= Mechanical configuration
{title2=$q\in Q$}
= Configuration
{synonym}
A mechanical configuration specifies the <positions> and <orientations> of all parts of a system, subject to its constraints. It is a point of the <mechanical configuration space> $Q$; <generalized coordinates> label such points locally. A configuration does not by itself specify <velocities>, so it generally does not determine the system's full dynamical state. For a bead on a fixed circular hoop, its <angle> specifies its configuration, while its angular velocity is additional data.
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