1.1 INTRODUCTION

• Some engineered systems are intended to be fixed, or static.

• Many other systems are designed to be dynamic in behavior or response. These include,

- internal combustion engines

- loadspeakers

- vibration isolators

- car shock absorbers

- missile guidance systems

- tall buildings

• We know many relationships for modelling individual properties of mechanism pieces (eg, fricton). These can be combined (lumped) to model more complex systems.

• when we develop a lumped model of a system, we can then calculate with a high level of precision, the effects various inputs (forces, motions, torques, etc) will have on the overall system.

• As an engineer attempts to design high quality systems, one of the most powerful weapons is a good analytical understanding of the phenomena.