An introduction to multi-physics multi-scale approach

Dynamics and tribology, described in this book, may be regarded as subsets of physics of motion (in a multi-physics perspective). Dynamics is the study of motion of entities caused by the underlying forces. Historically, in the discipline of dynamics and within engineering these entities have been considered to be assembly of parts (a system), solid inertial elements (a component) and rigid particles. When the study of motion of a material point (a generic term used to describe these entities; a particle, a body: a conglomerate of such particles or a system: an assembly or cluster of bodies) is observation-based only (without regard to the underlying cause: force), then the field of investigation is referred to as kinematics. In the case of a multibody or a many-body system, kinematics refer to studies with no degrees of freedom; relative motions between their constituent material points (their motion is pre-specified).