Library O’Reilly subscription

Lagrangian Dynamics, D. A. Wells, McGraw-Hill.

Advanced Dynamics by Ryan C. Cooper this is our course website+materials. It will host our syllabus, readings, videos, and assignments. I encourage you to suggest edits and add issues using the GitHub repository.

Required Software

  • Modern web browser (Chrome/Firefox/Safari/Edge)

  • PDF viewer

  • Mobile scanning software e.g Google Drive or Scannable

Course Discussion

GitHub Discussions: This session we will be using GitHub Discussions. The system is catered to getting you help fast and efficiently from classmates and myself. Rather than emailing questions, I prefer you to post your questions on GitHub. This way everyone benefits from clarifying course content, logistics, and our process.

Schedule

The course schedule is maintained on HuskyCT

Assignments are due by 11:59pm on the specified due dates.

Grading

Item

Percent

Requirement

Homework

40 %

Turn in homeworks by due date

Quizzes*

40 %

8 quizzes

Participation**

20 %

Self assessment

* Note on Quizzes: Quizzes are based upon previous week’s material. They are open-resource. You should plan to spend 20-30 minutes completing the quiz. You will submit a scan of your work and a short (10-30 seconds) video to Classroom.

** Note on Participation: You can participate in a variety of ways e.g.

  1. The videos are recorded lectures and tutorials. For each video, try to answer the discussion questions, or come up with your own. I encourage you to share your thoughts and questions on GitHub Discussions

  2. You can connect with other students and discuss the Homework and readings. You should dedicate at least 1 hour per week to reviewing content, so it helps to have others to talk through concepts

  3. If you have another way you want to participate in the course, discuss that with Prof. Cooper.

Grading Scale

Explanation

Letter Grade

GPA

Excellent

A

4

A-

3.7

Very Good

B+

3.3

Good

B

3

B-

2.7

C+

2.3

Average

C

2

Fair

C-

1.7

Poor

D+

1.3

D

1

Merely Passing

D-

0.7

Failure

F

0

Due Dates and Late Policy

All course due dates are identified in the Google Calendar. Deadlines are based on Eastern Time; if you are in a different time zone, please adjust your submittal times accordingly. The instructor reserves the right to change dates accordingly as the semester progresses. All changes will be communicated via the calendar or another appropriate notification.

Late Policy: If you need more time for an assignment or experience technical difficulties, leave a note in the assignment submission with two pieces of information:

  1. What is your new submission date

  2. What help do you need and how and you getting it (discussion post, colleague, Prof. Cooper, TA, etc.)?

The instructor can make accommodations for work, family, and personal reasons. We ask that you be respectful of the instructors’ limited time and resources.

Feedback and Grades

I will make every effort to provide feedback and grades within 7 days. To keep track of your performance in the course, refer to grades in HuskyCT.

Weekly Time Commitment

You should expect to dedicate between 6 - 8 hours a week to this course. This expectation is based on the various course activities, assignments, and assessments and the University of Connecticut’s policy regarding credit hours. More information related to hours per week per credit can be accessed at the Online Student website.

This course requires lots of practice. You should set aside 6-8 hours per week (assuming a 5-day work-week) to write out example problems from the textbook, try homework problems, and revise answers. This is the best way to prepare for quizzes.

Academic Integrity:

  • The instructor of this class has a zero-tolerance policy for academic misconduct, that is copying others’ work either in the lab, field, or on an exam. Any student work that is found to be in violation of the university policy regarding academic misconduct will be assigned a grade of zero at a minimum.

  • Read and understand The UConn Student Code of Conduct. Students will follow all University regulations concerning the final exam.

Students with Disabilities

The University of Connecticut is committed to protecting the rights of individuals with disabilities and assuring that the learning environment is accessible. If you anticipate or experience physical or academic barriers based on disability or pregnancy, please let me know immediately so that we can discuss options. Students who require accommodations should contact the Center for Students with Disabilities, Wilbur Cross Building Room 204, (860) 486-2020 or http://csd.uconn.edu/.

Blackboard measures and evaluates accessibility using two sets of standards: the WCAG 2.0 standards issued by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act issued in the United States federal government.” (Retrieved March 24, 2013 from Blackboard’s website)

Software/Technical Requirements (with Accessibility and Privacy Information)

The software/technical requirements for this course include:

For information on managing your privacy at the University of Connecticut, visit the University’s Privacy page.

NOTE: This course was not tested or designed for mobile devices.

Help

Technical and Academic Help provides a guide to technical and academic assistance.

Minimum Technical Skills

To be successful in this course, you will need the following technical skills:

  • Use the class discussions

  • Create graphics and graphs and include them in Jupyter notebooks

  • Work within two or more browser windows simultaneously.

  • Open and access PDF files

  • Scan and upload PDF files

  • Follow software tutorials on YouTube for Jupyter and Python

  • Access and use JupyterHub

University students are expected to demonstrate competency in Computer Technology. Explore the Computer Technology Competencies page for more information.

Evaluation of the Course

Students will be provided an opportunity to evaluate instruction in this course using the University’s standard procedures, which are administered by the Office of Institutional Research and Effectiveness (OIRE).

Additional informal formative surveys may also be administered within the course as an optional evaluation tool.

Student Authentication and Verification

The University of Connecticut is required to verify the identity of students who participate in online courses and to establish that students who register in an online course are the same students who participate in and complete the course activities and assessments and receive academic credit. Verification and authentication of student identity in this course will include:

  1. Secure access to the JupyterHub system

  2. Students will submit videos to describe solutions to the 8 module quizzes.

Student Responsibilities and Resources

As a member of the University of Connecticut student community, you are held to certain standards and academic policies. In addition, there are numerous resources available to help you succeed in your academic work. Review these important standards, policies and resources, which include:

  • The Student Code

    • Academic Integrity

    • Resources on Avoiding Cheating and Plagiarism

  • Copyrighted Materials

  • Netiquette and Communication

  • Adding or Dropping a Course

  • Academic Calendar

  • Policy Against Discrimination, Harassment and Inappropriate Romantic

  • Relationships

  • Sexual Assault Reporting Policy

Academic Integrity:

  • The instructors of this class have a zero-tolerance policy for academic misconduct, that is copying others’ work either in the lab, field, or on an exam. Any student work that is found to be in violation of the university policy regarding academic misconduct will be assigned a grade of zero at a minimum.

  • Read and understand The UConn Student Code of Conduct. Students will follow all University regulations concerning the final exam.

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