General description
This module extends the Newtonian mechanics developed in MA24510 to the motion of a system of interacting particles and rigid bodies. The syllabus will include a brief discussion of the statics of a rigid body, Euler's equations, the motion of a billiard ball and the motion of tops and gyroscopes.

Aims
To introduce students to the motion of a rigid body.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, a student should be able to:

• calculate moments and products of inertia and find the principal axes and principal moments of inertia;
• write down valid equations of motion for a rigid body rotating about a fixed point;
• determine the motion of a sphere rolling and sliding on a plane;
• explain the actions of a gyroscope.

Syllabus
1. EQUATIONS OF MOTION OF A SYSTEM OF PARTICLES: Centre of mass, angular momentum, the moment of a force and couples.
2. DEFINITION OF A RIGID BODY: Moments and products of inertia.
3. MOTION OF A RIGID BODY: To include the rolling of spheres, the precession of axi-symmetric bodies and a discussion of the gyrocompass.