Lecture 6

Ch4. TWO- AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL

MOTION

University Physics: Mechanics

Dr.-Ing. Erwin Sitompul
http://zitompul.wordpress.com
2012

Uniform Circular Motion

A particle is in uniform circular motion if
it travels around a circle or a circular arc
at constant (uniform) speed.
Although the speed does not vary, the
particle is accelerating because the
velocity changes in direction.

The velocity is always directed tangent to the circle in the

direction of motion.
The acceleration is always directed radially inward.
Because of this, the acceleration associated with uniform
circular motion is called a centripetal (center seeking)
acceleration.
Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/2

Uniform Circular Motion

The magnitude of this centripetal acceleration a is:

v2
a
r

(centripetal acceleration)

where r is the radius of the circle and v is the speed of the

particle.
In addition, during this acceleration at constant speed, the
particle travels the circumference of the circle (a distance of
2r) in time of:

2 r
T
v

(period)

with T is called the period of revolution, or simply the period,

of the motion.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/3

Centripetal Acceleration

v r

v
r
v vt

v
r

v v 2
a

t
r

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/4

Checkpoint
An object moves at constant speed along a circular path in a
horizontal xy plane, with the center at the^ origin. When the
object is at x = 2 m, its velocity is (4 m/s) j.
Give the objects (a) velocity and (b) acceleration at y = 2 m.

v 2 (4) 2
8 m s2
a
2
r

v2

2m

v1
^
v1 = 4 m/s j

^
v2 = 4 m/s i

^
a = 8 m/s2 j

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/5

Example: Fighter Pilot

Fighter pilots have long worried about taking
a turn too tightly. As a pilots body undergoes
centripetal acceleration, with the head
toward the center of curvature, the blood
pressure in the brain decreases, leading to
unconsciousness.
What is the magnitude of the acceleration, in g units, of a pilot
whose
aircraft
enters a horizontal circular turn with a velocity of
^
^
vi = 400i + 500j m/s and 24 s later leaves the turn with a velocity
^
^
of vf =2 400i 500j m/s?
v
2

v
r
T
2

640.312
48
83.818 m s 2

8.553g
Erwin Sitompul

2 r
v 2

v
r T

v (400) 2 (500) 2
640.312 m s

1
2

T 24 s

g 9.8 m s 2
University Physics: Mechanics 6/6

Example: Aston Martin

An Aston Martin V8 Vantage has a
lateral acceleration of 0.96g. This
represents the maximum centripetal
acceleration that the car can attain
without skidding out of the circular path.
If the car is traveling at a constant
speed of 144 km/h, what is the
minimum radius of curve it can
negotiate? (Assume that the curve is
unbanked.)
v2
v2
a
r
r
a

(40 m s) 2

2
(0.96)(9.8 m s )
170 m

Erwin Sitompul

The required turning radius r is

proportional to the square of
the speed v
Reducing v by small amount
can make r substantially
smaller
University Physics: Mechanics 6/7

Relative Motion in One Dimension

The velocity of a particle depends on the reference frame of
whoever is observing or measuring the velocity.
For our purposes, a reference frame is the physical object to
which we attach our coordinate system.
In every day life, that object is the ground.

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/8

Thom(p)son Encounters Relative Velocity

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/9

Relative Motion in One Dimension

Suppose that Alex (at the origin of frame A) is parked by the

side of a highway, watching car P (the particle) speed past.
Barbara (at the origin of frame B) is driving along the highway
at constant speed and is also watching car P.
Suppose that both Alex and Barbara measure the position of
the car at a given moment. From the figure we see that

xPA xPB xBA

The coordinate of P as measured by A is equal

to the coordinate of P as measured by B plus
the coordinate of B as measured by A
Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/10

Relative Motion in One Dimension

Taking the time derivative of the previous equation, we obtain

d
d
d
( xPA ) ( xPB ) ( xBA )
dt
dt
dt
vPA vPB vBA
The velocity of P as measured by A is equal to
the velocity of P as measured by B plus the
velocity of B as measured by A
Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/11

Relative Motion in One Dimension

Here we consider only frames that move at constant velocity

relative to each other.
In our example, this means that Barbara drives always at
constant velocity vBA relative to Alex.
Car P (the moving particle), however, can accelerate.

d
d
d
(vPA ) (vPB ) (vBA )
dt
dt
dt
aPA aPB

Erwin Sitompul

Constant
University Physics: Mechanics 6/12

Example: Relative Velocity

Suppose that Barbaras velocity relative
to Alex is a constant vBA = 52 km/h and
car P is moving in the negative direction
of the x axis.
(a) If Alex measures a constant vPA = 78 km/h for car P, what
velocity vPB will Barbara measure?
vBA 52 km h
vPA 78 km h
P moving in the negative direction
vPA vPB vBA
vPB vPA vBA (78) (52) 130 km h

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/13

Example: Relative Velocity

Suppose that Barbaras velocity relative
to Alex is a constant vBA = 52 km/h and
car P is moving in the negative direction
of the x axis.
(b) If car P brakes to a stop relative to Alex (and thus relative to
the ground) in time t = 10 s at constant acceleration, what is
its acceleration aPA relative to Alex?
v0, PA 78 km h , t 10 s
vPA v0, PA
0 ( 78)
aPA

7.8 km h s
t
10
2.167 m s 2

(c) What is the acceleration aPB of car P relative to Barbara

during the braking?
aPB
Erwin Sitompul

vPB v0, PB
t

v AB v0, PB
t

52 (130)

7.8 km h s
10
2.167 m s 2

University Physics: Mechanics 6/14

Relative Motion in Two Dimensions

In this case, our two observers are again watching a moving
particle P from the origins of reference
frames A and B, while

B moves at a constant velocity vBA relative to A.

The corresponding axes of these two frames remain parallel,
as shown, for a certain instant during the motion, in the next
figure.
The following equations
describe the position, velocity,
and acceleration vectors:

r
r
r
rPA rPB rBA
r
r
r
vPA vPB vBA
r
r
aPA aPB

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/15

Example: Relative Velocity

A plane moves due east while the pilot points the plane
somewhat south of east, toward a steady wind that blows to the
northeast.

The plane has velocity vPW relative to the wind, with an airspeed
(speed relative to wind) of 215.0 km/h, directed at angle south
of east.

The wind has velocity vWG relative to the ground with speed 65.0
km/h, directed 20.0 east of north.
What is the magnitude of the velocity vPG of the plane relative to
the ground, and what is .

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/16

Example: Relative Velocity

r
r
r
vPG vPW vWG
r
vPW 215 km h
r
vWG 65 km h 70
r
vPG vPG km h 0
vPW sin vWG sin 70
215 sin 65
sin 70

16.50

Erwin Sitompul

vPG vPW cos vWG cos 70

215 cos( 16.50 ) 65 cos 70

228.38 km h

University Physics: Mechanics 6/17

Exercise Problems
1. A cat rides a mini merry-go-round turning with
uniform circular motion. At time t1 = 2 s, the
^
^
cats velocity is v1 = 3i + 4j m/s, measured on
a horizontal xy coordinate
system. At t2 = 5 s,
^
^
its velocity is v2 = 3i 4j m/s.
What are (a) the magnitude of the cats
centripetal acceleration and (b) the cats
average acceleration during the time interval
t2 t1?

Answer: (a) 5.236 m/s2; (b) 2i 2.667 j m/s2.

2. A suspicious-looking man runs as fast as he can along a moving sidewalk

from one end to the other, taking 2.50 s. Then security agents appear, and
the man runs as fast as he can back along the sidewalk to his starting
point, taking 10.0 s. What is the ratio of the mans running speed to the
sidewalks speed?

Answer: 1.67

Erwin Sitompul

University Physics: Mechanics 6/18