The principle of virtual power is related to the principle of virtual work, and is the principle behind Kane’s method. My favorite ELI5 explanation is: If you push it, it either moves, or it doesn’t. If it moves, you get an equation of motion (where you know the applied forces, and solve for accelerations). If it doesn’t move, you get an equation of constraint (where you know the accelerations (because they’re zero), and solve for the constraint forces).
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