Physics for scientists and Engineers with modern physics, by

Raymond A. Serway 9th Edition, John W. Jewett, 2014.

preparatory year (2020 -2021)

Physics Department
 CONTENTS

4.1: The Position, Velocity, and Acceleration Vectors.

4.2: Two-Dimensional Motion with Constant Acceleration.
 Chapter 4: Motion in Two Dimensions

4.1: The Position, Velocity, and Acceleration Vectors.

▪ The using of + or – signs is not always sufficient to fully describe

motion in more than one dimension.
▪ The position of an object is described
by its position vector, 𝒓.
▪ The displacement (∆𝒓) of the object is
defined as the change in its position:

∆𝒓 = 𝒓𝒇 − 𝒓𝒊
▪ Average velocity (𝑣Ԧ𝑎𝑣𝑔 ) of a particle during the time interval (∆𝑡) is defined
as: displacement of the particle divided by the time interval.
∆𝒓
𝒗𝒂𝒗𝒈 =
∆𝒕
▪ Instantaneous velocity (𝒗) is defined as the limit of the average velocity
∆𝑟Ԧ ∆𝒓 𝒅𝒓
as (∆𝑡) approaches zero. 𝒗 = 𝒍𝒊𝒎 =
∆𝑡 ∆𝒕→𝟎 ∆𝒕 𝒅𝒕

▪ The direction of the instantaneous velocity vector at any point in

a particle’s path is along a line tangent to the path at that point
and in the direction of motion.

▪ The magnitude of the instantaneous velocity vector 𝒗 = 𝒗 of a

particle is called the speed of the particle, which is a scalar quantity.
▪ The average acceleration (𝒂𝒂𝒗𝒈 ) of a particle is defined as the
change in its instantaneous velocity vector 𝑣Ԧ divided by the time
∆𝒗
interval(∆𝑡), during which that change occurs: 𝒂𝒂𝒗𝒈 =
∆𝒕

▪ The instantaneous acceleration (𝒂), is defined as the limiting value

∆𝑣 ∆𝒗 𝒅𝒗
of the ratio ∆𝑡
as (∆𝑡) approaches zero: 𝒂 = 𝒍𝒊𝒎 =
∆𝒕→𝟎 ∆𝒕 𝒅𝒕

Quick Quiz 4.1 Consider the following controls in an automobile in

motion: gas pedal, brake, steering wheel. What are the controls in this
list that cause an acceleration of the car?
(a) all three controls. (b) the gas pedal and the brake.
(c) only the brake. (d) only the gas pedal.
(e) only the steering wheel.
 4.2: Two-Dimensional Motion with Constant Acceleration
▪ The motion in two dimensions can be modeled as two independent
motions in each of the two perpendicular directions associated with the 𝑥
and 𝑦 axes. That is, any influence in the 𝑦− direction does not affect the
motion in the 𝑥- direction and vice versa.

▪ The position vector (𝒓) for a particle moving in the 𝒙 − 𝒚 plane can be
written 𝒓 = 𝒙 𝒊Ƹ + 𝒚 𝒋Ƹ .

▪ If the position vector is known, then the velocity (𝒗) of the particle
𝒅𝒓 𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒚
can be obtained by: 𝒗 = = 𝒊Ƹ + 𝒋Ƹ = 𝒗𝒙 𝒊Ƹ + 𝒗𝒚 𝒋.Ƹ
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕
 The Equations of motion
Quantity Vector equation Components equations
𝑣𝑥𝑓 = 𝑣𝑥𝑖 + 𝑎𝑥 t
The final velocity vector 𝑣Ԧ𝑓 = 𝑣Ԧ𝑖 + 𝑎Ԧ 𝑡
𝑣𝑦𝑓 = 𝑣𝑦𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 t
1
𝑥𝑓 = 𝑥𝑖 + 𝑣𝑥𝑖 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑥 𝑡 2
The final position vector 2
1
𝑟Ԧ𝑓 = 𝑟Ԧ𝑖 + 𝑣Ԧ𝑖 𝑡 + 𝑎Ԧ 𝑡 2 1
2
𝑦𝑓 = 𝑦𝑖 + 𝑣𝑦𝑖 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑦 𝑡 2
2
 Example 4.1: Motion in a Plane
A particle moves in the 𝑥 - 𝑦 plane, starting from the origin at 𝑡 = 0 with an initial velocity
having an 𝑥 - component of (𝑣𝑥𝑖 = 20 𝑚/𝑠) and a 𝑦 - component of (𝑣𝑦𝑖 = −15 𝑚/𝑠).
The particle experiences an acceleration in the 𝑥 - direction, given by (𝑎𝑥 = 4.0 𝑚Τ𝑠 2 ),
then (𝑎𝑦 = 0 𝑚Τ𝑠 2 ).
(A) Determine the total velocity vector (𝒗𝒇 ) at any time.
(B) Calculate the velocity and speed of the particle at t = 5.0 s and the angle the velocity
vector makes with the x- axis.
Solution
(A) The components of the velocity 𝒗𝒙𝒇 , 𝒗𝒚𝒇 are:
𝑣𝑥𝑓 = 𝑣𝑥𝑖 + 𝑎𝑥 t = ( 20 + 4.0 t )
𝑣𝑦𝑓 = 𝑣𝑦𝑖 + 𝑎𝑦 t = ( – 15) + (0) t = ( – 15)
There for the final velocity 𝑣Ԧ𝑓 is:
𝑣Ԧ𝑓 = 𝑣𝑥𝑓 𝑖Ƹ + 𝑣𝑦𝑓 𝑗Ƹ = ( 20 + 4.0 t ) 𝑖Ƹ + ( – 15 ) 𝑗Ƹ = ( 20 + 4.0 t ) 𝑖Ƹ – 15 𝑗Ƹ
(b) Calculate the velocity and speed of the particle at 𝒕 = 𝟓. 𝟎 𝒔 and
the angle the velocity vector makes with the 𝒙 − 𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒔.
The velocity (𝒗𝒇 ) of the particle at (𝒕 = 𝟓. 𝟎 𝒔).

𝑣Ԧ𝑓 = (20 + 4.0 𝑡) 𝑖 Ƹ – 15 𝑗 Ƹ = (20 + 4.0 𝑥 5) 𝑖 Ƹ – 15 𝑗 Ƹ = 40 𝑖 Ƹ –15 𝑗 Ƹ 𝑚/𝑠

𝑣𝑦𝑓 −15 𝑚/𝑠
𝜃= tan−1 = tan −1 = −21° 𝑜𝑟 339°
𝑣𝑥𝑓 40 𝑚/𝑠

The speed of the particle as the magnitude of velocity 𝒗𝒇 = 𝒗𝒇

2 2
𝑣𝑓 = 𝑣𝑥𝑓 + 𝑣𝑦𝑓 = 402 + (−15)2 = 43 𝑚/𝑠
 Problems , Chapter 4
1. When an object dropped from a moving airplane:
a. It falls straight down.
b. It hits the ground at a point different from the one right below the plane
where it was released.
c. It hits the ground at a point below the plane where it was released.
d. None of these.

2. A particle starts from the origin at 𝒕 = 𝟎 with a velocity of (16 𝑖Ƹ – 12 𝑗)Ƹ 𝒎/𝒔 and
moves in the 𝒙 − 𝒚 plane with a constant acceleration of 𝒂 = (3.0 𝑖Ƹ – 6.0 𝑗)Ƹ 𝑚Τ𝑠 2 .
What is the speed of the particle at 𝑡 = 2.0 𝑠?
a. 52.6 𝑚/𝑠 b. 39.7 𝑚/𝑠 c. 46.7 𝑚/𝑠 d. 32.7 𝑚/𝑠

3. A particle starts from the origin at 𝑡 = 0 with a velocity of 8.0 𝑗Ƹ 𝑚Τ𝑠 and moves
in the 𝑥 − 𝑦 plane with a constant acceleration of (4.0 𝑖Ƹ – 2.0 𝑗)Ƹ 𝑚Τ𝑠 2 . The position
vector of the particle at 𝑡 = 1 𝑠 is:
a. (4.0 𝑖Ƹ + 2.0 𝑗)Ƹ m b. (2.0 𝑖Ƹ + 9.0 𝑗)Ƹ m c. 8.0 𝑗Ƹ m d. (4.0 𝑖Ƹ + 8.0 𝑗)Ƹ m
 Home work, Ch 4

Conceptual Questions No page number

Ans: Problems Ch4
1- a
3 101
2- d
3- b Problems page number

7 102