Physics 170 - Mechanics

Lecture 9
Relative Motion
 Vector Motion with
Constant Acceleration

Velocity as a function of time:

Position as a function of time:

 Question
Which of the blue position vs.
time graphs goes with this green
velocity vs. time graph? The
particle’s position at ti = 0 s is
xi = −10 m.
 Relative Motion
The speed of the passenger with respect to
the ground depends on the relative directions
of the passenger’s and train’s speeds:

vgnd = 16.2 m/s vgnd = 13.8 m/s

 Relative Motion
This also works in two dimensions:

Observer on ground: sees

the sum of two motions one
horizontal and one vertical
Example: Galilean Relativity

 Observer in the moving

frame system: sees only a
vertical motion

Observer on ground: sees

the sum of two motions one
horizontal and one vertical

N.B. Without air resistance!

 Relative Motion

Definition: An Inertial Reference Frame is any coordinate system

(or frame of reference) that is either at rest or moving in some
direction with a constant velocity.
Example: a train or airplane moving forward with a constant speed.
 Relative Motion

Amy, Bill, and Carlos all measure the

velocity of the runner and the acceleration
of the jet plane. The green velocity vectors
are shown in Amy’s reference frame.
What is the runner’s velocity? It
depends on the frame of the observer.
Amy: vR = 5 m/s
Bill: v = 0 m/s What about aplane?
R
Carlos: vR =−10 m/s
 Relative Position
The position depends on the frame. A set of
position observations in one frame can be
transformed to get equivalent observations in
another frame.
 Relative Velocity
The velocity also depends on the frame. A set of velocity
observations in one frame can be transformed to get equivalent
observations in another frame.

vpA z’

A y
vAB
B y’
x

x’
 Example: Crossing a River
You are riding in a boat with a speed
relative to the water of vbw = 6.1 m/s. The
boat points at an angle of θ = 25° upstream
on a river flowing at vwg = 1.4 m/s.

(a) What is your speed vbg and angle θbg

relative to the ground?
 Galilean Relativity
An “inertial frame” is defined to be any reference frame that is at rest
or moving with a constant velocity.
Consider how the acceleration transforms from frame S to frame S’, an
inertial frame that is moving with constant velocity V relative to S.
Velocities add, so

Galilean Relativity: While position and velocity are frame-

dependent, acceleration is observed to be the same in all inertial
reference frames.