M ECH E2 - D YN A MICS OF R I G I D B OD I ES

KINETICS OF A
PARTICLE
Prep a red b y E n g r. J a y S a l es, R MP
INTRODUCTION KINETICS is the study of bodies with reference to
the force which cause the motion. It is the study of
the relationship between the forces acting on a
body, the mass of the body and its motion.

CONCEPTS UNDER KINETICS:

-Particle
-Force
-Mass
-Weight
In particle mechanics, a particle is an object whose mass is concentrated at a point
and therefore is also called a point mass. The inertia properties of a particle consist
of only the particle’s mass. A particle is generally understood to have zero volume. It
is meaningless to talk about the rotation of a particle whose position is held fixed,
although we do say that a particle can “rotate about a point”, meaning that a particle
can move along a path around a point. Regardless of its volume, when we choose to
model a real object as a particle, we choose to neglect the possibility that the object
might “rotate” in the sense of “change its orientation” relative to some chosen
reference object.

The force acting on an object is the interaction between that object and its
environment. A more precise description of this interaction requires that we know
something about the interaction in question. For example, if two objects collide or
slide against one another, we say that they interact via contact forces. Regardless of
the type, a force has two essential characteristics: (1) magnitude and (2) direction.
Therefore, we use vectors to mathematically represent forces.
The mass of an object is a measure of the amount of matter in the object. The mass
of an object is a fundamental property of the object; a numerical measure of its inertia.
Along with the concept of force, the concept of mass has been recognized as a
primitive concept, i.e., not explainable via more elementary ideas.

Definitions of mass often seem circular because it is such a fundamental quantity

that it is hard to define in terms of something else. All mechanical quantities can be
defined in terms of mass, length, and time. The usual symbol for mass is m and its
SI unit is the kilogram. While the mass is normally considered to be an unchanging
property of an object, at speeds approaching the speed of light one must consider
the increase in the relativistic mass.
The weight of an object is defined as the force of gravity on the object and may be
calculated as the mass times the acceleration of gravity. Since the weight is a force,
its SI unit is the newton. For an object in free fall, so that gravity is the only force
acting on it, then the expression for weight follows from Newton's second law.

Where:
𝑊 = 𝐹𝑛𝑒𝑡 m = mass
g = gravitational
𝑊 =𝑚×𝑔 acceleration
𝑚 constant,
𝑊 = 1 𝑘𝑔 × 9.81 2 = 9.81 m/s 2 or 32.2 ft/s 2
𝑠
= 9.81 𝑁
NEWTON’S SECOND LAW OF MOTION:

“A particle acted upon by an unbalanced force system has an acceleration in line

with and directly proportional to the resultant of the force system and inversely
proportional to its mass.”

If the resultant force acting on a particle is not zero, the particle has an acceleration
proportional to the magnitude of the resultant and in the direction of this resultant
force.
𝐹1 𝐹1 𝐹2 𝐹3
𝑎1 𝑎1
= 𝑎2
= 𝑎3
= 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡

𝐹2

𝐹3 𝑎2 𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 Σ𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑎3
KINETICS OF A PARTICLE: RECTILINEAR MOTION

𝐹1
𝑎1 𝑎𝑦
𝑎 𝑎
𝐹2
𝐹𝑦 𝑎𝑥
𝑚 = 𝑚 = 𝑚
𝐹3 𝑎2
𝑎3 Σ𝐹 Σ𝐹
𝐹𝑋

Σ𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 Σ𝐹𝑥 = 𝑚𝑎𝑥
Σ𝐹𝑦 = 𝑚𝑎𝑦
D’ALEMBERT’S PRINCIPLE:

d’Alembert’s principle, is an alternative form of Newton’s second law of motion,

stated by the 18th-century French polymath Jean le Rond d’Alembert.

“The resultant of the external forces applied to a body (rigid or non-rigid) composed
of a system of particles is equivalent to the vector summation of the effective forces
acting on all particles.”

The second law states that the force F acting on a body is equal to the product of the
mass m and acceleration a of the body, or
F = ma

In d’Alembert’s form, the force F plus the negative of the mass m times
acceleration a of the body is equal to zero:
F - ma = 0
D’ALEMBERT’S PRINCIPLE:

𝑊
𝑎 𝑅𝐸𝐹 = 𝑃 − 𝑓

𝑊
𝑅𝐸𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 = 𝑎
𝑃 𝑅𝐸𝐹 𝑔

𝑓 W = 𝑁 = 𝑚𝑔
𝑁 𝑓 = 𝜇𝑁
PROCEDURE:

1. Draw the free-body diagram.

𝑊
2. Indicate the direction of acceleration
𝑎 and use it as reference of the positive
direction.

𝑃 𝑅𝐸𝐹 3. When the direction of acceleration is

not given, make an assumption and
use it as reference of positive
direction. If the result is positive, the
𝑓 assumption is correct. If the resulting
value of acceleration is negative,
𝑁 correct the direction and resolve the
problem.
An elevator weighing 3220 lbs starts from rest and acquires an upward velocity of 600 ft
per minute in a distance of 20 ft. If the acceleration is constant. What is the tension in the
elevator cable?
𝑇 𝑆 = 20 𝑓𝑡 Σ𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑊 = 3220 𝑙𝑏𝑠 𝑊
𝑓𝑡 1 𝑚𝑖𝑛
𝑇−𝑊 = 𝑎
𝑉 = 600 ×
𝑔
𝑚𝑖𝑛 60 𝑠𝑒𝑐
𝑉 𝑓𝑡 3220
= 10 𝑇 − 3220 = (2.5)
𝑠 32.2
𝑻 = 𝟑𝟒𝟕𝟎 𝒍𝒃𝒔
𝑊 𝑉𝑓2
− 𝑉𝑜2 = 2aS
102 − 0 = 2a(20)
𝑎 = 2.5 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 2
An elevator being lowered into a mine shaft starts from rest and attains a speed of 10 m/s
within a distance of 15 meters. The elevator alone has a mass of 500 kg and it carries a
box of mass 600 kg in it. Find the total tension in cables supporting the elevator during this
accelerated motion. Also, find the total force between the box and the floor of the elevator.

𝑇 𝑉𝑓2 − 𝑉𝑜2 = 2aS Σ𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎

102 − 0 = 2a(15) 𝑊𝑇 − 𝑇 = 𝑚 𝑇 𝑎
𝑎 = 3.33 𝑚/𝑠 2 10791 − 𝑇 = (500 + 600) (3.33)
𝑎
𝑻 = 𝟕𝟏𝟐𝟒. 𝟑𝟑 𝑵
𝑆 = 15 𝑚

𝑊𝑇 = 𝑚𝑔
𝑊𝑇 = (500 + 600)(9.81)
𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒:
𝑊𝑇 = 10791 𝑁 𝑊
𝑅𝐸𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 = 𝑎
𝑔
The block in the figure reaches a velocity of 40 ft per second in 100 ft, starting from rest.
Compute the coefficient of kinetic friction between the block and the ground.

𝑊 = 161 𝑙𝑏 Σ𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑉𝑓2 − 𝑉𝑜2 = 2aS
𝑎 2
𝑊
40 − 0 = 2a(100) 𝑃−𝑓 = 𝑎
𝑔
𝑃 = 60 𝑙𝑏 𝑎 = 8 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 2
161
60 − 𝑓 = (8)
32.2
𝑓 W = 𝑁 = 𝑚𝑔
𝑁 𝑓 = 20 𝑙𝑏𝑠
𝑓 = 𝜇𝑁
20 = 𝜇(161)
𝑓𝑡
𝑉 = 40 𝝁 = 𝟎. 𝟏𝟐𝟒
𝑠
𝑆 = 100 𝑓𝑡
 A ball of mass 5 kg and a block of mass 12 kg are attached by a lightweight cord that
passes over a frictionless pulley of negligible mass as shown in the figure. The block lies
on a frictionless incline angle of 30⁰. Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the two
objects and the tension in the cord.
At the 5 kg ball:
𝑎 𝑇 Σ𝐹𝑦 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑇 − 𝑊1 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑎 5 𝑇 − (5)(9.81) = 5 𝑎
kg
5
kg
𝑇 − 49.05 = 5𝑎
𝜃 = 30°
𝑇 = 5𝑎 + 49.05
𝑊1
At the 12 kg block:
Σ𝐹𝑥 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑇
𝑊2 −𝑇 − 𝑓 + 𝑊2 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° = (12)𝑎
𝑓
−𝑇 − 0 + 12 9.81 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° = 12 𝑎
𝜃 = 30° −𝑇 + 117.72 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° = 12𝑎
𝑁
𝑇 = 117.72 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° − 12𝑎
A ball of mass 5 kg and a block of mass 12 kg are attached by a lightweight cord that
passes over a frictionless pulley of negligible mass as shown in the figure. The block lies
on a frictionless incline angle of 30⁰. Find the magnitude of the acceleration of the two
objects and the tension in the cord.
𝑇 = 5𝑎 + 49.05 117.72 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° − 12𝑎 = 5𝑎 + 49.05

𝑇 = 117.72 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° − 12𝑎 117.72 𝑠𝑖𝑛30° − 49.05 = 5𝑎 + 12𝑎

𝒎
𝒂 = 𝟎. 𝟓𝟕𝟕 𝟐
𝒔

𝑇 = 5𝑎 + 49.05
= 5(0.577) + 49.05
𝑎 𝑻 = 𝟓𝟏. 𝟗𝟑𝟓 𝑵

𝑎 𝑇 − 5𝑎 = 49.05
5 𝑇 + 12𝑎 = 117.72 𝑠𝑖𝑛30°
kg
𝜃 = 30°
Based on the given figure, the system is initially in equilibrium due to sufficient friction
between the 25 kg mass and the table, preventing any movement. If an additional 1.25 kg
is added to the 3.75 kg mass, find the acceleration of the masses and the tension in the
string during the accelerated motion. Assume that the string passes over a smooth pulley.

A
Before the additional load: Due to the additional load:
25 kg Σ𝐹𝑦 = 𝑚𝑎 Σ𝐹𝑦 = 𝑚𝑎 N = 245.25 𝑁
𝑁 − 𝑊𝐴 = 0
Σ𝐹𝑋 = 𝑚𝑎
B 𝑁 − (25)(9.81) = 0
3.75
kg
N = 245.25 𝑁 𝑇 − 𝑓 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑇 − 𝜇𝑁 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑊𝐴 Σ𝐹𝑋 = 𝑚𝑎
𝑎 𝑇 − 0.15(245.25) = 25𝑎
𝑇−𝑓 =0
𝑇 𝑇 = 25𝑎 + 36.7875
A 𝑇 − 𝜇𝑁 = 0
25 kg
(3.75)(9.81) − 𝜇(245.25) = 0
𝑓
𝜇 = 0.15
𝑁
Based on the given figure, the system is initially in equilibrium due to sufficient friction
between the 25 kg mass and the table, preventing any movement. If an additional 1.25 kg
is added to the 3.75 kg mass, find the acceleration of the masses and the tension in the
string during the accelerated motion. Assume that the string passes over a smooth pulley.

A Due to the additional load: 𝑇 = 25𝑎 + 36.7875

25 kg
Σ𝐹𝑋 = 𝑚𝑎 𝑇 = −5𝑎 + 49.05

−𝑇 + 𝑊𝐵 = 𝑚𝑎 25𝑎 + 36.7875 = −5𝑎 + 49.05

B
3.75
30𝑎 = 12.2625
kg
−𝑇 + (5)(9.81) = 5𝑎 𝒎
𝒂 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟎𝟗 𝟐
𝑇 𝑇 = −5𝑎 + 49.05 𝒔

𝑇 = 25𝑎 + 36.7875
B
5 kg
𝑎 = 25(0.409) + 36.7875
𝑇 − 25𝑎 = 36.7875
𝑇 + 5𝑎 = 49.05 𝑻 = 𝟒𝟕. 𝟎𝟎𝟔 𝑵
𝑊𝐵