ABSTRACT
In Chapter 10, we found that the work-energy principle, like clever statics solution procedures, can often produce simple and direct solutions to dynamics problems. We also found, however, that while the work-energy principle is simple and direct, it is also quite restricted in its range of application. The work-energy principle leads to a single scalar equation, thus enabling the determination of a single unknown. Hence, if two or more unknowns are to be found, the work-energy principle is inadequate and is restricted to relatively simple problems.
