VELOCITY

Velocity is the rate of change of the displacement, the difference between the
final and initial position of an object. Velocity is equivalent to a specification
of its speed and direction of motion, e.g. 60 km/h to the north. Velocity is an
important concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics which
describes the motion of bodies.
Velocity is a vector physical quantity; both magnitude and direction are
required to define it. The scalar absolute value (magnitude) of velocity is
called "speed", a quantity that is measured in meters per second (m/s or
ms1) in the SI (metric) system. For example, "5 meters per second" is a
scalar (not a vector), whereas "5 meters per second east" is a vector.
If there is a change in speed, direction, or both, then the object has a
changing velocity and is said to be undergoing an acceleration.
Relative Velocity of Two Bodies Moving in Straight Lines

Here we shall discuss the application of vectors for the relative velocity
of two bodies moving along parallel lines and inclined lines, as shown in
Fig.

Consider two bodies A and B moving along parallel lines in the same
direction with absolute velocities vA and vB such that vA > vB , as
shown in Fig. (a). The relative velocity of A with respect to B is

Now consider the body B moving in an inclined direction as shown in

Fig. 2 (a). The relative velocity of A with respect to B may be obtained
by the law of parallelogram of velocities or triangle law of velocities.
Take any fixed point o and draw vector oa to represent vA in magnitude
and direction to some suitable scale.
Similarly, draw vector ob to represent vB in magnitude and direction to
the same scale. Then vector ba represents the relative velocity of A
with respect to B as shown in Fig. 2 (b). In the similar way as discussed
above, the relative velocity of A with respect to B,

Motion of a link

Velocity of a Point on a Link by Relative Velocity Method

The relative velocity method is based upon the relative velocity of

the various points of the link.
Consider two points A and B on a link as shown in Fig. 4 (a).
Let the absolute velocity of the point A i.e. vA is known in magnitude
and direction and the absolute velocity of the point B i.e. vB is
known in direction only.
Then the velocity of B may be determined by drawing the velocity
diagram as shown in Fig. 4

(b). The velocity diagram is drawn as follows :