Rigid body dynamics

Summary

Rigid body dynamics studies how rigid bodies move under forces and torques. Its equations are the Newton–Euler equations. The centre of mass moves like a particle carrying the total mass under the total force. The angular momentum about the centre of mass changes at the rate of the total torque. The angular momentum is the inertia tensor applied to the angular velocity, which makes the rotational part nonlinear and rich. It is the basis of the theory of tops and gyroscopes, of vehicle and spacecraft dynamics, of robotics and of multibody simulation.