Introduction to basic mechanics

The branch of physics that deals with the action of forces on matter is referred to as mechanics . All considerations of motion are addressed by mechanics, as well as the transmission of forcesthrough the use of simple machines. When building a small robot, the primary goal is mechanical, e.g., placing blocks into a bin, and electronics areused to control the mechanics.

While it is not necessary to sit down and draw free body diagrams or figure out the static coefficient offriction between the LEGO tires and the game board, it is helpful to keep certain mechanical concepts in mind whenconstructing a robot. If a robot's tires are spinning because they do not grip the floor, then something must be done toincrease the friction between the tires and the floor. One solution is to glue a rubber band around the circumference ofthe tire. That problem/solution did not require an in-depth study of physics. Simply considering the different possibilitiescan lead to more mechanically creative robots.

Describing motion involves more than just saying that an object moved three feet to the right. The magnitude anddirection of the displacement are important, but so are the characteristics of the object's velocity and acceleration. Tounderstand these concepts, we must examine the nature of force . Changes in the motion of an object are created by forces.