MEC-107: Basic Engineering Mechanics

Unit- 5
Introduction to Dynamics
 Unit- 5
Introduction to Dynamics

Module Description of Topic

Introduction to Dynamics: Basic terms,

general principles in dynamics, Types of
5
motion, General Plane motion, Rectilinear
motion, Plane curvilinear motion
 INTRODUCTION
• Kinematics: Study of the geometry of motion.
• Kinematics is used to relate displacement,
velocity, acceleration, and time without
reference to the cause of motion.
• Kinetics: Study of the relations existing between
the forces acting on a body, the mass of the
body, and the motion of the body.
• Kinetics is used to predict the motion caused by
given forces or to determine the forces required
to produce a given motion.
 INTRODUCTION
Kinematic relationships are used to
determine the trajectory of a golf
ball, the orbital speed of a satellite,
and the accelerations during
acrobatic flying.

2-4
 INTRODUCTION
• Dynamics includes:
Kinematics: study of the geometry of motion,
Relates displacement, velocity, acceleration, and time (without reference) to the
cause of motion.
Fthrust

Fdrag

Flift

Kinetics: Study of the relations between the forces acting on a body, the mass of
the body, and the motion of the body.

Kinetics is used to predict the motion caused by given forces or to determine the
forces required to produce a given motion.
 TYPES OF MOTIONS
• Particle Kinetics includes:

• Rectilinear motion: Position, velocity, and acceleration of a

particle as it moves along a straight line.

• Curvilinear motion: Position, velocity, and acceleration of a

particle as it moves along a curved line in two or three dimensions.
 Rectilinear Motion: Position, Velocity
& Acceleration

A particle moving along a straight line is said to be in
rectilinear motion,

The only variables we need to describe this motion are

the time, t, and the distance along the line, x, as a
function of time,

With these variables, we can define the particle’s

position, velocity, and acceleration, which completely
describe the particle’s motion.
 Position of the Particle

• Position coordinate of a particle is defined by

positive or negative distance of particle from a
fixed origin on the line.
 Motion of the Particle
When we know the position coordinate (x) of a particle for
every value of time t, then the motion of the particle is known,

the position (P) occupied by the particle at time (t) and

the corresponding coordinate (x),

the position (P’) occupied by the particle at a later time

(t + Δt). The small displacement Δx to the coordinate x of P.
Average Velocity
 Instantaneous Velocity

• Instantaneous velocity (v) of a particle at the

instant (Δ
Δt) by allowing the time interval Δt to
become infinitesimally small,

• The instantaneous velocity is also expressed in

m/s or ft/s.
Velocity of Particle along a Line
• We represent the velocity (v) by an algebraic number
that can be positive or negative,
• A positive value of (v) indicates that x increases, i.e.,
that the particle moves in the positive direction.
• A negative value of (v) indicates that x decreases, i.e.,
that the particle moves in the negative direction.
• The magnitude of v is known as the speed of the
particle.
 Acceleration

• Consider the velocity (v) of the particle at time (t) and

also its velocity (v + Δv) at a later time (t + Δt).
 Average Acceleration

• The particle over the time interval (Δ

Δt) as the
quotient of Δv and Δt.

• Units - m/s2,
 Instantaneous Acceleration

• Instantaneous acceleration (a) of the particle at

the instant (t) by again allowing the time interval
(Δ
Δt) to approach zero.

• The instantaneous velocity is also expressed in

m/s2 or ft/s2.
Acceleration of a Particle along
a line
• The acceleration (a) is an algebraic number that
can be positive or negative,
Acceleration of a Particle along
a Line
• A positive value indicates that the velocity increases,
• This may mean:

the particle is moving faster in the positive direction (or),

it is moving more slowly in the negative direction,
• In both cases, Δv is positive.
Deceleration of a Particle along
a Line
• A negative value of (a) indicates that the velocity
decreases;
• This may mean:

the particle is moving more slowly in the positive
direction, (or)

it is moving faster in the negative direction,
• Deceleration refers to the decrease in speed of the
particle;
 Motion Curves

• x = 6t2 - t3

The slope of the x–t curve at any

• v = 12t-3t2 given time is equal to the value of
v at that time.

The slope of the

v–t curve is equal
to the value of a.
• a = 12-6t
 Determination of Motion of a
Particle
• Motion of a particle is known, if position is known for all time t,

 Conditions of motion are specified by the type of acceleration

experienced by the particle,
 Determination of velocity and position requires two successive
integrations.

• Three classes of motion may be defined for:

 acceleration given as a function of time, a = f(t)
 acceleration given as a function of position, a = f(x)
 acceleration given as a function of velocity, a = f(v)
 Determination of the Motion of a
Particle
• Acceleration given as a function of time, a = f(t):
v(t ) t t
dv
= a = f (t ) dv = f (t ) dt ∫ dv = ∫ f (t ) dt v(t ) − v0 = ∫ f (t ) dt
dt v0 0 0
x(t ) t t
dx
= v(t ) dx = v(t ) dt ∫ dx = ∫ v(t ) dt x(t ) − x0 = ∫ v(t ) dt
dt x0 0 0

• Acceleration given as a function of position, a = f(x):

dx dx dv dv
v= or dt = a= or a = v = f ( x )
dt v dt dx
v( x ) x x
v dv = f ( x )dx 1 v( x )2 − 12 v02
∫ v dv = ∫ f ( x )dx 2
= ∫ f ( x )dx
v0 x0 x0
 Determination of the Motion of a
Particle
• Acceleration given as a function of velocity, a = f(v):
v (t) dv t
dv dv
= a = f (v ) = dt ∫ f (v = ∫ dt
dt f (v ) v0 ) 0
v (t) dv
∫ = t
v 0 f (v )
x (t ) v (t )
dv v dv v dv
v = a = f (v ) dx = ∫ dx = ∫ f (v )
dx f (v ) x0 v0
v (t
) v dv
x (t ) − x 0 = ∫
v 0 f (v )

Acceleration of particle are variable

 Uniform Rectilinear Motion
• For particle in uniform rectilinear motion, the
acceleration is zero and the velocity is constant.

Careful – these only apply to uniform rectilinear motion!

 Uniformly Accelerated Rectilinear
Motion
If forces applied to a body are
constant (and in a constant
direction), then you have
uniformly accelerated
rectilinear motion.

Another example is free-fall when

drag is negligible
Uniformly Accelerated Rectilinear
Motion
 Motion of Several Particles: Relative
Motion
We may be interested in the motion of several different particles,
whose motion may be independent or linked together.
 Motion of Several Particles: Relative
Motion
For particles moving along the same line, time should be recorded from the
same starting instant and displacements should be measured from the same
origin in the same direction.
 Graphical Solution of Rectilinear-
Motion Problems
Engineers often collect position, velocity, and acceleration data.
Graphical solutions are often useful in analyzing these data.
180

160

140

120
Acceleration (g)

100

80

60

40

20

0
47.76 47.77 47.78 47.79 47.8 47.81
Time (s)

Acceleration data from a head impact during a round of boxing.

Graphical Solution of Rectilinear-
Motion Problems

• Given the x-t curve, the v-t curve is equal to the x-t curve
slope.

• Given the v-t curve, the a-t curve is equal to the v-t curve
slope.
 Curvilinear Motion: Position, Velocity &
Acceleration
• The softball and the car both undergo curvilinear
motion.

• A particle moving along a curve other than a straight line is in

curvilinear motion.
Curvilinear Motion: Position, Velocity &
Acceleration

Velocity tangent to the path of particle

Curvilinear Motion: Position, Velocity &
Acceleration
 Projectile motion
• Motion in horizontal direction is uniform.
• Motion in vertical direction is uniformly accelerated.
• Motion of projectile could be replaced by two
independent rectilinear motions.
• Fired vertically with initial velocity from platform Vy
• moving horizontal velocity Vx
• x-distance travelled by the platform
• y-projectile moving along vertical line
Projectile motion
Motion Relative to a Frame in
Translation
A soccer player must consider the
relative motion of the ball and her
teammates when making a pass.
It is critical for a pilot to
know the relative motion
of his aircraft with respect
to the aircraft carrier to
make a safe landing.
Motion Relative to a Frame in
Translation
Motion Relative to a Frame in
Translation
 NON-RECTANGULAR COMPONENTS
• Sometimes, it is useful to analyze the motion of a particle
in a coordinate system that is not rectangular;
• The first system is based on the path of the particle;
• This Second system is based on the radial distance and
angular displacement of the particle.

Normal acceleration
 Tangential and Normal Component
• If we have an idea of the path of a vehicle, it is often convenient to analyze
the motion using tangential and normal components (sometimes called
path coordinates).
Tangential and Normal Component

ρ= the instantaneous
radius of curvature

v = v et
en v= vt et
et dv v2
a = e t + en
dt ρ

• The tangential direction (et) is tangent to the path of the particle. This
velocity vector of a particle is in this direction
• The normal direction (en) is perpendicular to et and points towards the
inside of the curve.
• The acceleration can have components in both the en and et directions
 Tangential and Normal Component
• The velocity of a particle is a vector tangent to
the path of the particle,
• But in general, the acceleration is not tangent to
the path,
• It is sometimes convenient to resolve the
acceleration into components directed,

along the tangent and as tangential component
and

the along the normal to the path of the particle
normal/radial component.
 Tangential and Normal Component-
plane motion of particle
• Relations for tangential and normal acceleration
also apply for particle moving along space curve.
2 2
r dv r v r dv v
a = et + en at = an =
dt ρ dt ρ

Normal acceleration
 Radial and Transverse Components
• In planar motion, the position of particle P is defined by its polar
coordinates r and θ.
• It is then convenient to resolve the velocity and acceleration of the
particle into components
• parallel and
• perpendicular to the radial line OP.
• These components are called radial and transverse components.
 Rotation about a Fixed Axis
• In this motion, the particles forming the rigid body move in parallel
planes along circles centered on the same fixed axis,

• If this axis, called the axis of rotation,

intersects the rigid body, the particles
located on the axis have zero velocity
and zero acceleration.

• The plate shown in Fig. is in rotation, with all

its particles moving along concentric circles,
• Also, a point O remains fixed in this case,

• Because each particle moves in a given plane, the

rotation of a body about a fixed axis is said to be a plane motion.
 General Plane Motion
• There are many other types of plane motions, i.e., motions in
which all the particles of the body move in parallel planes,
• Any plane motion which is neither a rotation nor a translation is
referred to as a general plane motion,
• Two examples of general plane motion are given in Fig.:
 General Plane Motion
• Motion about a Fixed Point:
The three-dimensional motion of a rigid body attached at a fixed point O, e.g., the
motion of a top on a rough floor, is known as motion about a fixed point.

General Motion: Any motion of a rigid body which does not fall in any of the
categories is referred to as a general motion.
 Rotation about a Fixed Axis
• Consider a rigid body which rotates about a fixed
axis AA’. Let P be a point of the body and r its
position vector with respect to a fixed frame of
reference. For convenience, let us assume that the
frame is centered at point O on AA’ and that the z
axis coincides with AA’ (Fig.),

• Let B be the projection of P on AA’; since P must

remain at a constant distance from B, it will
describe a circle of center B and of radius r sin φ,
where φ denotes the angle formed by r and AA’,

• The position of P and of the entire body is

completely defined by the angle ϴ. The angle ϴ is
known as the angular coordinate of the body and is
defined as positive when viewed as
counterclockwise from A’,
• The angular coordinate will be expressed in radians (rad) or, occasionally, in degrees (°)
or revolutions (rev),
 Rotation about a Fixed Axis
• The velocity v = dr/dt of a particle P is a vector tangent to
the path of P and of magnitude v = ds/dt,

• Observing that the length (∆s) of the arc described by P

when the body rotates through (∆ϴ) is:

where ϴ denotes the time derivative of ϴ.

 Rotation about a Fixed Axis
• We conclude that the velocity (v) of P is a vector
perpendicular to the plane containing AA’ and r, and of
magnitude v:

Where, ‘ω’ is directed along the axis of rotation, is called the

angular velocity of the body.
Rotation of a Rigid Body about a Fixed
Axis
• The motion of a rigid body rotating about a fixed axis
AA’ is said to be known, when its angular coordinate
(ϴ) can be expressed as a known function of (t),

• In practice, the rotation of a rigid body is defined by a

relation between ϴ and t.
Rotation of a Rigid Body about a Fixed
Axis
Two particular cases of rotation are frequently encountered:

1. Uniform Rotation: This case is characterized by the fact that the angular
acceleration is zero. The angular velocity (ω) is thus constant, and the angular
coordinate is given by the formula:

It can be used only when α = 0.

2. Uniformly Accelerated Rotation. In this case, the angular acceleration is

constant.

These formulae can be used only when α=

constant.
TUTORIAL SHEET