Chapter 1

KINEMATICS OF PARTICLE
 Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, students should be able:
• To introduce the concepts of position, displacement, velocity and
acceleration.
• To study particle motion along a straight line and represent this motion
graphically.
• To investigate particle motion along a curved path using different
coordinate systems.
 1.1 Rectilinear Kinematics: Continuous
Motion
• Rectilinear Kinematics – the kinematics of a particle that is characterized
by specifying at any given instant, the particle’s position, velocity and
acceleration. s v
a

Rectilinear A straight-line path (single coordinate axis, s)

Displacement - changes in position

′
∆ 𝑠= 𝑠 −𝑠

Velocity
∆𝑠 𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑠
𝑣= ¿ 𝑣=
∆𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Unit : m/s or ft/s

Acceleration

∆𝑣 𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑣
𝑎= ¿ 𝑎=
∆𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
Unit : m/s2 or ft/s2
 Constant Acceleration

Velocity as a function of time Velocity a function of

position
𝑣 𝑠
𝑣 𝑡 Position as a function of time ∫ 𝑑𝑣 =∫ 𝑎𝑐 𝑑𝑠
∫ 𝑑𝑣 =∫ 𝑎𝑐 𝑡 𝑠 𝑡
𝑣0 𝑠0

∫ 𝑑𝑠=∫ (𝑣 ¿ 𝑡 ) ¿
𝑣0 0

+
(→) 𝑣 =𝑣 0 +𝑎 𝑐 𝑡 𝑠0 0 𝑣 2= 𝑣 20 +2 𝑎 𝑐 (𝑠 − 𝑠 0 )

# These equations are useful only when the acceleration is constant and when .
# Example: body falls freely toward earth. If air resistance is neglected and the distance of fall is short,
the downward acceleration is approx. close to earth constant, 9.81 m/s 2 or 32.2 ft/s2.
Exercise 1
 Exercise 2
The motion of a particle is defined by the relation , where and are
expressed in meters and seconds, respectively. Determine the position, the
velocity, and the acceleration of the particle when = 2s.
 Exercise 3
• Initially, the car travels along a straight road with a speed of 35 m/s. If the
brakes are applied and the speed of the car is reduced to 10 m/s in 15s, the
determine the constant deceleration of the car.
 Exercise 4
A ball is thrown vertically upward with a speed of 15 m/s. Determine the
time of flight when it returns to its original position.
𝑠

𝑣
 1.2 Rectilinear Kinematics: Erratic Motion
When a particle has erratic or changing motion then its position , velocity
and acceleration cannot be described by a single continuous mathematical
function along the entire path.
Instead of a series of a function will be required to specify the motion at
different intervals.
So, it is convenient to represent the motion as a graph.
s-t graph
v-t graph
a-t graph
v-s graph
a-s graph
Exercise 5
Exercise 6
 1.3 General Curvilinear Motion
• Occurs when particles a particle moves along a curved path.
• Vector analysis is used to described the path in three dimensions.

′
∆ 𝑟 =𝑟 −𝑟 𝑑𝑟 𝑑𝑣
𝑣= 𝑎=
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
 1.3 (a) Curvilinear Motion: Rectangular
Components

Position of the vector

𝑑𝑟 𝑑𝑣
𝒓 =𝑥 𝒊+ 𝑦 𝒋 + 𝑧 𝒌 v= =𝑣 𝑥 𝑖+ 𝑣 𝑦 𝑗+ 𝑣 𝑧 𝑘 a= =𝑎 𝑥 𝑖+𝑎 𝑦 𝑗 +𝑎 𝑧 𝑘
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑎𝑥 = 𝑥¨ 𝑎 𝑦= 𝑦¨ 𝑎 𝑧 = 𝑧¨
Magnitude of

𝑣=√ 𝑣 +𝑣 +𝑣
2 2 2 a
𝑟 =√ 𝑥2 + 𝑦 2 + 𝑧 2
𝑥 𝑦 𝑧
1.3 (b) Motion of a Projectile
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
 1.3(c) Normal and Tangential Components
When the path along which a particle
travels is known, then it is often
convenient to describe the motion using
n and t coordinate axes which act normal
and tangent to the path having a fixed
origin.
The positive tangent axis acts in the
direction of motion and the positive
normal axis is directed toward the path’s
center of curvature.
 cont.
Velocity
• The particle’s velocity is always tangent to the path.
• The magnitude of velocity is found from the
time derivative of the path function.
 cont.
Acceleration • The relation between
A) Tangential acceleration, Are the same as rectilinear motion:
• The result of the time rate of change
in the magnitude of velocity.
If is constant, =;
• Acts in the positive s direction if the
v is increasing or in the opposite
direction if v is decreasing.
 cont.
Acceleration • T magnitude of this component is
B) Normal acceleration, determined from

• The result of the time rate of

change in the direction of velocity. Thus the magnitude of
• Always directed toward the center acceleration is :
of curvature of the path. i.e.: along
the positive n axis.
 cont.
• If the path is expressed , the radius of curvature at any point on the path is
determined from the equation
Exercise 7
Exercise 8
 1.3 (d) Cylindrical Components
• Polar coordinates – suitable choice for solving when involved with an
angular motion of the radial coordinate r given to describe the particle
motion.

Position vector:
Magnitude of Magnitude of
speed/velocity acceleration
• Cylindrical coordinates – if the particle moves along a space, then its
location may be specified by the three cylindrical coordinates r, ϴ, z.

https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQMijT0hZdk&t=9
s
2. Absolute Dependent Motion Analysis of
Two Particles
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION