1.

5 KINEMATICS IN PATH COORDINATES

For this description, we will assume that we ha ve knO\'tTI informat1on.un..tlie patfilaken
by P asj t moves through space. The position of.P_is describeclbj..lhe distance..:.:.s··
traveled along its path .

Shown in the figure below is the position of P after traveling a distances along the path,
with the position of P (as measured from a fixed point 0 ) is denoted by r(s) . After
traveling an additional distance D.s along the path, Pis shown at position P', with the
position of P' denoted by r(s + D.s) . The change in position vector t:.r in going from P
to P' is given by:
D.r=F(s+D.s)-F(s)

fu:ed point, 0

F(s+ 6s) path of P

/
s

p P'

D.s
Velocity
By definition, the velocity of P is found through:

- dF
v=-
dt
Through the chain rule, we have:
dF ds dF
v=--=v-
ds dt ds
where v = ds I dt is the speed of P. From the definition of a derivative, we can write:

dF = Jim M
ds 6s
We can make the following two observations about t:.F (see figure above):
• As 6s 0 S F tends to a direction that is tangent to the pat1Lat£..
'
1:9 ME 562-cmk
Kinematics of a particle
 • As l':::,,s 0 the cbotd length j1:::,, rj tends1o the arc length 6.rl
'-'1.s ; that is 6.s I as
1
From these two observations, we conclude that di is a " unit ,ec~ tangent to the path
ds
at P:
di •
-=e1 (7)
ds
Therefore, the velocity in path variables can be written as:
v = ve1 (8)

Acceleration
By definition, the acceleration of P is found through:

_ av d ( • ) • de • d 2r
a = dt = dt ve, = ve, + V d: = ve, + V ds2 (9)

Since e, is a unit vector (vector having a constant length of unity), we can write:
e1 • e, = l =constant
Taking a derivative of the above with respect to the arc length variable gives:
de de1 de1
0=-1 •e1 +e•-
1
=2e•-
1
ds ds ds
From this, we conclude that de, Ids is a vector that is perpendicular to et . Consider a
unit vector en perpendicular to et aligned with de1 Ids ; that is:
de1 •
-=1<:e (10)
ds n

where K: is the magnitude of de, Ids :

2 2
de1 / de1 de1 d r d r
K:=- = - •- = -•-="curvature"ofthepath (!Oa)
I ds ds ds ds 2 ds2

Alternately, since the "radius of curvature" p is the inverse of the curvature, we can
write:

p = _!_ =[ d2;: • d2r i-1 (!Ob)

K: ds 2 ds2

Kinematics of a p article 1:10 ME 562-cmk

 The acceleration in path variables becomes (see equation (9)):

- ., v2 ,
a=ve1 +-e (II)
p n

where v, v and p are the speed, rate of change of speed and the radius of curvature,
respectively, of P.

Kinematics of a particle 1:11 ME' 562 - cmk

 DISCUSSION
In our derivation of the velocity and acceleration in tenns of path variables, we have
introduced the tangent and nonnal unit vectors and e, en.
The third un it vector in the
triad for path kinematics is the "bi-nonnal" unit vector eb. This unit vector is defined
through the right-hand rule as:

as shown in the following figure.

osculating plate

Note that the velocity and acceleration vectors each coplanar with the e1 and en unit
vectors since neither ii nor a contain eb components (see equations (8) and (11)). The
plane containing ii and a is known as the "osculating plane".
For general 3D motion, the orientation of osculating plane changes as the particle moves
along its path. However, for 2D motion, the orientation osculating plane remains fixed
and defines the plane of motion for the particle.

C, center of curvature
e,
..
·-. e"
-----\ p
-
··.. ____ -----
path

Kinematics of a particle 1:12 ME 562 - cmk

 As expected, the unit vector e is tangent to the path, and the unit vector en is normal to
1
the path pointing toward the center of curvature of the path in that plane. The radius of
curvature of the path p is the radius of a circular arc that is tangent to the path and has
the same curvature as the path at that point.

Kinematics of a particle 1: 13 ME562 -cmk

 CALCULATING PATH KJNEMATICS VARIABLES
Computing the kinematics of a particle through direct use of the path variable description
is typically very complicated in that the position vector must be known in tenns of the arc
length variables (see equations (7) and (10)). In contrast, determining the path
description from known ii and a vectors is quite straightforward. Consider the situation
where the velocity and acceleration of a point is known as:

(12)

(13)

where e1, e2 and e3 are a set of mutually perpendicular unit vectors (such as from
Cartesian, cylindrical or spherical coordinate systems).

i) The speed of the particle is found from: v = lvl =J v~ +vi+ v; .

ii) The tangent unit vector is found using equations (8) and ( 12):
e = = Vlei + vze2 + vi3
1
v f 2 2 2 (14)
vv1 +v2 +v3
iii) The rate of change of speed of the particle is found by projecting the unit
tangent vector e1 onto both sides of the acceleration equation (13):

. - - - ( - - - ) vial+ v2a2 + v3a3

v = e1•a = e1• a1e1+ a 2e2 + a3e3 = (15)
2 2 2
vi + v2 + V3
iv) The radius of curvature can now be found from the magnitude of the
acceleration vector:

v2 ]2
- - v. 2 + [ P
Ia_12 = a•a= (16)

- - = a 2 + a2 + a 2 .
where a•a 1 2 3
v) The normal unit vector can be found using equation ( 11 ):

e- =P( - ·· )
- a-ve (17)
n v2 t

vi) Finally, the unit bi-normal vector is given by:

eb = e1 X en= e1 X ( a- Ve1 )
V
(18)
=-(e p p iixa
xa)=-(iixa)= ---r===
2 1
2
v VJ a• a- v

Kinematics of a particle 1:14 MES62-cmk

 OBSERVATIONS:
i) As seen above, the velocity of a particle traveling through space is tangent to its
ve
path: ii = 1 • The magnitude of the velocity vector is the speed of the particle.

ii) The acceleration of a particle has two components: ii that is tangent to the path
(known as the "time rate of change of speed"), and v2 I p that is nonnal to the
path (known as the "centripetal" component of acceleration).
• The tangential component ii results from the time rate of change of the
magnitude of ii , and is zero for constant speed.
• The centripetal component results from the change in direction of ii , and is
zero for constant direction motion (I(= I / p = 0) or for zero speed.

iii) When the velocity and acceleration vectors are aligned ( ii x a= 0), the radius of
curvature of the path is oo(as for the case of rectilinear motion or for a curved path
where the curvature is locally zero). As a result, the orientations of the unit vectors
en and eb are undefined (see equations (17) and (I 8)). However, these mutually
perpendicular vectors can assume an arbitrary orientation within a plane that is
perpendicular to the path at that point.

iv) Kinematics in terms of path variables is the most descriptive of all particle
kinem ati cs descripti ons; however, it is the most complicated in terms of
computation.

Kinemalics of a particle ! : JS ME 562- cmk

 MORE ON PATH KINEMATICS: FRENET FORMULAS
Recall that the path kinematics description requires the use of a triad of unrt vectors e,
(unit tangent), e,, (unit normal) and eb (unit binormal ) oriented as shown below.

osculating plate

Our earlier analysis has shown that the change in the unit tangent vector e1 with respect to
path arc length is given by the following:
de1
1,
-=-e (I 9)
ds p "
where p is the radius of curvature of the path and IC= I / p is the curvature of the path.
This equation says that as one moves along the path, the unit vector e1 changes in the e,,
direction at a rate that increases (decreases) as the curvature IC (radius of curvature p)
increases. Later on in the course we will find it useful to know how the other two unit
vectors e,, and eb change as one moves along the path. Here we will derive these
relations.
Since eb is a vector of constant magnitude (of unity):
, • de" , , deb , deb
eb •eb =I -•eh + eh•- =0 eh•- =0
ds ds ds
From this we see that:
deb ..L
eh (20)
ds
Also, since el and eh are perpendicular:

, , de1 • _ deb , deb de, _ ( 1• ) •

e1 •eb =0 -;;;•eh+ e1 •ds =O e1 •ds =--;;;•eh=- Pe,, •eh = 0

From this we see that:

Kinematics of a particle 1:16 ME562-cmk

 deb .l (21 )
er
ds
From equations (20) and (21) we see that deb Ids is mutually perpendicular to both e1
and eb; therefore, deb Ids be aligned with en, and consequently, deb Ids is a scalar
multiple of e,, :
deb 1. (22)
-=--e
ds r "
where -1 / r is the chosen proportionality constant.
Continuing, we recognize that the vector den Ids can be written in tenns of its e1 , en and
eb, with these components being the respective projections of de,, Ids onto e1 , en and
eb:

de,,-(·
- e1 •de,,)·
- e1 + (· de,,)·e,, + (·eb•-
e,,•- de,,)·eb (23)
ds ds ds ds
To determine these projections, first use the property that e1 and en are perpendicular:

Second, use the property that e,, is a vector of constant magnitude (of unity):

• • de,, • • de,, • de,,

e •e =l => -•e + e • - =0 => e11 • - = 0
ds" "ds
nn ds

Substituting these relations into equation (23) gives:

de,, 1 • 1•
-=--er +-eb (24)
ds p r
Equations ( 19), (23) and (24) are known as the " Frenet formulas" for a spatial curve.
These equations describe the rate of change of the three path unit vectors e1 , e,, and eb
as one moves along the path. Two parameters, p and r , appear in these equations: p is
the radius of curvature of the path, and r is the "torsion" of the path, with both
parameters having dimensions of length.

Kinematics of a particle 1:17 ME 562-cmk

 I.6SUMMARY
In this chapter, we have developed particle kinematics relationships in terms of four
descriptions. A summary of the resulting velocity and acceleration equations is provided
below:

Velocity
V = xi +YJ+ik ; Cartesian

= ReR + R¢e¢ + iek ; cylindrical

= fer + r¢sin0e¢ + r0e0 ; spherical

; path

Acceleration
a= xi+ rJ +ik
u~-
; Cartesian
2
= R¢ )eR +(Ri/i+2R¢)e¢ + Zek ; cylindrical

= (r - r¢2sin20-r0 2 )er +(ri/isin0+ 2r¢sin0+ 2r¢0cos0h ; spherical

+ (re- r¢ 2sin0cos0+ 2r0 )e0

2
•• V •
=ve1 +-e ; path
p n

The kinematic descriptions listed above vary greatly in form. However, across the
different descriptions of velocity, they are all identical in describing the velocity of a
particle - the magnitudes and directions are the same, regardless of description.
Similarly, all descriptions of accelerations share the same magnitude and direction.

The choice of descriptions depends on your needs, in terms of what you know and what
you want to determine. In principle, it is easy to convert from one coordinate description
to another. For example, suppose that you know velocity in terms of the cylindrical
description and you need to know the corresponding value of X. This is accomplished
by projecting the cylindrical velocity vector with the unit vector i:
x = v•l = i?( eR•l) + R¢( e¢ •i) + i( ek -l)
For planar problems, this projection is straightforward. For 3D problems, one needs to
perform formal coordinate transformations in orde'r to accomplish these projections. We
will discuss coordinate transformations later on in the next chapter.

Kinematics of a particle 1:18 ME 562-cmk