Generalized Forces - D'Alembert's Principle

D'Alembert's Principle

D'Alembert formulated the dynamics of a particle as the equilibrium of the applied forces with an inertia force (apparent force), called D'Alembert's principle. The inertia force of a particle, Pi, of mass mi is

where Ai is the acceleration of the particle.

If the configuration of the particle system depends on the generalized coordinates qj, j=1,...,m, then the generalized inertia force is given by

D'Alembert's form of the principle of virtual work yields

Read more about this topic:  Generalized Forces

Famous quotes containing the word principle:

    “Country people do not behave as if they think life is short; they live on the principle that it is long, and savor variations of the kind best appreciated if most days are the same.”
    —Edward Hoagland (b. 1932)