Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

DEPENDENT MOTIONS

- The motions are said to be dependent if the position of a particle will depend upon the position
of another particle or of other several particles.
- Motion of one object is directly related to the motion of another

ANALYSIS APPROACH

Fundamental Idea:

- The rope is a constant length

- Segments change length but the sum doesn’t

1. Establish a position coordinate for each object with an origin located at a fixed point and the
coordinate axis directed along the path of motion.

2. Using geometry or trigonometry relate the position coordinates to the length of the cord (can
ignore sections that don’t change length)

3. Take time derivatives to find v and a of each particle and/or differential elements to find change
in position

Sample Problem

1. Determine the velocity of block A if end B of the rope is pulled down with a speed of 1.5 m/s.

Solution:

- We have 3 pulleys, one rope

- The goal is to write the length of the rope in
terms of the length of the segment

Step 1. Establish a position coordinate (pick the

pulley as datum)
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

Step 2. Ignore those sections that doesn’t change length because when we take the derivative of
something that doesn’t change length, it goes to Zero.

Then, for the length of the rope

l=s B +3 s A →length of the rope

Let’s say that we move point B down by 0.5 meters, then

∆ s B=0.5 m

And, ∆ l=0=∆ s +3 ∆ s (even it moved, the length of the

B A

rope doesn’t change.

Then,

∆ s B +3 ∆ s A =0

∆ s B=−3 ∆ s A

0.5
∆ sA = m↑
3
For the speed, take the derivative

l=s B +3 s A

0=v B +3 v A

1.5=−3 v A

v A =0.5 m/ s

2. A man pulls the boy up to the tree limb C by walking backward. If he starts from rest when
x o=0 and moves backward with a constant accelerationa A =0.2 m/s 2, determine the speed of
the boy at the instant y B =4 m. Neglect the size of the limb. When x A=0, y B =8 m, so that A
and B are coincident (rope is 16m long)
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

Solution:

Solving for Va, we have constant acceleration

v 2A −v 2o=2 a( x A −x o )
Where Vo and Xo are initial conditions, then

v 2A =2 a x A

v A =√ 2 a x A =√ 2(0.2) x A

For Xa, consider the triangle

S
8m
s2=x 2A +(8)2

Xa

For the total length of the rope,

l=s+ y B=s+ 4

16=s +4
s=12meters
Substitute the values on the Pythagorean equation,

(12)2=x 2A +( 8)2
x A=8.94 m

Therefore,

v A =√ 2(0.2)(8.94)=1.89m/ s

Solving for v B,

l=s+ y B

Take the derivative

 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

0=∆ s+ ∆ y B

Where,

s2=x 2A +(8)2
Take the derivative,

2 s ∆ s=2 x A ∆ x A

2 x A ∆ x A xA v A
∆ s= =
s s
Where: ∆ x A =v A

Then , substitute

xA vA (8.94)(1.89)
0= + vB= + vB
s 12
Therefore,

v B=1.4 m/s ↑

CURVILINEAR MOTIONS
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

- Curvilinear motion occurs when a particle moves along a curved path. Since this path is often
described in three dimensions, vector analysis will be used to formulate the particle’s position,
velocity, and acceleration.

Position. Consider a particle located at a point on a space curve defined by the path function s(t), as
shown in the figure. The position of the particle, measured from a fixed point O, will be designated by
the position vector r=r(t). Notice that both the magnitude and direction of this vector will change as the
particle moves along the curve.

Displacement. Suppose that during a small time interval ∆ t the particle moves a distance ∆ s along the
curve to a new position, defined by r ' =r + ∆ r , as shown in the figure. The displacement ∆ r represents
the change in the particle’s position and is determined by vector subtraction. ∆ r =r ' −r

Velocity. During the time the average velocity of the

∆r
particle is v avg= , The instantaneous velocity is determined from this equation by letting ∆ t →0 and
∆t
consequently the direction of ∆ r approaches the tangent to the curve. Hence,

v=lim
t→0
( ∆∆ rt )= drdt
Since dr will be tangent to the curve, the direction of v is also tangent to the curve as shown in the
figure. The magnitude of v, which is called the speed, is obtained by realizing that the length of the
straight line segment ∆ r approaches the arc length ∆ s as ∆ t →0 , we have

v=lim
t→0
( ∆∆ rt )=lim ( ∆∆ts )= dsdt
t→0
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

Thus, the speed can be obtained by differentiating the path function s with respect to time.

Acceleration. If the particle has a velocity v at time t and a velocity v' =v +∆ v at t+ ∆ t as shown in the
figure, then the average acceleration of the particle during the time interval is:

∆v
a avg=
∆t

where ∆ v=v ' −v . To study this time rate of change, the two velocity vectors in the previous figure are
plotted in the figure below

such that their tails are located at the fixed point O and
their arrowheads touch points on a curve. This curve is
called a hodograph, and when constructed, it describes the locus of points for the arrowhead of the
velocity vector in the same manner as the path s describes the locus of points for the arrowhead of the
position vector in the figure below
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

To obtain the instantaneous acceleration, let ∆ t →0 in the above equation. In the limit ∆ v will
approach the tangent to the hodograph, and so

∆v dv d2 r
a=lim
t→0
( )
∆t
= = 2
dt dt
By definition of the derivative, a acts tangent to the hodograph as shown in the figure

and, in general it is not tangent to the path of motion,

To clarify this point, realize that ∆ v and consequently a must account for the change made in both the
magnitude and direction of the velocity v as the particle moves from one point to the next along the
path

However, in order for the particle to follow any curved path,

the directional change always “swings” the velocity vector toward the “inside” or “concave side” of the
path, and therefore a cannot remain tangent to the path. In summary, v is always tangent to the path
and a is always tangent to the hodograph.
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

CURVILINEAR MOTIONS: RECTANGULAR COMPONENTS

- Occasionally the motion of a particle can best be described along a path that can be expressed
in terms of its x, y and z coordinates.

Position. If the particle is at point (x,y,z) on the curved path shown in the figure, then its location is
defined by the position vector

r =xi+ yj+ zk
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

- When the particle moves, the (x, y, z) components of r will be functions of time [x=x(t), y=y(t)
and z=z(t)], so that r =r (t).
- At any instant the magnitude of r is defined from the equation r =√ x 2 + y 2 + z 2
- And the direction of r is specified by the unit vector U r =r /r .

Velocity. The first time derivative of r yields the velocity of the particle. Hence,

dr d d d
v= = ( xi ) + ( yj ) + ( zk )
dt dt dt dt
When taking this derivative, it is necessary to
account for changes in both the magnitude and
direction of each of the vector’s components. For
example, the derivative of the i component of r is

d dx di
( xi )= ( i ) + x
dt dt dt
The second term on the right side is zero, provided the x, y, z reference frame is fixed, and therefore the
direction (and the magnitude) of i does not change with time. Differentiation of the j and k components
may be carried out in a similar manner, which yields the final result

dr
v= =v x i+v y j+ v z k
dt
The velocity has a magnitude that is found from

v 2=v 2x + v 2y +v 2z

and a direction that is specified by the unit vector U v =v / v in which this direction is always tangent to
the path, as shown in the figure of velocity above.

Acceleration. The acceleration of the particle is obtained by taking the first time derivative of the
velocity or the second derivative of the position.

dv
a= =a x i +a y j+a z k
dt
The acceleration has a magnitude

a 2=a2x + a2y +a2z

Important Points

- Curvilinear motion can cause changes in both the 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.
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

- 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 (algebraic sign) will change.
- By considering the component motions,the change in magnitude and direction of the particle’s
position and velocity are automatically taken into account.

Example
Problem 1.
Dynamics of Rigid Bodies
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

Example Problem 2.

PROJECTILE MOTION

The free-flight motion of a projectile is often

studied in terms of its rectangular
components. To illustrate the kinematic
analysis, consider a projectile launched at
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

point (xo,yo), with an initial velocity of vo having components vox and voy as shown in the figure below.
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 of approximately 9.81 m/s 2 or 32.2 ft/s2.

Horizontal Motion. Since ax=0, application of the constant acceleration equations

v=v o + at ; → v x =v ox

1
x=x o + v o t + a t 2 → x= xo + v ox t
2

v 2=v 2o +2 a(x −x o) ; → v x =v ox
The first and last equations indicate that the horizontal component of velocity always remains constant
during the motion.

Vertical Motion. Since the positive y axis is directed upward, then a= -g

v=v o + at ; → v y =v oy −¿

1 1
y= y o+ v o t+ at 2 → y= y o+ v oy t− g t 2
2 2

v 2=v 2o +2 a ( y − y o ) ; → v 2y =v 2oy−2 g( y − y o )

Recall that the last equation can be formulated on the basis of eliminating the time t from the first two
equations, and therefore only two of the above three equations are independent of one another.

Other Formulas:

- Total Time of Flight

2V o sinα
t=
g
- Maximum height of projectile
V 2o sin2 α
h max=
2g
- Range of Projectile
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

V 2o sin 2 α
Range=
g
Note: Maximum range can be achieve when α =45o

- Radius of curvature
dy 32
[1+ ]
dx
ρ=
d2 y
d2 x

Sample Problems
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

KINETICS OF PARTICLES

Newtons Second Law of Motion. Kinetics is a branch of dynamics that deals with the relationship
between the change in motion of a body and the forces that cause this change. The basis for kinetics is
Newton’s second law, which states that when an unbalanced force acts on a particle, the particle will
accelerate in the direction of the force with a magnitude that is proportional to the force.

This law can be verified experimentally by applying a known unbalanced force F to a particle,
and then measuring the acceleration a. Since the force and acceleration are directly proportional, the
constant of proportionality, m, may be determined from the ratio. This positive scalar m is called the
mass of the particle. Being constant during any acceleration, m provides a quantitative measure of the
resistance of the particle to a change in its velocity that is its inertia.

If the mass of the particle is m, Newton’s second law of motion may be written in mathematical
form as

F=ma
The above equation, which is referred to as the equation of motion, is one of the most
important formulations in mechanics. As previously stated, its validity is based solely on experimental
evidence. In 1905, however, Albert Einstein developed the theory of relativity and placed limitations on
the use of Newton’s second law for describing general particle motion. Through experiments it was
proven that time is not an absolute quantity as assumed by Newton; and as a result, the equation of
motion fails to predict the exact behavior of a particle, especially when the particle’s speed approaches
the speed of light.

Newton’s Law of Gravitational Attraction. Shortly after formulating his three laws of motion,Newton
postulated a law governing the mutual attraction between any two particles. In mathematical form this
law can be expressed as

m 1 m2
F=G
r2
Where:

F- is the force of attraction

G- universal constant of gravitation; G= 66.73 (10 -12)m3/kg.s2

m1,m2- mass of each of the two particles

r- distance between the centers of the two particles

In the case of a particle located at or near the surface of the earth, the only gravitational force
having any sizable magnitude is that between the earth and the particle. This force is termed the
“weight” and, for our purpose, it will be the only gravitational force considered.
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

From the equation of Gravitational attraction, we can develop a general expression for finding
the weight W of a particle having a mass m 1=m . Let m 2=M e be the mass of the earth and r the
2
distance between the earth’s center and the particle. Then if g=G M e /r , we have

W =mg
By comparison with F=ma we term g the acceleration due to gravity. For most engineering
calculations g is a point on the surface of the earth at sea level, and at a latitude of 45°, which is
considered the “standard location.”

The Equation of Motion. When more than one force acts on a particle, the resultant force is determined
by a vector summation of all the forces; i.e., F R =Σ F . For this more general case, the equation of
motion may be written as

Σ F=ma
To illustrate application of this equation, consider the particle shown in the figure, which has a mass m
and is subjected to the action of two forces F1 and F2.

We can graphically account for the magnitude and direction of each

force acting on the particle by drawing the particle’s free-body diagram.

Since the resultant of these forces produces the vector

ma, its magnitude and direction can be represented graphically on the kinetic diagram as shown above.
The equal sign written between the diagrams symbolizes the graphical equivalency between the free-
body diagram and the kinetic diagram

In particular, note that if F R =Σ F=0 , then the acceleration is also zero, so that the particle will either
remain at rest or move along a straight-line path with constant velocity. Such are the conditions of static
equilibrium, Newton’s first law of motion.

Initial Reference Frame. When applying the equation of motion, it is important that the acceleration of
the particle be measured with respect to a reference frame that is either fixed or translates with a
constant velocity. In this way, the observer will not accelerate and measurements of the particle’s
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

acceleration will be the same from any reference of this type. Such a frame of reference is commonly
known as a Newtonian or inertial reference frame as shown below.

When studying the motions of rockets and satellites, it is

justifiable to consider the inertial reference frame as fixed to the stars, whereas dynamics problems
concerned with motions on or near the surface of the earth may be solved by using an inertial frame
which is assumed fixed to the earth. Even though the earth both rotates about its own axis and revolves
about the sun, the accelerations created by these rotations are relatively small and so they can be
neglected for most applications.

Sample Problems
Dynamics of Rigid Bodies
Dynamics of Rigid Bodies
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

Problem Solving.

DEPENDENT MOTIONS

1. Determine the speed of the elevator if each of the motor draws in the cable with a constant
speed of 5 m/s.

2. Determine the speed of block A in the figure if block B

has an upward speed of 6 ft/s.

3. Determine the speed of A in the figure if B has an upward

speed of 6ft/s.
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

4. Determine the speed of block B if the end of the cord at A is pulled down with a speed of 2m/s.

CURVILINEAR/PROJECTILE MOTION

1. A rock is thrown horizontally of a 100m cliff. It lands 95m away, at what speed was it thrown?
2. Farmer bob and his horse flash ump a 100m wide canyon. The flight through the air takes 5
seconds. Find the initial velocity, the magnitude and the angle of the initial velocity.
3. A helicopter flying with a velocity of 160 km/hr at elevation 600m above sea level dropped
supply bags to hit a camp site situated at elevation 300m above sea level. How many kilometers
from the camp site should the bags be dropped so that they will fall within the camp site?
Disregard wind velocity and atmospheric pressure.
4. An archer, standing 60m from the face of a cliff, shoots an arrow onto the cliff. If the initial
velocity of the arrow is 30m/s and neglecting air resistance, how high on the face of the cliff is
the highest point which the arrow can hit?

KINETIC OF PARTICLES

1. The motor winds in the cable with a constant acceleration, such that the 20-kg crate moves a
distance s=6m in 3 s, starting from rest. Determine the tension developed in the cable. The
coefficient of kinetic friction between the crate and the plane is 0.3.
 Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

2. Block B rests upon a smooth surface. If the coefficients of static and kinetic friction between A
and B are μs =0.4∧μk =0.3respectively, determine the acceleration of each block if P = 6 lb.

3. If blocks A and B of mass 10 kg and 6 kg, respectively, are placed on the inclined plane and
released, determine the force developed in the link. The coefficients of kinetic friction
between the blocks and the inclined plane are μ A =0.1∧μ B=0.3. Neglect the mass of the
link.

4. Motors A and B draw in the cable with the accelerations

shown. Determine the acceleration of the 300-lb crate C
and the tension developed in the cable. Neglect the mass of all the pulleys.

References:

Statics and Dynamics by R.C. Hibbeler

Engineering Mechanics by Matias A. Arreola