ES 62 Notes

CHAPTER 1
Kinematics of a Particle

Mechanics is a branch a physical sciences

that is concerned with the state of rest or
motion of bodies subjected to the action of
forces.
Statics is concerned with the equilibrium of
a body that is either at rest or moves with
constant velocity.
Dynamics deals with the accelerated
motion of body.
Kinematics treats only with the geometric
aspect of the motion.
Kinetics is the analysis of forces causing the
motion.
Galileo Galilei was one of the first major
contributors of the principles of dynamics.
The most significant contribution was made
by Isaac Newton who is notes for his
formulation of the 3 fundamental laws of

motion and the law of gravitational

attraction.
The position coordinate is used to specify
the location of the particle at any given
instant.
The displacement of the particle is defines
as the change in its position.
A particle has a mass but negligible in size
and shape.

Rectilinear kinematics refers to straight-line

motion.
Speed refers to the magnitude of the
velocity.
Curvilinear motion can cause change in
both magnitude and direction of the
position, velocity, and acceleration vectors.
The velocity vector is always directed
tangent to the path.

In general , the acceleration vector is not

tangent to the path , but rather , it is tangent
to the hodograph.
If the motion is described using rectangular
coordinates, then the components along
each of the axes do not change direction,
only their magnitude and sense will change.
By considering the components motions ,
the change in magnitude and direction of
the particles position and velocity are
automatically taken into account.
When air resistance is neglected, the only
force acting on the projectile is its weight
,which causes the projectile to have a
constant downward acceleration.
When the path along which a particle
travels is known , then it s often convenient
to describe the motion using n and t
coordinate axes which act normal and
tangent to the path, respectively, and at the
instant considered have their origin located
at the particle.