KINEMATICS: DESCRIPTION OF MOTION


(A. Savas ARAPOGLU)

June 19, 2017

Contents
1 Introduction 2
2 Denitions: Kinematical Quantities 2
2.1 Position Vector & Displacement Vector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2.2 Velocity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3 Acceleration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

3 Motion with Constant Acceleration 4

4 Relative Motion 6
5 Uniform Circular Motion 7
5.1 Non-uniform Circular Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

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1 Introduction
Mechanics is the study of motion: Knowing the position and velocity of an object at an
instant t0 (i.e. ~r(t0 ) and ~v (t0 )), what is its subsequent motion, i.e. ~r(t) =?
Mechanics is divided into two parts: Kinematics and Dynamics. In kinematics, we dene
some quantities that are used in the description of motion, such as velocity and acceleration;
then, using these denitions, we establish relations among these quantities. Dynamics, on
the other hand, is related to the laws of motion and it allows us to predict an objects's
motion from the information about the object and its environment.

2 Denitions: Kinematical Quantities

2.1 Position Vector & Displacement Vector
The position vector is meaningful only in a coordinate system ; so the rst step to be able to
talk about the motion of an object is to choose (arbitraraily!) a coordinate system.

~r(t) is the position vector at time t - drawn from the origin to the point where the
object is located at time t. Knowing the position vector of the particle at each instant, we
can get the trajectory/path of the particle - which is the locus of the position vector ~r(t).
∆~r(t) is the displacement vector, and it is dened as the vector drawn from the initial
position of the object to its nal position:

∆~r ≡ ~rf − ~ri = ~r(t + ∆t) − ~r(t). (1)

In a given cartesian coordinate system, in practical applications, the position vector is

represented as
~r(t) = x(t)x̂ + y(t)ŷ + z(t)ẑ, (2)
where x(t), y(t), and z(t) are the coordinate functions which gives the position of the particle
in the corresponding direction.

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2.2 Velocity
The velocity of a particle describes the (time) rate of change of the position of the particle
on its trajectory.
1. Average Velocity, which is dened for a time interval ∆t:
~r(t + ∆t) − ~r(t) ∆~r
~vav ≡ = . (3)
∆t ∆t
Note that ~vav k∆~r and ~vav is time-independent.
2. Instantaneous Velocity, which is dened at an instant:
~r(t + ∆t) − ~r(t) d~r
~v (t) ≡ lim ⇒ ~v (t) ≡ . (4)
∆t→0 ∆t dt
The direction of ~v (t) is tangent to the trajectory of the particle at time t.
3. Average Speed, which is dened as
 
~ 
distance traveled in time ∆t ∆s ∆r
vav ≡ = 6= ⇒ vav 6= |~vav | (5)
∆t ∆t ∆t
4. Instantaneous Speed,
~v (t) ≡ |~v (t)| . (6)
Note that the velocity is a vectorial and the speed is a scalar quantity. The physical
dimension of velocity/speed is L/T , and the SI unit is m/s.

2.3 Acceleration
The acceleration is the time rate of change of velocity.
Then, average and instantaneous accelerations are dened as
~v (t + ∆t) − ~v (t) ∆~v
~aav ≡ = , (7)
∆t ∆t
~v (t + ∆t) − ~v (t) d~v
~a(t) ≡ lim ⇒ ~a(t) ≡ . (8)
∆t→0 ∆t dt
Relation between ~v and ~a for an object following a curved path:

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 The dimension of acceleration is L/T 2 and its SI unit is m/s2 .
Summary:
Z t
d~r
~v (t) ≡ ⇒ ~r(t) = ~r0 + ~v (t)dt, (9)
dt t0
and Z t
d~v
~a(t) ≡ ⇒ ~v (t) = ~v0 + ~a(t)dt, (10)
dt t0

where ~r0 and ~v0 are the position and the velocity vectors at time t0 . (In general, we take
t0 = 0 for simplicity.)

3 Motion with Constant Acceleration

Obvious from the denitions, given ~a(t) and the initial position and the velocity of an object
(i.e. ~r(t0 ) and ~v (t0 )), we can get ~r(t) and ~v (t) by integration.
Special case: Constant acceleration; using Eq.(9) and Eq.(10), for ~a : constant,
~v (t) = ~v0 + ~at (11)
1
~r(t) = ~r0 + ~v0 t + ~at2 . (12)
2
Note that these two equations are vector equations which means that they are indepen-
dent of the coordinate system. But when we would like to apply these results to a particular
problem, we must rst choose (arbitrarily) a coordinate system and some coordinate systems
may simplify the problem considerably.
For motion in 1-dimension, these two equations become
v(t) = v0 ± at, (13)
1
x(t) = x0 + v0 t ± at2 , (14)
2
2 2
v = v0 ± 2a∆x, (15)
where the last equation follows from the rst two by eliminating the time.
Example: Given ~v(t) = t2 î + (2t + 1)ĵ m/s, and the object is initially at the origin and
at rest, nd (a) the position vector as a function of time, (b) the acceleration vector as a
function of time, (c) the average velocity between t = 1 s and t = 3 s, (d) the average
acceleration between t = 0 s and t = 2 s.
Example: An object's position, moving along the x-axis is given as x(t) = 2 + 3t − 4t2 m
as a function of time. (a) When does it change its direction? (b) Find its velocity when it
returns to its poition at t = 0.
Example: (Similar to 2.44) The height of a helicopter above the ground is given by h(t) =
3t3 m. At t = 2 s, a small mailbag is released from the helicopter. (a) How long after its

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release does the mailbag reach the ground? (b) What is the maximum height of the mailbag?
(c) The velocity when it hits the ground? (d) At which time after the release, the mailbag
and the helicopter will be at the same height?
Example: (Prb 3.21) ... ignoring air resistance, (a) what is the height of the shelf above
the point where the quareter leaves your hand? (b) What is the vertical component of the
velocity of the quarter just before it lands in the dish?

Example: (Prb 3.54, one of the suggested problems) As a ship approaching a dock at
45.0 cm/s, an important piece of landing equipment needs to be thrown to it before it can
dock. This equipment is thrown at 15.0 m/s at 60.0o above the horizontal from the top of a
tower at the edge of water, 8.75 m above the ship's deck. For this equipment to land at the
front of the ship, at what distance D from the dock should the ship be when the equipment
is thrown? Air resistance can be neglected.

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4 Relative Motion
Consider two dierent observers: one of them is at rest (S-frame) on Earth and the other is
moving with velocity ~v relative to S -frame (S 0 -frame):

We can represent this `physical set-up' by the following `mathematical set-up':

From the gure,

~
~r = ~r0 + R, (16)
where
• ~r: the position vector of m with respect to S ,

• ~r0 : the position vector of m with respect to S 0 ,

~ : the position vector of S 0 with respect to S .
• R

and this implies that, by taking derivatives with respect to time,

~v = ~v 0 + V~ , (17)
~a = ~a0 + A.~ (18)

If A~ 6= 0, then S 0 -frame is called as non-inertial frame. (A~ = 0 ⇔ S 0 -frame is inertial, i.e.

moving with constant velocity relative to S-frame.)
A closely related concept to the above construction for two observers is about their
relative position/velocity/acceleration. For example, for two objects with velocities ~vA and

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~vB , the velocity of A relative to B is ~vAB ≡ ~vA − ~vB - i.e. subtract the observer! Actually,
for all `relative' quantities, the simple recipe is subtract the observer.
Example: Lisa in her Lamborghini accelerates at the rate of ~aL = (3î − 2ĵ) m/s2 , while Jill
in her Jaguar accelerates at ~aJ = (î + 3ĵ) m/s2 . They both starts from rest at the origin of
an xy -coordinate system. After 5 s, (a) what is Lisa's speed with respect to Jill? (b) How
far apart they are? (c) What is Lisa's aceleration relative to Jill?
Example: (Prb 3.80, one of the suggested problems) When a train's velocity is 1.20 m/s
eastward, raindrops that are falling vertically with respect to the earth make traces that
are inclined 30.0o to the vertical on the windows of the train. (a) What is the horizontal
component of a drop's velocity with respect to the earth? With respect to the train? (b)
What is the magnitude of the velocity of the raindrop with respect to the earth? With
respect to the train?
Example: (Prb 3.82, one of the suggested problems) An elevator is moving upward at
a constant speed of 2.50 m/s. A bolt in the elevator ceiling 3.00 m above the elevator
oorworks loose and falls. (a) How long does it take for the bolt to fall to the elevator
oor? What is the speed of the bolt just as it hits the elevator oor (b) according to an
observer in the elevator? (c) According to an observer standing on one of the oor landings
of the building? (d) According to the observer in part (c), what distance did the bolt travel
between the ceiling and the oor of the elevator?

5 Uniform Circular Motion

Consider a particle moving on a circular trajectory. (uniform means that the speed is
constant throughout the motion.)

s = Rθ, θ is in radians. (19)

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By taking the time derivatives of both sides
ds dθ
=R ⇒ v = Rω, (20)
dt
|{z} dt
|{z}
v ≡ω

where ω is the angular speed. In uniform circular motion, ω is also constant since v , the
linear speed, is constant.
Other important (kinematical) quantities of uniform circular motion:
• Period, T: The time required for one full turn...
2π
2πR = vT = ωRT ⇒ T = . (21)
ω
Its SI unit is second, s.
• Frequency, f: The number of turns per unit time (unit time in SI system is taken as
second )...
1
f= ⇒ ω = 2πf. (22)
T
The SI unit of frequency is s−1 ≡ Hz .
• Acceleration: In uniform circular motion the magnitude of the velocity (i.e. speed)
is constant but the direction changes instantaneously. This means that there is an
acceleration which only changes the direction but not the magnitude of the velocity.
Therefore this instantaneous acceleration must be perpendicular to the velocity vector
at each instant on the trajectory and points precisely to the center of the circular path.
This acceleration is called CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATION.
v2
acent = ar =
|{z} R
= ω 2 R. (23)
radial

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5.1 Non-uniform Circular Motion
In this case, the magnitude of the velocity vector changes, too. This means that, in addition
to the centripetal acceleration ar , there is also a "tangential acceleration". Recall that
v = rω ; the time derivative of both sides of this equation is
d dv dω
{v = rω} ⇒ =r ⇒ at = rα, (24)
dt dt dt
where at ≡ is the tangential acceleration, and α ≡ dω
dv
dt dt
is the angular acceleration.
Example: An object is moving on a circle of radius R. The speed of the object varies with
time according to the equation v(t) = At2 , where A is a positive constant. (a) Calculate the
magnitude of the acceleration vector at t = 1 s. (b) At which instant does the acceleration
vector make an angle of 45o with the velocity?