Scribd
Upload
30 views

Lecture # 04, Curvilinear Motion (Rectangular Components)

Curvilinear motion occurs when a particle moves along a curved path. The particle's position is defined by its position vector r, which changes in both magnitude and direction as the particle moves. As the particle moves a small distance Δs along the curve, its displacement Δr is determined by subtracting its new position vector r' from the original r. The particle's instantaneous velocity v is the time derivative of r and is always tangent to the curved path. Similarly, the particle's instantaneous acceleration a is the time derivative of v and is generally not tangent to the curved path.

Uploaded by

Khair Bux Mazari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
30 views

Lecture # 04, Curvilinear Motion (Rectangular Components)

Curvilinear motion occurs when a particle moves along a curved path. The particle's position is defined by its position vector r, which changes in both magnitude and direction as the particle moves. As the particle moves a small distance Δs along the curve, its displacement Δr is determined by subtracting its new position vector r' from the original r. The particle's instantaneous velocity v is the time derivative of r and is always tangent to the curved path. Similarly, the particle's instantaneous acceleration a is the time derivative of v and is generally not tangent to the curved path.

Uploaded by

Khair Bux Mazari
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 22

General Curvilinear Motion

Curvilinear motion occurs when a particle


moves along a curved path.
Position
Consider a particle located at a point on a space curve defined by the path
function s(t), Fig. 12-16a.

The position of the particle is measured from a fixed point O, will be


designated by the position vector r=r(t).

Notice that both the magnitude and direction of this vector will change as
the particle moves along the curve.
Displacement
Suppose that during a small time interval ∆t the particle moves a
distance ∆s along the curve to a new position, defined by r' = r + ∆r, Fig.
12-16b.

The displacement ∆r represents the change in the particle's position and


is determined by vector subtraction; i.e., ∆ r = r' - r.
Velocity
During the time ∆t, the average velocity of the particle is:
Vavg= ∆r/ ∆t

The instantaneous velocity is determined from this


equation by letting ∆t→ 0, and consequently the direction
of ∆r approaches the tangent to the curve.

Hence

v  lim ( r / t )
t 0

dr
v
dt
Velocity
Since dr will be tangent to the curve, the direction of
v is also tangent to Fig. 12-16c.
The magnitude of v, which is called the speed, is obtained by realizing that
the length of the straight line segment ∆r in Fig. 12-16b approaches the arc
length ∆s as ∆t → 0, we have

v  lim ( r / t )  lim ( s / t )
t 0 t 0
or
ds
v
dt

Thus, the speed can be obtained by differentiating the path function s


with respect to time.
Acceleration
If the particle has a velocity v at time t and a velocity v' = v + ∆v at
t + ∆t, Fig. 12-16d , then the average acceleration of the particle during
the time interval ∆t is

v
aavg 
t

where ∆v = v' - v.
Acceleration
To study this time rate of change, the two
velocity vectors in Fig. 12-16d are plotted
in Fig. 12-16e such that their tails are
located at the fixed point 0' and their
arrowheads touch points on a curve.

This curve is called a hodograph, and


when constructed, it describes the
locus of points for the arrowhead of
the velocity vector in the same
manner as the path s describes the
locus of points for the arrowhead of
the position vector, Fig. 12-16a.
Acceleration
To obtain the instantaneous acceleration, let ∆t → 0
in the above equation.
In the limit ∆v will approach the tangent to the hodograph, and so
dv
a  lim (v / t ) or a
t 0 dt
Substituting Eq. 12-7 into this result, we can also write

d 2r
a 2
dt

By definition of the derivative, a acts tangent to the hodograph,


Fig. 12-16J, and, in general it is not tangent to the path of motion, Fig.
12-16g.
Acceleration
Realize that ∆v and consequently a must account for the
change made in both the magnitude and direction of the
velocity v as the particle moves from one point to the next
along the path, Fig. 12-16d .

However, in order for the particle to


follow any curved path, the directional
change always "swings" the velocity
vector toward the "inside" or "concave
side" of the path.

In summary, v is always tangent to the


path and a is always tangent to the
hodograph.
Curvilinear Motion:
Rectangular Components

Occasionally the motion of a particle can


best be described along a path that can be
expressed in terms of its x, y, z
coordinates.
Position
If the particle is at point (x, y, z) on the curved path s shown
in Fig. 12-17 a, then its location is defined by the position vector

r= xi+yj+zk Eq. 12-10

When the particle moves, the x, y, z components of r will be functions


of time; i.e., x = x(t), y = y(t), z = z(t), so that r = r(t).
At any instant the magnitude of r is defined from Eq. C-3

r  x2  y2  z 2

And the direction of r is specified by


the unit vector ur = r/r
Velocity
The first time derivative of r yields the velocity of the
particle. Hence,

When taking this derivative, it is necessary to account


for changes in both the magnitude and direction of
each of the vector's components.
For example, the derivative of the i component of r is
Velocity
The second term on the right side is zero, provided the x, y, z
reference frame is fixed, and therefore the direction (and the
magnitude) of i does not change with time.

Differentiation of the j and k components may be carried out in a


similar manner, which yields the final result,
Fig. 12-17b.

Eq. 12-11

where
Velocity
The "dot" notation represents the first time
derivatives of x = x(t), y = y(t), z = z(t), respectively.

The velocity has a magnitude that is found from

and a direction that is specified by the unit


vector uv = v/v.
As discussed in previous lecture, the direction is
always tangent to the path, as shown in Fig. 12-17b.
Acceleration
The acceleration of the particle is obtained by taking the first time
derivative of Eq. 12-11 (or the second time derivative of Eq. 12-10).
We have

where
Fig. 12-17C
Acceleration
Here ax, ay, az represent, respectively, the first time derivatives of
vx = vx(t), vy = vy(t), vz = vz(t), or the second time derivatives of the
functions x = x(t), y = y(t), z = z(t).
The acceleration has a magnitude

Fig. 12-17C

and a direction specified by the


unit vector ua = a/a.

Since a represents the time rate of


change in both the magnitude and
direction of the velocity, in general
a will not be tangent to the path,
Fig. 12-17 C.

You might also like