Dynamics MDB 2043

Curvilinear Motion: General and Rectangular Component

Guided Learning Activity May 2016 Semester

Lesson Outcomes

At the end of this lecture you should be able to:

1. Describe the motion of a particle traveling along a

curved path.
2. Relate kinematic quantities in terms of the rectangular

components of the vectors

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 Example #1

Given:The motion of two particles (A and B) is described by

the position vectors
rA = [3t i + 9t(2 t) j] m and
rB = [3(t2 2t +2) i + 3(t 2) j] m.

Find: The point at which the particles collide and their

speeds just before the collision.

Plan: 1) The particles will collide when their position

vectors are equal, or rA = rB .
2) Their speeds can be determined by differentiating
the position vectors.

Example #1 (continued)
Solution:
1) The point of collision requires that rA = rB,
so xA = xB and yA = yB .
Set the x-components equal: 3t = 3(t2 2t + 2)
Simplifying: t2 3t + 2 = 0
Solving: t = {3 [32 4(1)(2)]0.5}/2(1)
=> t = 2 or 1 s
Set the y-components equal: 9t(2 t) = 3(t 2)
Simplifying: 3t2 5t 2 = 0
Solving: t = {5 [52 4(3)(2)]0.5}/2(3)
=> t = 2 or 1/3 s
So, the particles collide when t = 2 s (only common
time). Substituting this value into rA or rB yields
xA = xB = 6 m and yA = yB = 0

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 Example #1 (continued)
2) Differentiate rA and rB to get the velocity vectors.

vA = drA/dt = .xA i yA j = [ 3 i + (18 18t) j ] m/s
At t = 2 s: vA = [ 3i 18 j ] m/s

vB = drB/dt = xB i + y B j = [ (6t 6) i + 3 j ] m/s
At t = 2 s: vB = [ 6 i + 3 j ] m/s

Speed is the magnitude of the velocity vector.

vA = (32 + 182) 0.5 = 18.2 m/s
vB = (62 + 32) 0.5 = 6.71 m/s

Example #2

Given: The velocity of the particle is

v = [ 16 t2 i + 4 t3 j + (5 t + 2) k] m/s.
When t = 0, x = y = z = 0.
Find: The particles coordinate position and the magnitude of
its acceleration when t = 2 s.
Plan:
Note that velocity vector is given as a function of time.
1) Determine the position and acceleration by
integrating and differentiating v, respectively, using
the initial conditions.
2) Determine the magnitude of the acceleration vector
using t = 2 s.

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 Example #2 (continued)
Solution:
1) x-components:
Velocity known as: vx = x = dx/dt = (16 t2 ) m/s
x t
Position: dx = (16 t ) dt x = (16/3)t
0
2 3 = 42.7 m at t = 2 s
0

Acceleration: ax = x = vx = d/dt (16 t2) = 32 t = 64 m/s2

2) y-components:

Velocity known as: vy = y = dy/dt = (4 t3 ) m/s
y t
Position:
0
dy = (4 t3) dt y = t4 = (16) m at t = 2 s
0

Acceleration: ay = y = vy = d/dt (4 t3) = 12 t2 = 48 m/s2

Example #2 (continued)
3) z-components:

Velocity is known as: vz = z = dz/dt = (5 t + 2) m/s
z t
Position:
0
dz = (5 t + 2) dt z = (5/2) t2 + 2t = 14 m at t=2s

0

Acceleration: az = z = vz = d/dt (5 t + 2) = 5 m/s2
4) The position vector and magnitude of the acceleration vector
are written using the component information found above.
Position vector: r = [ 42.7 i + 16 j + 14 k] m.
Acceleration vector: a = [ 64 i + 48 j + 5 k] m/s2
Magnitude: a = (642 + 482 +52)0.5 = 80.2 m/s2

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 Example #3

Motion of a particle given by x = 3t2, y = 4t + 2, and z = 6t3 - 8.

Determine the magnitudes and direction angles of the
particles velocity and acceleration at t = 2 s.

Solution z

Position : r = (3t 2 )i (4t 2)j (6t 3 8)k
v

r = 12i 10j 40k at t 2 y


Velocity : v = (6t )i (4)j (18t 2 )k

v (t 2 s ) (12)i (4)j (72)k x

v (t 2 s ) (12) 2 (4) 2 (72) 2 73.1 m/s

12 4 72
cos -1 80.6; cos -1 86.9; cos -1 10.0
73.1 73.1 73.1

Example #3 (cont.)

Acceleration : a = (6)i (0)j (36t )k

a ( t 2 s ) (6)i (0)j (72)k
2
a ( t 2 s ) 6 2 0 2 72 2 72.2 m/s

6 0 72
cos -1 85.2; cos -1 90; cos -1 4.76
72.2 72.2 72.2

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 Example #4
At any instant the horizontal position of the weather balloon
is defined by x = 9t m, where t is in second. If the equation
of the path is y = x2/30, determine the distance of the
balloon from the station at A, the magnitude and direction of
the both the velocity and acceleration when t = 2 s.

Solution:
When t = 2 s,
x = 9(2) m = 18 m and y = (18)2/30 = 10.8 m

The distance from A to B is

r 18 2 10 . 8 2 21 m

Example #4 (cont.)

Velocity. When t = 2 s, x = 18 m
d (9 t )
v x x 9 m/s
dt
dy dx d x2 2x
v y y x 9 0 . 6 x 10 . 8 m/s
dx dt dx 30 30

When t = 2 s, the magnitude of velocity

is 2 2
v 9 10 .8 14 .1 m/s

The direction is tangent to the path, where

vy 10 .8
v tan 1 tan 1 50 .2
vx 9

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 Example #4 (cont.)

v 9 m/s v 0 . 6 x m/s
Acceleration. x y

a x v x 0
d ( 0 .6 x ) d ( 0 .6 x ) dx
a y v y 0 .6 9 5 .4 m/s 2
dt dx dt
a 0 2 5 .4 2 5 .4 m/s 2
The direction of a is
5 .4
a tan 1 90
0

Summary Questions
1. In curvilinear motion, the direction of the instantaneous
velocity is always
A) tangent to the hodograph.
B) perpendicular to the hodograph.
C) tangent to the path.
D) perpendicular to the path.
2. In curvilinear motion, the direction of the instantaneous
acceleration is always
A) tangent to the hodograph.
B) perpendicular to the hodograph.
C) tangent to the path.
D) perpendicular to the path.

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 Summary Questions (continued)
3. If the position of a particle is defined by
r = [(1.5t2 + 1) i + (4t 1) j ] (m), its speed at t = 1 s is
A) 2 m/s B) 3 m/s
C) 5 m/s D) 7 m/s

4. The path of a particle is defined by y = 0.5x2. If the

component of its velocity along the x-axis at x = 2 m is
vx = 1 m/s, its velocity component along the y-axis at this
position is
A) 0.25 m/s B) 0.5 m/s
C) 1 m/s D) 2 m/s

Summary Questions (continued)

5. If a particle has moved from A to B along the circular path in
4s, what is the average velocity of the particle ?
A) 2.5 i m/s y

B) 2.5 i +1.25j m/s R=5m

x
C) 1.25 i m/s A B
D) 1.25 j m/s

6. The position of a particle is given as r = (4t2 i - 2x j) m.

Determine the particles acceleration.
A) (4 i +8 j ) m/s2 B) (8 i -16 j ) m/s2
C) (8 i) m/s2 D) (8 j ) m/s2

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 References:

R.C. Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics,

SI 13th Edition, Prentice-Hall, 2012.

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