Plane Motion

of Rigid
Bodies :
Forces
and
Accelerations
• In this topic, we will be concerned with the kinetics of rigid
bodies, i.e., relations between the forces acting on a rigid body, the
shape and mass of the body, and the motion produced.
• Results of this chapter will be restricted to:
- plane motion of rigid bodies, and
- rigid bodies consisting of plane slabs or bodies which are
symmetrical with respect to the reference plane.
• Our approach will be to consider rigid bodies as made of large numbers of
particles and to use the results

of the motion of systems

of particles.

Specifically,  F  ma and  M G  H G

• D’Alembert’s principle is applied to prove that the external forces acting on a


rigid body are equivalent to a vector m a attached to the mass center and a
couple of moment I  .
Equations of Motion for a Rigid Body
• Consider a rigid body acted upon
by several external forces.
• Assume that the body is made of
a large number of particles.
• For the motion of the mass center G of the
body with respect to the Newtonian frame
Oxyz,  
 F  ma
• For the motion of the body with
respect to the centroidal frame
Gx’y’z’,
 
 M  H
G G

• System of external forces is

equipollent to the system


consisting of ma and H G .
Angular Momentum of a Rigid Body in Plane Motion
• Angular momentum of the slab may be computed by

 n  
H G   ri  v iΔ m i 
i 1
n
  
  ri    ri Δ m i 
i 1


   ri 2 Δ m i 

 I
• After differentiation,
  
H G  I  I
• Results are also valid for plane motion of bodies
• Consider a rigid slab in which are symmetrical with respect to the
plane motion. reference plane.
• Results are not valid for asymmetrical bodies or
three-dimensional motion.
Plane Motion of a Rigid Body: D’Alembert’s Principle
• Motion of a rigid body in plane motion is completely
defined by the resultant and moment resultant about G
of the external forces.  Fx  m a x  F y  m a y  M G  I 
• The external forces and the collective effective
forces of the slab particles are equipollent (reduce
to the same resultant and moment resultant) and
equivalent (have the same effect on the body).
• d’Alembert’s Principle: The external forces acting on
a rigid body are equivalent to the effective forces of
the various particles forming the body.
• The most general motion of a rigid body that is
symmetrical with respect to the reference plane can be
replaced by the sum of a translation and a centroidal
rotation.
A Remark on the Axioms of the Mechanics of
Rigid Bodies
 
• The forces F and F  act at different points on a
rigid body but have the same magnitude,
direction, and line of action.
• The forces produce the same moment about any
point and are therefore, equipollent external
forces.

• This proves the principle of transmissibility

whereas it was previously stated as an axiom.
Solution of Problems Involving the Motion of a Rigid
Body • The fundamental relation between the forces
acting on a rigid body in plane motion and the
acceleration of its mass center and the angular
acceleration of the body is illustrated in a
free-body-diagram equation.

• The techniques for solving problems of static

equilibrium may be applied to solve problems of
plane motion by utilizing
- d’Alembert’s principle, or
- principle of dynamic equilibrium
Systems of Rigid Bodies

• These techniques may also be applied to problems involving

plane motion of connected rigid bodies by drawing a free-
body-diagram equation for each body and solving the
corresponding equations of motion simultaneously.
Constrained Plane Motion
• Most engineering applications involve rigid bodies
which are moving under given constraints, e.g., cranks,
connecting rods, and non-slipping wheels.
• Constrained plane motion: motions with definite
relations between the components of acceleration of the
mass center and the angular acceleration of the body.
• Solution of a problem involving constrained
plane motion begins with a kinematic analysis.

• e.g., given q, , and , find P, NA, and NB.

- kinematic analysis yields a x and a y .
- application of d’Alembert’s principle yields P, NA, and
NB.
Constrained Motion: Non-centroidal Rotation
• Noncentroidal rotation: motion of a body is constrained to rotate about a fixed
axis that does not pass through its mass center.

• Kinematic relation between the motion of the mass center G and the motion of the
body about G,
2
at  r an  r

• The kinematic relations are used to eliminate

from equations derived from d’Alembert’s principle
or from the method of dynamic equilibrium.

at and a n
Constrained Plane Motion: Rolling Motion
• For a balanced disk constrained to roll without sliding,

x  rq  a  r

• Rolling, no sliding:
F   s N a  r
Rolling, sliding impending:
F   s N a  r
Rotating and sliding:
F   k N a , r  independent
• For the geometric center of an
unbalanced disk,
a O  r

The acceleration of the mass center,

  
aG  aO  aG O
  
 t 
 aO  aG O  aG 
O n
SAMPLE PROBLEM

1.The car shown has a mass of 2 Mg and a center of mass at

G. Determine the acceleration if the rear “driving” wheels are
always slipping, whereas the front wheels are free to rotate.
Neglect the mass of the wheels. The coefficient of kinetic
friction between the wheels and the road is k = 0.25.

ANS. a =1.59 m/s2

SOLUTION:
2. The motorcycle has a mass of 125 kg and a center of mass at G1
while the rider has a mass of 75 kg and a center of mass at G2.
Determine the minimum coefficient of static friction between the
wheels and the pavement in order for the rider to do a “wheely,”
i.e., lift the front wheel off the ground as shown in the photo. What
acceleration is necessary to do this? Neglect the mass of the wheels
and assume that the front wheel is free to roll.

ANS. a =8.59 m/s2

k = 0.912
Solution
3. A uniform 50-kg crate rests on a horizontal
surface for which the coefficient of kinetic
friction is k = 0.2 Determine the acceleration
if a force of P = 600 N is applied to the crate.

ANS. a =10 m/s2

SOLUTION
 4. The 100-kg beam BD is supported by two rods having
negligible mass. Determine the force developed in
each rod if at the instant = 300, = 6 / .

ANS. TB =TD=1.32 m/s2

SEATWORK #1 FINALS

1. The lift truck has a mass of 70 kg and mass center at G. If it

lifts the 120-kg spool with an acceleration of 3 m/s2 ,
determine the reactions on each of the four wheels. The
loading is symmetric. Neglect the mass of the movable arm
CD.

Ans. : NA=568 N, NB=544 N

2. At the start of a race, the rear drive wheels B of the 1550-lb car
slip on the track. Determine the car’s acceleration and the normal
reaction the track exerts on the front pair of wheels A and rear pair
of wheels B. The coefficient of kinetic friction is k = 0.7 and the
mass center of the car is at G. The front wheels are free to roll.
Neglect the mass of all the wheels.

Ans; NA = 640.46 lb, NB = 909.54 lb, a = 13.2 ft/s2

3. The forklift travels forward with a constant speed of 9 ft/s.
Determine the shortest stopping distance without causing any
of the wheels to leave the ground. The forklift has a weight of
2000 lb with center of gravity at G1, and the load weighs 900
lb with center of gravity at G2. Neglect the weight of the
wheels.

Ans; 2.74 ft
ASSIGNMENT #1 FINALS

1.
2. The jet aircraft has a mass of 22 Mg and a center of mass at
G. If a towing cable is attached to the upper portion of the
nose wheel and exerts a force of T = 400 M as shown,
determine the acceleration of the plane and the normal
reactions on the nose wheel and each of the two wing wheels
located at B. Neglect the lifting force of the wings and the
mass of the wheels.