Chapter 4: Motion in two and three dimensions

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Position and Displacement

⚫ A position vector locates a particle in space

o Extends from a reference point (origin) to the
particle

Example
o Position vector (-3m, 2m, 5m)

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 ⚫ Change in position vector is a displacement

⚫ We can rewrite this as:

⚫ Or express it in terms of changes in each coordinate:

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Average Velocity and Instantaneous Velocity

Average velocity


But


So,

Phys 211
Average Velocity and Instantaneous Velocity

Instantaneous velocity is
o
The velocity of a particle at a single point in time
o
The limit of avg. velocity
as the time interval shrinks to 0


In unit-vector form, we write:


Which can also be written:

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Average Velocity and Instantaneous Velocity

Visualize displacement and instantaneous velocity:

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 Average acceleration and Instantaneous acceleration


Average acceleration is
o A change in velocity divided by its time interval


Instantaneous acceleration is again the limit t → 0:

⚫ We can write Eq. 4-16 in unit-vector form:

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 ⚫ We can rewrite as:

⚫ To get the components of acceleration, we differentiate the

components of velocity with respect to time

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Sample problem
page: 59
Sample problem
page: 62
Sample problem
page: 63
Projectile

A projectile is
o
A particle moving in the vertical plane
o
With some initial velocity
o
Whose acceleration is always free-fall acceleration (g)

The motion of a projectile is projectile motion
 Launched with an initial velocity v0

o q0 can be +ve, -ve, or zero.

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vx is constant while vy is variable
Kinematic equations for Projectile

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Projectile Motion

• Rules of projectile motion

The x- and y-directions of motion are completely independent of each other
The x-direction is uniform motion ax = 0

The y-direction is free fall ay = -g !! +ve y-axis upward

The initial velocity can be broken down into its x- and y-components

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 ax = 0

Treat the horizontal

and vertical motions
independently

ay = -g
 ⚫ Maximum height: vy = 0

⚫ The projectile's trajectory is

o
Its path through space (traces a parabola)
o
Found by eliminating time between Eqs. 4-21 and 4-22:

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 ⚫ The horizontal range is:
o The distance the projectile travels in x by the time it returns to its initial height

d is not R
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Sample problem
page: 69
Sample problem
page: 70

16
Uniform circular Motion


A particle is in uniform circular motion if
o
It travels around a circle or circular arc
o
At a constant speed

Since the velocity changes, the particle is
accelerating!

Velocity and acceleration have:
o
Constant magnitude
o
Changing direction

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 ⚫ Acceleration is called centripetal acceleration
o
Means “center seeking”
o
Directed radially inward

r: Radius of the circle

⚫ The period of revolution is:

o The time it takes for the particle to go around the closed path
exactly once

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Relative Motion in One Dimension

Measures of position and velocity depend on the reference frame
of the measurer
o
How is the observer moving?
o
Our usual reference frame is that of the ground

Frames A and B are each
watching the movement of
object P

Read subscripts “PA”, “PB”,
and “BA” as “P as
measured by A”, “P as
measured by B”, and “B as
measured by A"
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 ⚫ Positions in different frames are related by:

⚫ Taking the derivative, we see velocities are related by:

⚫ But accelerations (for non-accelerating reference frames, vBA = ct, so

aBA = 0) are related by

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 Example
Frame A: x = 2 m, v = 4 m/s
Frame B: x = 3 m, v = -2 m/s
P as measured by A: xPA = 5
m, v = 2 m/s, a =
So P as measured by B:
PA 1 m/s 2

o xPB = xPA + xAB = 5 m + (2m – 3m) = 4 m

o vPB = vPA + vAB = 2 m/s + (4 m/s – -2m/s) = 8 m/s
o
a = 1 m/s2

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Relative Motion in Two Dimension

The same as in one dimension, but now with vectors:

Positions in different frames are related by:


Velocities:


Accelerations (for non-accelerating reference frames):

⚫ Again, observers in different frames will see the same acceleration

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 ⚫ Frames A and B are both observing the motion of P

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Summary
Position Vector Displacement
⚫ Locates a particle in 3- ⚫ Change in position vector
space

Average and Instantaneous Velocity Average and Instantaneous Acceleration.

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 Projectile Motion Uniform Circular Motion
⚫ Flight of particle subject only to
⚫ Magnitude of acceleration:
free-fall acceleration (g)

⚫ Time to complete a circle:

Relative Motion
⚫ Trajectory is parabolic path
⚫ For non-accelerating reference
frames

⚫ Horizontal range:

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