Cơ 

học kỹ thuật Engineering Mechanics 
ĐỘNG  HỌC KINEMATICS

FUNDAMENTALS OF
RIGID KINEMATICS

Content -2-

1. Overview on the motion of a rigid body

2. Translation: definition, examples, properties
3. Rotation:
• Angular velocity and angular acceleration
• Addition theorem for angular velocity
4. General spatial motion
• Decomposition into translation and rotation about a point.
• Kinematics characteristics.
• Velocity and acceleration of points on the body.
1. Overview on the motion of a rigid body -3-

The spatial position of a rigid body is B

determined by the position of point A z
and the orientation of the body.

If the orientation of the body is

rA A
unchanged while it moves, it is in O
translational motion. x y

If A is fixed while the body moves, the body rotates about a

fixed point.

If both the position of A and the orientation of the body change,

the body exhibits general (spatial) motion.

1. Overview on the motion of a rigid body -4-

Motion of a point Motion of a rigid body

z z B
P
rP rA A
O O
y x
x y
• Translational motion
• On a plane or in the space
• Rotational motion about a fixed point / fixed
• Rectilinear or curvilinear
axis
trajectory
• General spatial motion
• Velocity and acceleration
• Planar motion
• Max. 3 coordinates (3
• Screw motion
DOFs)
• Velocity and acceleration of point A and
angular velocity and angular acceleration
of the body
• Max. 6 coordinates (6 DOFs)
1. Overview on the motion of a rigid body -5-

Rotational
motion
about a
fixed axis B

Translational motion

General planar motion

1. Overview on the motion of a rigid body -6-

Screw motion Rotational motion about a fixed point

z (t )

rA A
O

General motion
 2. Translation -7-

Definition: A body undergoing translational motion does not

change its orientation while moving. [Or: any line of the body is
parallel to itself when the body moves].

translation rA A
D D C O

B
A A B

Property: The trajectories of all points belong to the body are the same.
At a time point: all points belong to the body have the same velocity and the
same acceleration.

Motion of a point can be used to examine the motion of the whole body.

3. Rotation – angular velocity vector -8-

In a rotational motion, the points on the body rotates about a common

axis. If the position of the axis does not change, the body rotates about a
fixed axis. If the axis changes its direction but there exists a fixed point,
the body rotates about a fixed point.

   
d  d e d  d e instantaneous
axis of rotation

d P  d
  P
 P  dr e 
  Pdr
e r r
A
A
A is fixed

Rotation about a fixed axis Rotation about a fixed point

 3. Rotation – angular velocity vector -9-

Consider a body rotating about fixed point A. In an infinitesimal time

period of dt, the path of point P is an arc of PP’ on a sphere centered
at A (this arc is considered as a planar arc, its center at N and its radius
of  = NP). From the position vector of P:
  AN -
d   d  e
 r,  AP instantaneous
axis of rotation

dr  NP, NP  
dr  d  r sin d
 N d
P

e 
    P dr

dr  ed  r r
A
A is fixed

dr  d   
 e r   r
dt dt
     
r 2  r  r  const  r  dr  0  dr  r
3. Rotation – angular velocity vector -10-

 
dr   dc   
  r     c , c  B
dt dt
It can be obtained as follows. Consider
two arbitrary points P and Q of the body,  
  e
instantaneous
  axis of
drP   drQ   rotation
   rP ,    rQ
dt dt 
Q c
  P
d (rQ  rP ) 

  
   (rQ  rP )
rQ  P dr
r
dt A P

  
c  rQ  rP
 3. Rotation – angular velocity and acceleration vector -11-

Definition. Angular velocity vector of rigid

body B with respect to frame R, denoted  
 B
  
R
B, 

satisfies z
c

dc    R
   c , c  B y
dt
x
Definition. Angular acceleration vector of rigid body B with
respect to frame R, denoted  , is the derivative with respect to
time of the angular velocity vector.

 
 d R B  R B d
   or    
dt dt

3. Relative rotation – Addition theorem for angular velocities -12-

Consider frame A rotates about fixed axis z0. Body rotates about axis
z1 on frame A.
z0 z0
A z1 A

R0
w A, 1 2/1 B
 A 
w1 wB ,
 z1
w2/1
B
 R0 A  A B
Denote: w1 = w , w2/1 = w

Addition theorem for angular velocities:

B A A B   
R0
w =
R0
w + w w2/0 = w1/0 + w2/1
 3. Relative rotation – Addition theorem for angular velocity -13-

Lemma: Derivative of a vector in a moving frame 

R0  R1   c 
dc dc R0 R  k
= + w 1 ´c j
dt dt R0

Proof  R1
    i
c = c x i + cy j + c z k  R0  R1 
    d
i = w ´i
( dt c ) = cx i + cy j + cz k
d
R1
dt
 
 j ,k
      
( d
dt
c)
R0
= cx i + cy j + cz k + cx i + cy j + cz k
   R0  R1
  
= (cx i + cy j + cz k ) + w ´ (cx i + cy j + cz k )
  

The lemma is proven.

3. Relative rotation – Addition theorem for angular velocity -14-

Theorem. Geometric angular velocity vector of B

with respect to R0 equals the sum of angular velocity  B
of A w.r.t. R0 and angular velocity of B w.r.t. A. c

R0 B R0 A A B
w = w + w R0
Proof
 O
Consider arbitrary vector c fixed to body B A
R1
From the definition of angular velocity:
R0   A
dc dc
R0  B  A B 
= w ´c, = w ´c
dt dt
R0  A 
dc dc R  
From the lemma: = + 0 wA ´c
dt dt 
  c is arbitrary, thus, the
R0  B R0  A 
w ´c = (
w + Aw B ´ c )
addition theorem for
angular velocity holds.
3. Relative rotation – Addition theorem for angular velocity -15-

Example: 

ez 0 2 
ez

ez 0


① ez 
1 1 ②

  2/1
2/1

  
2  1  2/1
②
 
①  1ez 0  2/1ez

22  (1  2/1 cos  )2  (2/1 sin  )2 

2 lies on the plane of
the frame and rotates
2  12  2/1
2
 212/1 cos  with the frame

3. Relative rotation – Addition theorem for angular velocity -16-

Example: Crank AC (body 1) rotates about z0

a fixed vertical axis z0 with an angular ②
velocity 1. Disk B (body 2) rotates about A ① C
horizontal axis Cz attached to AC with an B
 2/1
angular velocity 2/1. The rotation directions 1
shown in the figure. Determine the angular z
velocity of the disk w.r.t. the fixed frame.

According to the drawn rotation directions, we can

draw the vectors of the angular velocities and the
summation vector.
     
w1 R0
wB =
R0
w A + A w B = w1 + w2/1
z0   
w2
A C = w1k 0 + w2/1k
1 2/1 B

z w2/1 w2 = w12 + w2/1
2
4. General motion: Kinematics characteristics -17-

- General motion of a rigid body is

considered as the combination of the
motion of polar A and the rotational motion
about A.
- Kinematics characteristics of a rigid body in z
general spatial motion
A
rA
Velocity and acceleration of polar A (A is
O
an arbitrary point of the body)
y
  x
vA , aA

Angular velocity and acceleration of the body

 
, 

4. General motion: Velocity and acceleration of points on the body -18-


Theorem 1. Velocity of an arbitrary
point P of rigid body B can be
w
P
determined from the velocity of polar 
point A and the angular velocity of B:  u
rP A
    
vP = vA + w ´ u rA
O

Proof. R R
   drP drA R
d 
rP = rA + u  = + u
dt dt dt
From addition theorem R
d    one can obtain the formula of
u   u
for angular velocity : dt the theorem.
       
Corollary proj
AP( )
vP = projAP vA ( )  vP ⋅ u = (vA + w ´ u ) ⋅ u
4. General motion: Velocity and acceleration of points on the body -19-

Theorem 2. Acceleration of an arbitrary 

 w
point P of rigid body B can be determined a P
from the acceleration of polar point A, the 
angular velocity and the angular  u
rP A
acceleration of B

       rA
a P = a A + a ´ u + w ´ (w ´ u ) O

Proof. Taking derivative w.r.t. time of the formula of theorem 1 yields:

R R  
dvP dvA R
d w   Rd 
= + ´u + w ´ u
dt dt dt dt
Noting the definitions of acceleration, angular velocity and
acceleration, one obtains the formula of theorem 2.

Summary -20-

   Q
dc     d c
   c , c  B   B
dt dt
R0 P
 
R0  R0   O k j
wB = wA + Aw B
A
R1
      
vP = vQ + w ´ u u = PQ i

 
Corollary proj
PQ ( )
vP = projPQ vQ ( )  R0  R1 
d
dt
i = w ´i
        
aQ = aP + a ´ u + w ´ (w ´ u )  j ,k