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Dynamic Equilibrium Demystified
Confused about dynamic equilibrium? If your textbook says ΣF = 0 but the object is clearly accelerating, this free mini-course explains exactly what's going on. In 4 short lessons, understand D'Alembert's Principle, the 'inertial force' trick, and how it connects to equations of motion and transfer functions in control systems. Perfect for students studying from Nise's Control Systems Engineering. Built by MakeSense AI.
Start Lesson 1 — FreeWhat you'll learn
Concrete skills and knowledge you'll walk away with.
State Newton's Second Law and explain what 'net force' physically means
Explain D'Alembert's Principle as a rearrangement of F = ma, not a new physics law
Clarify why the 'inertial force' (−ma) is a fictitious bookkeeping term, not a real force
Resolve the paradox: 'equilibrium' here means the equation balances, not that nothing moves
Draw a free body diagram for a mass-spring-damper system using D'Alembert's approach
Write the equation of motion by summing forces (including the −ma term) and setting equal to zero
F = ma Is Not About Equilibrium
Back to basics: what Newton's Second Law actually says. The left side (forces) causes the right side (acceleration). This is the real physics — and there's no 'zero' anywhere.
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Work through all 4 lessons at your own pace.
Course Curriculum
Newton vs. D'Alembert
Applying It to Real Systems
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Dynamic Equilibrium Demystified
4 lessons · ~29 min · completely free
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