The main objective of a first course in mechanics should be to

develop in the engineering student the ability to analyze any

problem in a simple and logical manner and to apply to its

solution a few, well-understood, basic principles. It is hoped that

this text, as well as the preceding volume, Vector Mechanics for

Engineers: Statics, will help the instructor achieve this goal.t

Vector algebra was introduced at the beginning of the first

volume and used in the presentation of the basic principles of

statics, as well as in the solution of many problems, particularly

three-dimensional problems. Similarly, the concept of vector

differentiation will be introduced early in this volume, and vector

analysis will be used throughout the presentation of dynamics.

This approach results in a more concise derivation of the funda-

mental principles. It also makes it possible to analyze many

problems in kinematics and kinetics which could not be solved by

the standard scalar methods. The emphasis in this text, however,

remains on the correct understanding of the principles of me-

chanics and on their application to the solution of engineering

problems, and vector analysis is presented chiefly as a convenient

tool.~