POLAR COORDINATES

Position of P on the plane


r =r 
μ
⃗ ⃗λ Law of motion

r=r t
P(r,q) = t 
⃗r
θ
O
x


 non fixed unit vectors, they rotate with angular speed ̇
POLAR COORDINATES Remember:

μ
⃗ ⃗λ d 
= ̇ 

dt
P(r,q) d

=−̇  
⃗r dt
θ
O
x

Law of motion time derivative 

r =r 

d r d 

v = = ṙ 
 r  r ̇ 
= ṙ   =v  
 v  

dt dt
POLAR COORDINATES Remember:

d
= ̇ 

dt
The second time derivative is: d
=−̇  
dt
d ⃗v d ⃗
λ dμ
⃗
a=
⃗ ⃗
= r̈ λ+ ṙ + ṙ ϑ̇ μ
⃗ +r ϑ̈ μ
⃗ +r ϑ̇
dt dt dt
2

a = r̈   ṙ ̇ 
  ṙ ̇   −r ̇ 
 r ̈  
2
a = r̈−r ̇  
 2 ṙ ̇r ̈   a  
 =a  
CENTRIPETAL
RADIAL or
TANGENTIAL
 Special cases

● Uniform rectilinear motion

● Rectilinear motion uniformly accelerated
● Circular motion
 Uniform rectilinear motion
P is moving along a straight line
t0 : starting time t : generic time
x0 : position of P at time t0 x : position of P at time t
v0 : velocity of P at time t0 v : velocity of P at time t

dx
v= =const
dt MOTION LAW

dv t
a= =0 x t=∫t vdt x 0 =v t−t 0  x 0
dt 0
Rectilinear motion uniformly accelerated

v≠const
2
dv d x
a= = 2 =const
dt dt

LAW MOTION
t
v t =∫t adtv 0=a t−t 0 v 0
0

t 1
x t=∫t 2
vdt x 0= a t−t 0  v 0 t−t 0 x 0
0 2
 Circular motion μ
⃗
P moving along a circular
path with radius r v=r ϑ̇ ⃗
λ

P
r=const r
ω
ṙ= r̈=0
O
Using POLAR COORDINATES

d r d 

v = = ṙ 
 r  r ̇ 
= ṙ   =r ̇ 

dt dt
 μ
⃗
Circular motion
a t =r ϑ̈ ⃗
λ
r=const
ṙ= r̈=0 a P
2
a n =r ϑ̇

O ω
Using POLAR COORDINATES

2 2

a = r̈−r ̇   2 ṙ ̇r ̈ 
 =r ̈  
 r ̇ −
a =a t  
 −a n 
 Circular motion
IF μ
⃗ μ
⃗
̇= a t =r ω̇ ⃗
λ
v=wr
̈=̇
a P
P
ω r a n =r ω
2

THEN
O O ω

v = r 

2
 − r 
a =̇ r  
 r'
Kinematics of rigid body
y
r

q angular coordinate α
yo
O
depends on the choosen line
θ
 ' =≠ θ'
xo x
d ' d 
= = TIME DERIVATIVES ARE
dt dt
THE SAME because a is
2 2 constant
d ' d  THEY ARE A
= 2 = ̇
dt 2
dt CHARACTERISTIC OF
THE WHOLE BODY
Kinematics of rigid body


̇ are vectors
They are
perpendicular to the
plane of motion
RIGHT HAND RULE

Direction of 
 
̇
Clockwise or counter-
clockwise rotation on the
plane correspond to ω ⃗ω⃗˙
going in or out to the plane
 Translatory motion
It's a motion in which every line attached to the body
remains parallel to its original position at all time

=const =0 ̇=0

y B''

B B' A
A''

A A
A'

O
θ θ θ x

AA ' BB '
vA = lim  = lim  = vB
 t 0  t  t 0  t
 Rotation about a fixed axis

y ⃗v ⃗λ
⃗v '
r P
ω P'

O θ
for each P ∈body
x

r =r 
v =r  

 Rotation about a fixed axis

y a⃗t ⃗λ
⃗a
P
ω ω̇ a⃗n
r
O θ

x
for each P ∈body 
r =r 
a=  a a
2 2
v =r    2
n t
−v 
a=r   ̇
2 4 2
an =−r   =   =−v  

r
at =r ̇ 

Rotation about a fixed axis

2
an =−r   
at =r ̇ 


a t ̇
tan= = 2 =const
an 

if =0 ̇=0 if = /2 =0

=const ∃ only an ∃ only at
motion is starting