Chapter 4.

1
Planar Kinematics of a Rigid Body

Mechanical Engineering
Dynamics DAM10903/20903/13903
 Objectives

At the end of this topic, student can :

1. Able to analyze the kinematics of two dimensional (planar)

rigid body motion.

2. Able to use concepts of angular displacement, velocity and

acceleration.
 4.1 Planar Rigid-Body Motion

• To classify the various type of rigid body

• To investigate rigid body translation and show how to
analyze motion about a fixed axis.
Types of rigid body planar motion :
 Translation
 Rotational about fixed axis
 General plane motion
 4.1.1 Translation

• Occurs when a line in the body remains parallel to its original orientation
throughout the motion.
• a rigid body which is subjected to either rectilinear or curvilinear translation in the
x-y plan

Position, r
rB = rA + rB/A

Velocity, v
vB = vA + d rB/A / dt
rB/A = constant → d rB/A / dt = 0
vB = vA

Acceleration, a
aB = aA
 4.1.2 Rotational about a fixed axis

Angular motion measures the time rate of change of the angular position and angular velocity
• Occurs when rigid body rotates about a fixed axis, all the particles of the body,
except those which lie on the axis of rotation, move along circular paths.

Angular Position, θ
• angular position of r is defined by the angle 𝜃
measured from a fixed reference line to r.

Angular Displacement, dθ
• The change in the angular position, which can 𝑑𝜃
be measured as a differential

Angular Velocity, ω
𝑑𝜃 ˙
• The time rate of change in the angular position 𝜔= =𝜃
𝑑𝑡

Angular Acceleration, α 𝑑𝜔
𝛼= =𝜔
˙
• time rate of change of the angular velocity 𝑑𝑡
 4.1.2.1 Comparison between linear and angular

Constant Angular Acceleration

Linear Angular

𝑠(𝑡) 𝜃 (𝑡)

𝑣=𝑣 𝑜+ 𝑎𝑐 𝑡 𝜔=𝜔𝑜 +𝛼 𝑐 𝑡

1 1
𝑠= 𝑠 𝑜+ 𝑣 𝑜 𝑡 + 𝑎 𝑡2 𝜃 =𝜃 𝑜 + 𝜔𝑜 𝑡 + 𝛼 𝑐 𝑡
2
2 𝑐 2

𝑣 2= 𝑣 𝑜2+2 𝑎 𝑐 ( 𝑠 − 𝑠 𝑜 ) 𝜔 2= 𝜔𝑜2 +2 𝛼 𝑐 ( 𝜃 − 𝜃 𝑜 )
 4.1.2.2 Motion of Point P
 point P travels along a circular path of radius r with center at
point O

Position, s
• position vector r, which extends from O to P
s=𝑟 𝜃
Velocity, vt
𝑑𝑠 𝑑
𝑣𝑡= = ( 𝑟 𝜃 )=𝑟 𝜔
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Acceleration, a
• Tangential acceleration
𝑑 𝑣𝑡 𝑑 (
𝑎𝑡 = = 𝑟 𝜔 )=𝑟 𝛼
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
• Normal acceleration

𝑎= √ 𝑎 𝑡 + 𝑎𝑛 = √ (𝑟 𝛼) +(𝑟 𝜔)
2 2 2 2
 Example 1

A cord is wrapped around a wheel as figure, which is initially at rest when θ = 0. If a

force is applied to the cord and gives it an acceleration a = (4t) m/s2, where t is in
seconds, determine, as a function of time,
(a) the angular velocity of the wheel, and
(b) the angular position of line OP in radians.
( 𝑎 𝑃 )𝑡 =𝑟 𝛼
4 𝑡 =(0.2)𝛼
𝛼=20 𝑡 𝑟𝑎𝑑 / 𝑠 2
𝜔 𝑡

∫ 𝑑 𝜔=∫ 20 𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝛼=
𝑑𝜔
0 0 𝑑𝑡
𝜔=10 𝑡 2 𝑟𝑎𝑑 / 𝑠
𝜃 𝑡

∫ 𝑑 𝜃=∫ 10 𝑡 2 𝑑𝑡 𝜔=
𝑑𝜃
0 0
𝑑𝑡
𝜃=3.33 𝑡 3 𝑟𝑎𝑑
 4.1.3 General plane motion

• A body undergoes a simultaneous translation and rotation

The velocity and acceleration of a point P undergoing rectilinear motion can be
related to the angular velocity and angular acceleration of a line contained within a
body using the following procedure.

Position Coordinate Equation

• Locate point P on the body using a position coordinate s, which is measured from
a fixed origin and is directed along the straight-line path of motion of point P.
• Measure from a fixed reference line the angular position θ of a line lying in the
body.
• From the dimensions of the body, relate s to θ, s = f(θ), using geometry and/or
trigonometry.
Time Derivatives
• Take the first derivative of s = f(θ) with respect to time to get a relation between v
and ω.
• Take the second time derivative to get a relation between a and α.
• In each case the chain rule of calculus must be used when taking the time
derivatives of the position coordinate equation.
Generalized rule/Chain rule of calculus
 Example 2

The end of rod R shown in figure maintains contact with the cam by means of a spring.
If the cam rotates about an axis passing through point O with an angular acceleration α
and angular velocity ω, determine the velocity and acceleration of the rod when the
cam is in the arbitrary position θ.

Time Derivatives
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑥 𝑑 𝜃 𝑑𝜃
= × =− 2 r (sin θ)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑 𝜃 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑣=− 2 𝑟 𝜔 sin 𝜃

𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝜔 𝑑𝜃
=− 2𝑟 sin 𝜃 − 2𝑟 𝜔(cos 𝜃)
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Position Coordinate Equation
𝑥=2 𝑟 cos 𝜃 𝑎=− 2𝑟 𝛼 sin 𝜃 −2 𝑟 𝜔 2 (cos 𝜃)
𝑎=− 2𝑟 (𝛼 sin 𝜃 +𝜔 2 cos 𝜃 )
 Example 3

The large window in figure is opened using a hydraulic cylinder AB. If the cylinder
extends at a constant rate of 0.5 m/s, determine the angular velocity and angular
acceleration of the window at the instant θ = 30°.
Position Coordinate Equation
cosine law,
𝑠 2= 22+1 2 − (2) ( 2 ) ( 1 ) 𝑐𝑜𝑠 θ c2 = a2 + b2 – 2ab cos θ
¿ 5 − 4 cos 𝜃
Time Derivatives
𝑑𝑠
2𝑠 =0 − 4 ¿
𝑑𝑡
𝑠 (𝑣 𝑠)=2 ¿

at θ = 30°, vs = 0.5 m/s and s = 1.239 m

( 1.239 ) ( 0.5 ) =sin 30 ° ( 𝜔)
𝜔=0.62𝑟𝑎𝑑/ 𝑠
𝑠 (𝑣 𝑠)=2 ¿
𝑑𝑠 𝑑 𝑣𝑠 𝑑𝜃
𝑣𝑠+ 𝑠 = 2 ( cos 𝜃 ) 𝜔+ 2¿
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑣 𝑠 2+ 𝑠 𝑎 𝑠 =2 ( cos 𝜃 ) 𝜔 2+ 2 ¿

Since as = dvs/dt = 0

(0.5)2 +0=2 ( cos 30 ° ) ( 0.62)2 +2 ¿

𝛼=−0.415 𝑟𝑎𝑑 / 𝑠 2