Chapter 12 :

Kinematics of a Particle
（III）

by

Dr. Toh Hoong Thiam

 General Curvilinear Motion

 Curvilinear motion occurs when the

particle moves along a curved path.

 As the path of curvilinear motion 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).

 The position of the particle, measured from a fixed point O,

is designated by the position vector rԦ = rԦ(t).
 Displacement
 Suppose during a small time interval Δt the particle moves a
distance Δs along the curve to a new position, defined by
 
r '  r  r
 The change in the particle’s position is represented by the
displacement ∆Ԧr given by
  
r  r 'r
 Velocity
 During the time Δt, the average velocity of the particle is
defined as

 r
vavg 
t

 The instantaneous velocity is given by


  r 
v  lim  
t 0 t
 


 dr
v
dt
 P P

 As Δt →0, the direction of ∆𝑟Ԧ approaches the tangent to the

curve at point P.


Direction of v is tangent to the path
 The magnitude of vԦ , which is called the speed, is given by

 r 
v  lim  
t 0 t
 

 s 
 lim  
t 0 t
 

ds
v
dt
 Acceleration

 Let

vԦ = the velocity of the particle at time t,

v′ = the velocity of the particle at time t + ∆t,

 The average acceleration of the particle during the time

interval Δt is Hodograph

 v
aavg 
t

Note : A curve that describes the locus of points for the arrowhead of the
velocity vector is called a hodograph.
 The instantaneous acceleration of the particle at time t is

 
 
v
a  lim  
t 0 t
 

 dv
a
dt


 Since  dr
v
dt


 d 2r
a 2
dt
 Hodograph

 As Δt →0, the direction of ∆Ԧv approaches the tangent to the

hodograph.

Direction of a is tangent to the hodograph

 Thus, a is not tangent to the path of the motion.

 General Curvilinear Motion:
Rectangular Components

 When the curvilinear motion of a particle can conveniently be

expressed in terms of its x, y and z components, a rectangular
coordinate system can be used.

 The curvilinear motion along a path can then be resolved into

rectilinear motion along the x, y, z axes.
 Position
 The location of a particle at
point (x, y, z) on the curved
path s is defined by the
position vector

r  xiˆ  yˆj  zkˆ

 The magnitude of rԦ is defined as

r  x2  y2  z 2

 The direction of rԦ is specified by the unit vector


 r
ur 
r
 Velocity
 The velocity of the particle is given by

 dr
v
dt
 d ˆ ˆ
v
dt

xi  yj  zkˆ 
  dx ˆ diˆ   dy ˆ dˆj   dz ˆ dkˆ 
v   i  x    j  y    k  z 
 dt dt   dt dt   dt dt 

     diˆ dˆj dkˆ 

v  vx i  v y j  vz k  since    0 
 dt dt dt
 
where
dx dy dz
vx   x , v y   y , vz   z
dt dt dt
 The velocity vԦ has a magnitude
given by

v  vx2  v y2  vz2

 The direction of the velocity vԦ is specified by the unit vector


 v
uv 
v

 The velocity is always tangent to the path of motion.

 Acceleration
 The acceleration of the particle is given by

 dv
a
dt
 d ˆ
a
dt

vx i  v y ˆj  vz kˆ 
 dvx ˆ dvy ˆ dvz ˆ
a i j k
dt dt dt

   
a  ax i  a y j  az k

where
dvx dvy dvz
ax   vx  x , a y   v y  y , az   vz  z
dt dt dt
 The acceleration has a magnitude

a  ax2  a y2  az2

 The direction of the acceleration is specified by the unit vector


 a
ua 
a

 In general, the acceleration will not be tangent to the path.

Example 12.9
Given:
• At any instant the position of the
weather balloon is defined by
x = (9t) , y = x2/30.
where t is in seconds.

Find:
• The distance of the balloon from the station at A when t = 2 s,

• The magnitude and direction of both the velocity and

acceleration when t = 2 s.
Solution:

Position
• When t = 2 s, the coordinates for the position of the balloon is given by

 x = [9t]t=2 = (9) (2) = 18 m


 

  y = (x2/30) = (182) /30) = 10.8 m

• The straight-line distance from A to B is

r  x2  y2

 182  10.82
= (9) (2) = 21 m
Velocity

• The velocity components are given by :


 vx  x 
d
9t  = 9 m/s
  dt

d  x 2  d  9t 2 
  v y  y       = (5.4 t) m/s
dt  30  dt  30 

• At t = 2 s, the velocity components are

vx = 9 m/s →
vy = (5.4)(2) = 10.8 m/s ↑
• The magnitude of velocity is

v  vx2  v y2  92  10.82 = 14.1 m/s

• The direction of the velocity is tangent to the path, where

vy
 v  tan 1

vx

10.8
 tan 1
9

= 50.2o
Acceleration
• The components of acceleration are given by

 9 = 0
 dv x d
 a x  vx 
  dt dt

dvy
 5.4t  = (5.4 ) m/s2 ↑
a y  v y  d
 
dt dt

• The magnitude of acceleration is

a ax 2  a y 2  02  5.42 = 5.4 m/s2

• The direction of acceleration is

a = 90o
Example 12.10
Given:
• For a short time, the path of the plane
in the adjacent figure is described by
y = (0.001 x2) m.

• At the instant shown, the plane is rising with a constant upward

velocity of 10 m/s.

Find:
• Determine the magnitudes of the velocity and acceleration of the
plane when it reaches an altitude of y = 100 m.
Solution:
Position
• The path is given by
y = (0.001 x2) .

Therefore,
y
x2 
0.001

x  1000y 
1
2

• When y = 100 m,

x  1000(100)
1
2

x = 316.2 m
Velocity
• The vertical velocity component is given to be at 10 m/s.
dy
  vy  = 10 m/s
dt

• Horizontal velocity component:

 dx

 
vx 
dt

vx 
d
dt
 1
(1000 y ) 2 
 1  12 dy 
vx  (1000)  y
1
2

2 dt 

 1  12 
vx  (1000)  y v y 
1
2

2 
 1  12 
vx  (1000)  (100) (10) 
1
2

2 

vx= 15.81 m/s

• The magnitude of the velocity is

v  vx2  v y2

 15.812  102
= 18.7 m/s
Acceleration
• Horizontal component of the acceleration


dvx
 ax 
  dt
d  1 1  12 
a x  (1000)  y v y 
2

dt  2 

1 1
d   
1
a x  (1000) 2 v y  y 2 
2 dt  
1 1
d    dy
1
a x  (1000) 2 v y  y 2 
2 dy   dt
1  1  32 
a x  (1000) v y   y v y 
1
2

2  2 
 1 2  32
a x   (1000) v y y
1
2

4
1  32
a x   (1000) (10) (100)
1
2 2

4
ax= − 0.791 m/s2

• Vertical component of the acceleration

dv y
  ay  
d
10 = 0
dt dt

• The magnitude of the acceleration is

a ax 2  a y 2
 (0.791) 2  0 2

= 0.791 m/s2