Chapter No.

8
Motion in Noninertial
Frames
Motion Looks Different From Different
Frames

Football kicked into the air

Man on the Ground Man on a Parachute Bungee Jumper
A reference frame is a rigid body with
three rigid axes attached to it

z 
v

 a
r

x
Are Newton’s Equations (Consequently
whole of mechanics) valid in all kinds of
reference frames?

Answer :

Newton’s equations are valid only in

inertial frames.
Inertial Frame (Uncritical Definition) :
A frame that moves with constant velocity
without rotation
Constant velocity and without rotation with
respect to what ?

Another Inertial Frame!!!

A more precise definition is provided by
Newton’s First Law :

A frame in which a body, not acted upon

by any force, is either at rest or moves
uniformly. That is, a frame, in which law
of inertia holds.

Q. Does there exist such a frame?

A. If there exists one such frame, then
there exist a whole class of infinitely many
such frames, as provided by Galelian
Principle of Invariance
 Galelian Principle of Invariance

If laws of motion hold in one frame,

then they also hold in any other frame,
moving with uniform velocity without
rotation, w.r.t. it
Newton’s Belief : There is one such
frame, the frame of the absolute space.
Such a frame is the prime inertial frame.

A frame, that is very close to being an

inertial frame, is the Celestial Sphere.

This frame is the Gold Standard inertial

frame.
Earth
Photograph of CS with
sufficient exposure time
Celestial Sphere shows its rotation w.r.t
earth
Green : Frame of the Celestial Sphere
Red : Frame of the Earth
Since the earth rotates very slowly w.r.t
an inertial frame, it is very nearly an
inertial frame.

A revolving lab on the north-pole can be

an almost perfect inertial frame.
A lab on the north
pole, revolving w.r.t
the earth, from east-
to-west, at the rate
1 rev./day.

It is a near perfect
inertial frame.
1. A frame is either inertial or non-inertial
in itself, and not in relation to another
frame.
2. An inertial frame is one in which
Newton’s first law holds – given a test
body without any net force acting on it,
it should be at rest.

Inertial Non-inertial
2. Galilean Principle : If one frame is
inertial, then any other, moving
uniformly without rotation w.r.t. it, is
also inertial

Non-inertial
Inertial

v0
Inertial
3. If we can identify one inertial frame in
nature, we can have infinitely many
others.

4. One frame which satisfies the criteria

of inertial frame is the celestial sphere

5. The major cause for earth’s failure to

be an inertial frame is its rotation @
5
1rev./day ( 7 10 rad / sec ) w.r.t. the
celestial sphere.
 Non-inertial Frames

1. Accelerated Frames

2. Rotating Frames
Accelerated Frames
Equation of motion in an accelerated frame

S’
S : Inertial Frame
 
r r′
S
S’ : Accelerated Frame 
R
 2

   d r
2
d r′ d R2

+R⇒ 2 =
r = r′ 2 +
dt dt dt 2
  
or, a = a′
+ a0
  
∴ma′= ma - ma 0
However,
 
ma  F , the actual force acting on the body
 
∴ ma′ = F′
    
Where, F  F  ma 0  F  Ffictitious
 
Ffictitious = - ma 0

Thus, Newton’s equations of motion are still

valid in an accelerated frame, provided, a
fictitious force is added to the real force
Fictitious forces (also called inertial force)
on objects in an accelerated frame are
proportional to their masses!

a0
Mpua0 Mpena0 Mpiaa0
 A
Prob. 8.2 w

A truck at rest has its

back door fully open.
Top View
The truck accelerates
forward at constant
rate A, and the door A
w
begins to swing shut.
h
The door is uniform
and solid, has total
mass M, height h, and Rear View
width w.
a. Find the instantaneous ang. velocity of the door
about its hinges, when it has swung through 90
degrees.

b. Find the horizontal force on the door when

it has swung through 90 deg.
a)  y
MAw d
 cos   I MA
2 dt
x
M w2
I
3 A
Truck’s Frame

Writing :

d d d d A
  ,
dt d dt d

MA
MAw d
cos   I
2 d Mg
 / 2 
MAw
Integrating,
2 0 cos  d  I   d
0

MAw
Or, 
I
 a
b) 

The acceleration (in the truck’s frame) of the CM of

the door in the forward direction and in the position
shown, is :
w 2
a  
2
Mw2 M 2 w 2 A
F  Ma   
2 2I
However, F  F  MA
M2 w 2A
 F  MA 
2I
Accelerating, Non-inertial Frames
Fictitious forces on objects in an
accelerated frame are proportional to
their masses!

a0
Mpua0 Mpena0 Mpiaa0
Accelerating Frames are Similar to Uniform Gravity!

Mpumg Mpeng Mpiag

Earth
The two forces, inertial and uniform
gravity are totally indistinguishable
One can make uniform gravity
disappear by accelerating his frame in
an appropriate manner

Earth
One can take two viewpoints

1. Inertial forces are as real as gravity

2. Gravity is as fictitious as inertial

forces

Einstein took the second viewpoint

and created general theory of relativity
Prob. 8.2 Revisited
Alternative Approach (Energy Conservation)

We have seen that the fictitious force

developed in an accelerating frame, is
indistinguishable from uniform gravity.

Thus, in the truck’s frame, there will be

a uniform horizontal gravity, directed
opposite to the acceleration of the
truck. The g value of this gravitational
field is A, the acceleration of the truck.
 g=A
w

Uniform horizontal gravitational field in the

truck’s frame, directed left.
 Position 1 Position 2

In going from position 1 to position 2,

the CM of the door falls in this uniform
gravitational field through a distance w
2
1 2 w
Conserving energy, I  MA
2 2
MAw
 
I
What about nonuniform gravity?

Can it be also be mimicked by an

accelerating frame?

Can it be made to vanish?

Ans : The major part of it can be made
to vanish. However, a residual part will
still remain, and this residual gravity is
the well known Tidal Force
Tidal Force
 Frame at
rest in
g1 g2 g3 nonuniform
gravity

Earth

Frame
falling
freely in
nonuniform
gravity
g0

Earth
 Earth as freely
falling frame
Sun

Tidal force at near and far end of the earth

 d
P1 P2
R
M

 1 1  2GMd
g Tid
  GM  2  

P1 2 3
 ( R d ) R  R

 1 1  2GMd
g Tid
  GM  2  

P2 2 3
 ( R d ) R  R
 g0
g
 d
R
M
GM GM
g 2 ; g0  2
R d 2
R

Resolving g along the dotted axes

GM GM R GM  d2  GM
gh  2 cos   2 32  2 
1  (3 2) 2  .....  2
R d 2
(R  d )
2
R  R  R

 g0
 GM GM d
gv  2 sin  
R d 2
R  d 
2 2 32

GM d

R3

2GM d

R3
GM d

R3
Tidal Force Distribution on the Surface of Earth

Earth

Sun or Moon
 Low tide

High tide High tide

Moon
Low tide

Earth
High Tide Low Tide
The Moon Wins Over the Sun in its Tidal Effects on
Earth !!

Sun’s Gravity on Earth is Much Stronger than

that of Moon :
Rs
 4  10 2
Rm
Mm
 3.7  10 8 RS Ms
Ms
Mm
Rm
2
gm Mm R
  6  10 3
s
2
gs Ms R m

g Tid .
gm Rs
However, m
Tid .
  2.4
gs gs R m
Example : A spring with two identical
masses attached to its ends is dropped
vertically in the gravitational field of a
spherical body.

What will be the extension of the spring?

In the
frame of
the spring,
there will
be tidal
gravity
 m

m
GMm

R3

 k(   0 )

M
 GMm
k (   0 )  3
 
R
 0
     0 
k
mg
Now,  
R
Taking the spherical body to be the earth,
and m  1kg, k  100 N / m,  0  1m , we get

  1.5  106 N / m,   15 nm
Replace the earth by a white dwarf star :

  1.5 N / m,   1.5 cm

Get a little more adventurous and do the

experiment on a Neutron star :

The spring will straighten out and may

even snap
Q. How massive does the sun have to
be for it to snatch away people from
earth?

Earthling
Earth

Tidal gravity of sun

Sun Actual gravity of earth
Answer

The sun has to be 1700 times as massive

as it actually is for its gravity to match
that of the earth

The sun has to be 11500 times further

massive for it to snatch people away.
Some Remarkable Effects of Tidal Force
Jupiter’s Innermost Moon, Io, a case of
Tidal Heating
 Roche Limit

Roche Limit
If the tidal gravity of the primary over a
secondary becomes stronger than the self
gravity of the secondary, the secondary is
torn apart.

Inside the Roche Limit, no object can

be held together by its gravitational
attraction alone
 R

a
d

m
M

2GM d Gm
  2
R3 d
1/ 3
 2 M 
1/ 3
 2M 
Equating the two : R  d    a  
 m   m 
If the densities of the primary and the
secondary are the same, then

R  1.26 a

A more realistic calculation, taking into

account the deformation of the primary
gives

R  2.45 a
Roche Limit for Saturn
For a comet, whose density is low, the
Roche Limit is much larger

The comet Shoemaker Levy, breaking up

after entering the Roche limit of Jupiter
 Rotating Coordinate System

z
z’
(x,y,z) : Inertial frame
y’

(x’,y’,z’) : Frame rotating w.r.t

y
the inertial frame
x
x’

Goal : Find the equation of motion of a

particle in frame (x’,y’,z’)
Result I
Change in a vector that undergoes infinitesimal
rotation about a fixed axis
  n̂
A  A sin  
  
 A  (n̂  A)  
A

n̂ : Unit vector along 
axis of rotation A

If the vector A is rotating about the axis with
angular velocity  , then    t
   
 A  (n  A)  t
 
 (   A) t

dA  
   A
dt

Conversely, if the coordinate frame

 is
rotating with angular velocity  , a fixed
vector will appear to rotate in the reverse
sense. So,

dA  
   A
dt
 Result II
Relationship between rates of change of a
vector in two frames, rotating w.r.t. each other


z 
(x,y,z) : Inertial frame z’ A
y’

(x’,y’,z’) : Frame rotating w.r.t y

the inertial frame
x
x’


Green arrow : A vector A ( t ) changing with
time
Let :

 dA  
 
 dt  : Rate of change of A in the inertial frame
 in


 dA  
 
 dt  : Rate of change of A in the rotating frame
  rot

 
 dA   dA 
Q : How are    
 dt  &  dt  related to each other?
 in   rot
 
 dA   dA   
Claim :         A
 dt  rot  dt in
Proof :
 
Let (A)in & (A) rot be changes in the vector as
observed in the two frames, in time t .

The two would be the same, if there were no

relative rotation between the two

However, due to the rotation of the primed

frame, there will be an additional change in this
frame
  
This additional change is :(A)app   (  A) t
    
 (A) rot  (A)in  ( A) t
 
 dA   dA   
Or,   
 
   A

 dt  rot  dt in

d d 
Or,        
 dt  rot  dt in
Velocity and Acceleration Vectors in the Two Frames
 
  dr    dr        
v rot       r  vin    r
 dt  rot  dt in
 
  dv rot 

 dv rot   
a rot       v rot
 dt  rot  dt in

Substituting from the first equation,

   
 dv rot   dvin   d (  r )      
       a in    r    vin
 dt in  dt in  dt in
       
 a in    r   v rot   ( r )
         
 a rot  a in    (  r )  2   vrot    r

Equation of Motion in the Rotating Frame

Multiplying both sides of the above eq. by the mass

of the particle :
        
ma rot  ma in  m(  (  r ))  2m(  vrot )  m(  r )

However, Newton’s eq. being valid in an inertial frame,

 
ma in  F
Therefore, Eq. of motion in the rotating frame is :
        
ma  F  m(  (  r ))  2m(  v)  m(  r )
   fict  fict  fict
 Feff  Freal  F1  F2  F3

Thus, eq. of motion of a particle in a rotating frame

is in the form of Newton’s equation, provided,
following fictitious forces are added :
  
1.  m (  (  r ))  The Centrifugal Force
 
2.  2m (  v)  The Coriolis Force
 
3.  m (  r )  Unnamed, as mostly absent
 Centrifugal Force
n̂

   n̂
r
 Fcf
r

    2  
Fcf   m (  (  r ))  m  ( r  (n̂  r ) n̂)

 m r (away from axis )

2
 Coriolis Force

 Path followed by
marble, as seen by
observer on ground

v
Fc

Marble on a frictionless Roulette Wheel

 

Ball rolled from rim towards centre

On a merry-go-round in the night

Coriolis was shaken with fright

Despite how he walked

‘Twas like he was stalked

By some fiend always pushing him

right

David Morin, Eric Zaslow ……

Example I : Car on a Revolving Platform (Chapter 3)
Car driven along a fixed radial line with uniform velocity

Equation of motion of the car in the frame of the

platform :   

ma rot  Ffric  Fcor  Fcf
Since in the platform’s frame the car is moving

with uniform velocity, a rot  0
  
Ffric   Fcorr  Fcf
    
 2m (  v)  m (  (  r ))

  m  v0 t r̂  2m  v0 ˆ
2
Prob. 8.8 : Derive the familiar expression for velocity
in plane polar coordinates :

v  r r̂  r  ˆ
by examining the motion in a coordinate system in
which the instantaneous velocity is in the radial
direction.
Choose a rotating frame (xy) in which the particle
moves in the radial direction.

y Particle seen to move

y’ along this dotted line
in the rotating frame
x’

 
    k̂

v rot  r r̂
Using the relation
   
vin  v rot    r

We get

v  r r̂  ( k̂)  (r r̂)  r r̂  r  ˆ
Example II : Deriving Newton’s equations in the
polar form, using fictitious forces.
Particle seen to move
y
y’ along this dotted line
in the rotating frame

x’

x-y : Inertial Frame

x’-y’ : Rotating frame in which the inst. velocity

and inst. acceleration are radial
 Ang. vel. of xy frame   k̂
Ang. acc. of xy frame   k̂

Equation of motion of the particle in the rotating

frame is :
 
mr r̂  Freal  Ffict

Ffict   m[  k̂  (( k̂  r r̂))  2  k̂  (r r̂)   k̂  (r r̂) ]

  m [  r  r̂  (r   2 r  ) ˆ ]
 2

Putting this back into the eq. of motion and

dropping the subscript ‘real’ from the real force,
 
mr r̂  m [  r  r̂  (r   2 r  ) ˆ ]  F
2

Equating the radial and tangential components on

either side,

m (r  r  )  Fr
2

m (r   2 r  )  F
 
Prob. 8.12 : A pendulum is
fixed on a revolving platform
as shown. It can swing only
in a plane perpendicular to
the horizontal axle. Find the
frequency of the pendulum

M : Mass of pendulum
L : Length of massless rod
 : Const. Ang. Vel. of platform
 

Fcor T

Fcf mg

In the frame of the rotating platform all the forces

acting on the pendulum are shown.
However, the forces that
affect the motion are shown 
in this figure. L

T
Fcf  M r 2  M(L sin ) 2
Fcf mg
  ML2 2 sin  cos   MgL sin 

  ML(g  L2 )

g  L 2
 
L

L 2  L 2 
 0 1  0 1  
g  2g 
Example III : Rotating Vessel of Water



   ẑ
   
g eff   g 0 ẑ    (  r )

  g 0 ẑ  2 (x x̂  y ŷ)

The surface of a fluid in equilibrium must

follow a gravitational equipotential surface
 ( x , y ,z )
 
Veff ( x, y, z)    g eff  d 
( 0, 0, 0 )
(x,y,z)

2 2
 g0z 
2
x  y2 

Constant potential surface is

given by :
2 2
z  z0 
2g 0
x  y2  
z0
If R is the radius of the cylindrical vessel,
then the depth of the surface is :

2R 2
h
2g 0 R
h

z0
Coriolis Effect on Earth’s Surface

 sin 

cos 


v


 v  v x î  v y ĵ

   (cos  ĵ  sin  k̂)
  
Fcor  2m (v  )
h 
Fcor  2m(v   sin k̂)
The Coriolis force on a body moving on the
surface of the earth is as if the earth is
rotating with angular velocity sin  about
the vertical


sin 

sin 
8.9. A 400 tons train runs south at a
speed of 60 mi/h at a latitude of 60. What
is the force on the tracks? What is the
direction of the force?


Fcor  2m v  sin 600  1300 N

v
The force, being to
600
the right of
direction of motion,
is to the west (Red
Arrow)
Frame with centre at the origin


1200
Fcor v Fcf
600
Coriolis Effect on Missiles

Coriolis force on the

missile
 a c  2 v sin    v (Taking   300 )

For a cruise missile fired at a target

distant L away, the deviation S is :

1 2 1 L2
s  act 
2 2 v

For L  10 km, v  700 m / s,   7.0  105 rad / s

s  5m
Coriolis Effect on Missiles

Coriolis force on the

missile
 a c  2 v sin    v (Taking   300 )

For a cruise missile fired at a target

distant L away, the deviation S is :

1 2 1 L2
s  act 
2 2 v

For L  10 km, v  700 m / s,   7.0  105 rad / s

s  5m
 

Outside Inertial
observer
8.9. A 400 tons train runs south at a
speed of 60 mi/h at a latitude of 60. What
is the horizontal force on the tracks?
What is the direction of the force?


Fcor  2m v  sin 600  1300 N

v
The force, being to
600
the right of
direction of motion,
is to the west (Red
Arrow)
Choice of Coordinate System on the
Earth
 
a 0  R cos 2

Facc  mR cos 2

Fictitious forces in
this frame are :
 
Facc & Fcor

The local frame, shown by red axes, is both a

rotating as well as accelerating frame
 

r  R cos 

Fcf  mR cos 2

Fictitious forces in
this frame are :
 
Fcf & Fcor

Frame (Green axes) with origin at the centre of

the earth
Prob No. 8.9 : Frame with centre at the
origin


1200
Fcor v Fcf
600
Prob. 8.11 : A high speed hydrofoil
races across the ocean at the equator
at a speed of 200 mi/h.
g
Find the fractional change in gravity
g
inside the hydrofoil if it is heading

1. East 2. West 3. North 4. South

g is the gravity as seen on the ground

g 0 is the true gravity of the earth

 

The frame of the hydrofoil (green axes) is both a

rotating as well as accelerating frame.

In this frame : Fcf  Fcor  0

1. HF moving east


g  g 0  R2 ; g  g 0  R  v R
2


g  g  g   R2 1 v R  1
2

g  2 v 
R 
g g
v

  7 105 rad / s, v  90 m / s, g  10 m / s 2

g
  1.25 103   0.125 %
g
1. HF moving west
g
Replace v by - v   0.125 %
g
1. HF moving north or south


R

 
g  g 0  R2 ; g  g 0  R 22  v 2 R

g
  1.26 104
g
Foucault Pendulum
 Foucault pendulum on a rotating platform


r
 v y
x
Fcor

The only force in the ̂ direction is the


coriolis force : Fcor   2m r ˆ
Eq. of motion in the ̂ direction :
m (r   2 r  )   2m  r
A solution for  is :

   t

Thus, the plane of oscillations of the

pendulum, rotates about the vertical with an
angular velocity, which is the same as that of
the rotating platform, but in the opposite
sense.
 Foucault Pendulum on Rotating Earth

On the surface of the earth, at latitude  , the

rate of rotation is sin , where  is earth’s
angular velocity. The rotation is clockwise.

z
sin 

x
At the north pole, the plane of the pendulum,
rotates once a day.
 Coriolis force and cyclone formation

Northern hemisphere Southern hemisphere

Low
Northern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
High Pressure Hurricanes Do not Form