Lesson 3

Relative Velocity
 Focus Question

Does your description of motion depend

on your frame of reference?
 New Vocabulary

reference frame
 Review Vocabulary

resultant: a vector that represents the sum of

two other vectors; always points from the first
vector’s tail to the last vector’s tip
 Relative Motion in One Dimension

• A coordinate system from which motion is viewed

is a reference frame.
• Reference frames can be stationary, such as the
ground. They can also be moving, such as a bus, a
plane, or a river.
 Relative Motion in One Dimension

• Suppose you are walking down the aisle of a moving

school bus, while your friend watches from outside.
• What will you see? What will your friend see?
 Relative Motion in One Dimension

• Now suppose you walk towards the back of the bus.

• What will you see? What will your friend see?
 Relative Motion in One Dimension

• Velocities can be added to determine the relative

velocity:

• The relative velocity of object a to object c is the

vector sum of object a’s velocity relative to object b
and object b’s velocity relative to object c.
 Relative Motion in Two Dimensions

• The method for adding

relative velocities also
applies to motion in two
dimensions.
• As with one-dimensional
motion, first draw a
vector diagram to
describe the motion and
then solve the problem
mathematically.
 Relative Motion in Two Dimensions

• Velocity of a reference frame

moving relative to the ground
is vm/g.
 Relative Motion in Two Dimensions

• Velocity of an object in the moving frame is vo/m.

 Relative Motion in Two Dimensions

• Velocity of an object in the ground frame is vo/g.

 Relative Motion in Two Dimensions

• You can use equations to solve problems

for relative motion in two dimensions.
(100 km/hr)2 + (25 km/hr)2 = R210 000
km2/hr2 + 625 km2/hr2 = R2
10 625 km2/hr2 = R2
SQRT(10 625 km2/hr2) = R
103.1 km/hr = R

tan (theta) = (opposite/adjacent)tan (theta) =

(25/100)
theta = invtan (25/100)
theta = 14.0 degrees
 N

vl/g
Use with Example Problem 4. θ vl/t

Problem vt/g
Lalei places her lunch tray on a cafeteria
SOLVE FOR THE UNKNOWN
conveyor belt that moves westward at 0.150
• Add the velocities together.
m/s. With respect to the tray, a ladybug on
the tray crawls northward at 0.050 m/s.
What is the ladybug’s velocity with respect
• Because vl/t and vt/g are perpendicular, use the
to the ground?
Pythagorean theorem to add their magnitudes.
Response
SKETCH AND ANALYZE THE PROBLEM
• Sketch the situation and draw a vector diagram.
• List the knowns and unknowns.

KNOWN UNKNOWN
vl/t = 0.050 m/s north vl/g = ?
vt/g = 0.150 m/s west
 N

vl/g
Use with Example Problem 4. θ vl/t

Problem vt/g
Lalei places her lunch tray on a cafeteria
SOLVE FOR THE UNKNOWN
conveyor belt that moves westward at 0.150
•
m/s. With respect to the tray, a ladybug on
the tray crawls northward at 0.050 m/s.
• Use trigonometry to find the direction of the
What is the ladybug’s velocity with respect
velocity.
to the ground?
Response
SKETCH AND ANALYZE THE PROBLEM
• Sketch the situation and draw a vector diagram.
• List the knowns and unknowns.

EVALUATE THE ANSWER

KNOWN UNKNOWN
• The units are correct; velocity is in meters per
vl/t = 0.050 m/s north vl/g = ? second.
• The direction agrees with our vector diagram.
vt/g = 0.150 m/s west
 Quiz

1. When both an object and the reference frame it

moves in move in the same direction, how do you
find the velocity of the object relative to the ground?

A Add the squares of the velocities.

B Average the velocities.

C Add the velocities. CORRECT

D Subtract the velocities.

 Quiz

2. When both an object and the reference frame it

moves in move in opposite directions, how do you
find the velocity of the object relative to the ground?

A Add the squares of the velocities.

B Subtract the velocities. CORRECT

C Average the velocities.

D Add the velocities.

 Quiz

3. Object a moves relative to object b, and object b

moves relative to object c. Which equation shows
the correct way to find the relative velocity of
object a to object c?

A va/c + va/b = vb/c C va/c + vb/c = va/b

B va/b + vb/c = va/c CORRECT D vb/c + vc/b = va/c

 Quiz

4. A boat is moving north at 10.0 m/s relative to the

shore. If you walk toward the back of the boat at
3.0 m/s relative to the boat, what is your velocity
relative to the shore?

A 13.0 m/s south C 7.0 m/s south

B 13.0 m/s north D 7.0 m/s north

CORRECT
 Quiz

5. How do you find the resultant velocity vector

when solving a problem involving motion in two
dimensions?

A Place the velocity vectors tip-to-tail. CORRECT

B Place the position vectors tip-to-tail.

C Add the magnitudes and use the

direction of the longer vector.

D Subtract the magnitudes and use the

direction of the longer vector.