ME101: Engineering Mechanics (3 1 0 8)

2020-21 (II Semester)

Prof. S. K. Dwivedy
Mechanical Engineering Department
IIT Guwahati
ME101: (3 1 0 8)

KINEMATICS OF A PARTICLE
LECTURE: 21

2
Tangential and Normal Components

If we have an idea of the path of a vehicle, it is often convenient

to analyze the motion using tangential and normal components
(sometimes called path coordinates).

3
Tangential and Normal Components
y
r= the instantaneous
radius of curvature

v  v et
en v= vt et dv v2
et a  e t  en
dt r

x
• The tangential direction (et) is tangent to the path of the
particle. This velocity vector of a particle is in this direction
• The normal direction (en) is perpendicular to et and points
towards the inside of the curve.
• The acceleration can have components in both the en and et directions 4
Tangential and Normal Components
• To derive the acceleration vector in tangential
and normal components, define the motion of a
particle as shown in the figure.

 
• et and et are tangential unit vectors for the
particle path at P and P’. When drawn with
  
respect to the same origin, et  et  et and
 is the angle between them.

et  1
et 1
lim  lim en  en
  0     0 

de
en  t
d

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Tangential and Normal Components
 
• With the velocity vector expressed as v  vet
the particle acceleration may be written as
  
 dv dv  det dv  det d ds
a  et  v  et  v
dt dt dt dt d ds dt
but 
det  ds
 en r d  ds v
d dt
After substituting,
 dv  v 2  dv v2
a  et  en at  an 
dt r dt r
• The tangential component of acceleration
reflects change of speed and the normal
component reflects change of direction.
• The tangential component may be positive or
negative. Normal component always points
toward center of path’s curvature.
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Tangential and Normal Components
• Relations for tangential and normal acceleration
also apply for particle moving along a space curve.
 dv  v 2  dv v2
a  et  en at  an 
dt r dt r

• The plane containing tangential and normal unit

vectors is called the osculating plane.
• The normal to the osculating plane is found from
  
eb  et  en

en  principal normal

eb  binormal

• Acceleration has no component along the binormal.

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Sample Problem
SOLUTION:

• Define your coordinate system

• Calculate the tangential velocity and

tangential acceleration
• Calculate the normal acceleration

A motorist is traveling on a curved • Determine overall acceleration magnitude

section of highway of radius 750 m after the brakes have been applied
at the speed of 90 km/h. The
motorist suddenly applies the brakes,
causing the automobile to slow
down at a constant rate. Knowing
that after 8 s the speed has been
reduced to 72 km/h, determine the
acceleration of the automobile
immediately after the brakes have
been applied. 8
Sample Problem
SOLUTION: • Define your coordinate system
• Determine velocity and acceleration in
the tangential direction
et  km   1000 m  1 h 
en 90 km/h =  90     25 m/s
 h  1 km  3600 s 
72 km/h = 20 m/s
• The deceleration constant, therefore
v 20 m/s 25 m/s
at average at 0.625 m/s2
t 8s
• Immediately after the brakes are applied,
the speed is still 25 m/s
v2 (25 m/s)2
an 0.833 m/s2
750 m
an 0.833 m/s2
a  an2  at2  ( 0.625)2  (0.833)2 tan at 0.625 m/s2
a 1.041 m/s2 53.1
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Tangential and Normal Components
In 2001, a race scheduled at the Texas Motor Speedway was
cancelled because the normal accelerations were too high and
caused some drivers to experience excessive g-loads (similar to
fighter pilots) and possibly pass out. What are some things that
could be done to solve this problem?

Some possibilities:

Reduce the allowed speed

Increase the turn radius
(difficult and costly)
Have the racers wear g-suits

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Radial and Transverse Components
By knowing the distance to the aircraft and the
angle of the radar, air traffic controllers can
track aircraft.

Fire truck ladders can rotate as well as extend;

the motion of the end of the ladder can be
analyzed using radial and transverse
components.

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Radial and Transverse Components
• The position of a particle P is
expressed as a distance r from the
origin O to P – this defines the
radial direction er. The transverse
direction e is perpendicular to er
 
r  rer
• The particle velocity vector is

v = rer + rq eq
• The particle acceleration vector is

( ) (
a = r - rq 2 er + rq + 2rq eq )
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Radial and Transverse Components
• We can derive the velocity and acceleration
relationships by recognizing that the unit vectors
change direction.

• The particle velocity vector is


 d  dr  der dr  d 
v  rer   er  r  er  r e
dt dt dt dt dt
 
 r er  r e
 
r  rer
  • Similarly, the particle acceleration vector is
de r  de 
 e   er  d  dr  d  
d d a   er  r e 
dt  dt dt 
   
der der d  d d 2 r  dr der dr d  d 2  d de
  e  2 er   e  r 2 e  r
dt d dt dt dt dt dt dt dt dt dt dt
 
   
de de d

 d
  er  r  r 2 er  r  2r e
dt d dt dt
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Radial and Transverse Components
• When particle position is given in cylindrical
coordinates, it is convenient to express the
velocity and acceleration
 vectors using the unit
 
vectors e R , e , and k .

• Position vector,
  
r  R e R z k

• Velocity vector,
 
 dr    
v  R eR  R e  z k
dt

• Acceleration vector,

 dv
a
dt
 R  2
    
  R eR  R  2 R  e  z k

14
Sample Problem
SOLUTION:
• Evaluate time t for  = 30o.
• Evaluate radial and angular positions,
and first and second derivatives at
time t.
Rotation of the arm about O is defined • Calculate velocity and acceleration in
by  = 0.15t2 where  is in radians and t cylindrical coordinates.
in seconds. Collar B slides along the
arm such that r = 0.9 - 0.12t2 where r is • Evaluate acceleration with respect to
in meters. arm.

After the arm has rotated through 30o,

determine (a) the total velocity of the
collar, (b) the total acceleration of the
collar, and (c) the relative acceleration
of the collar with respect to the arm.
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Sample Problem
SOLUTION:
• Evaluate time t for  = 30o.
  0.15 t 2
 30  0.524 rad t  1.869 s

• Evaluate radial and angular positions, and first

and second derivatives at time t.
r  0.9  0.12 t 2  0.481 m
r  0.24 t  0.449 m s
r  0.24 m s 2

  0.15 t 2  0.524 rad

  0.30 t  0.561 rad s
  0.30 rad s 2
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Sample Problem
• Calculate velocity and acceleration.
vr  r  0.449 m s
v  r  0.481 m 0.561 rad s   0.270 m s
v
v  vr2  v2   tan 1 
vr
v  0.524 m s   31.0
ar  r  r 2
 0.240 m s 2  0.481 m 0.561 rad s 2
 0.391 m s 2
a  r  2r
 
 0.481 m  0.3 rad s 2  2 0.449 m s 0.561 rad s 
 0.359 m s 2
a
a  ar2  a2   tan 1 
ar
a  0.531 m s   42.6
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Sample Problem
• Evaluate acceleration with respect to arm.
Motion of collar with respect to arm is rectilinear
and defined by coordinate r.

a B OA  r  0.240 m s 2

18
Assignments

Develop a general purpose code to find the displacement velocity and

acceleration of a particle and system of particles in (i) rectangular
coordinate system (ii) cylindrical coordinate system. Solve any 5
problems of the text book using this code.

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