Kinematics, Newton’s second law and work-energy: the FE Civil’s Dynamics questions, from a falling stone to a car rounding a curve.
NCEES lists these Dynamics topics for the FE Civil: kinematics of particles and rigid bodies; mass moments of inertia; force and acceleration of particles and rigid bodies; work, energy and power of particles and rigid bodies. For the FE Civil, focus on 11.1 to 11.3 (kinematics, Newton’s second law, work-energy). Civil skips vibrations, so the rest of chapter 11 (11.4 Impulse, Momentum and Impact, 11.5 Rotation and Vibration and 11.6 Linkages and Mechanisms) is not on this page.
Choose any section below to get a free FE Civil practice problem. Work it with the FE Reference Handbook open, tap your answer, then check the solution.
With constant acceleration, three equations do almost everything: v = v0 + at, s = v0t + ½at2, and v2 = v02 + 2as.
A stone is dropped from an 80 m tower. How long does it take to hit the ground?
t = √(2h/g) = √(160/9.81) = 4.04 s.
Common trap: (B) forgets the square root.
KinematicsProjectile Motionconstant accelerationThat was 1 of 3 problems in this section. The full course has the lesson, a worked example and every problem. Start your 3-day free trial →
ΣF = ma, applied along each direction of a careful free-body diagram, solves most kinetics problems.
A car rounds a flat 50 m radius curve at 15 m/s. What minimum friction coefficient prevents skidding?
μmg = mv2/r, so μ = v2/(rg) = 225/490.5 = 0.46.
KineticsNewton’s second lawcentripetalThat was 1 of 3 problems in this section. The full course has the lesson, a worked example and every problem. Start your 3-day free trial →
Energy methods skip the acceleration entirely: initial energy plus work in equals final energy.
How much work do the brakes do to stop a 1,200 kg car from 25 m/s?
W = ½mv2 = ½(1200)(625) = 375 kJ.
Common trap: (B) forgets the ½.
WorkKinetic EnergyPotential EnergyPowerThat was 1 of 3 problems in this section. The full course has the lesson, a worked example and every problem. Start your 3-day free trial →
Newton’s Notes FE Civil has 18 chapters (11 shared with Mechanical, 7 Civil-only) with lessons, worked examples and 420+ FE-style practice problems with full solutions, 171 of them Civil-only. Pro adds a timed full-length FE Civil practice exam (110 problems), a custom test builder and Ask Newton, the AI tutor. Try it free for 3 days, no card to start.
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