Review Innovations CE Review for April 2024 – Engineering Mechanics 5

ENGINEERING MECHANICS – DYNAMICS C. Variable acceleration

a. Solution by formula
DYNAMICS - This is defined as a subdivision of mechanics v = ds/dt
that is concerned with the motion of material objects in
a = dv/dt
relation to the physical factors that affect them: force, mass,
momentum, energy. ads = vdv

KINEMATICS - This is defined as the study of motion b. Graphical Solution

without regard to the forces or energies that may be Using a-t diagram:
involved. Δv = change in area of the a-t diagram
Δs = vot + change in moment of area of the a-t
KINETICS - This concerns the effect of forces and torques on diagram
the motion of bodies having mass. Using v-t diagram:
Δs = change in area of the v-t diagram
Scalar and Vector Quantities
Curvilinear Motion:
Distance is a scalar quantity that refers to "how much length
an object has covered" during its motion.

Displacement is a vector quantity that refers to "how far out aT aN

of place an object is"; it is the object's overall change in
position.
R
Speed is a scalar quantity that refers to "how fast an object is
moving." Speed can be thought of as the rate at which an
object covers distance. v2
normal acceleration, a n =
R
Velocity is a vector quantity that refers to "the rate at which total acceleration, a = a t 2 + a n 2
an object changes its position."
PROBLEMS:
Acceleration is a vector quantity that is defined as the rate at
which an object changes its velocity.
Situation 1: An automobile starting from rest speeds up to
40 meters per second with a constant acceleration of 4 m/s2,
Types of Motion
runs at this speed for a time, and finally comes to rest with a
1. Translational motion is the motion by which a body
deceleration of 5 m/s2. If the total distance traveled is 1000
shifts from one point in space to another.
meters.
a. Rectilinear motion - position, velocity, and
1. Find the distance covered during the acceleration.
acceleration of a particle as it moves along a straight
2. Find the distance traveled at constant speed.
line.
3. Find the total time of travel.
b. Curvilinear motion - motion that occurs when a
particle travels along a curved path. The curved path
Situation 2: The position of a particle which moves along a
can be in two dimensions (in a plane), or in three
straight line is defined by the relation s = t3 - 6t2 - 15t + 40,
dimensions.
where s is expressed in meters and t in seconds. Determine:

2. Rotational motion is the motion by which a body moves

1. the time at which the velocity will be zero
in circles and that the centers of these circles all on one
2. the position and distance traveled by the particle at that
line called the axis of rotation.
time
3. the acceleration of the particle at that time
3. Periodic motion is the motion by which a body vibrates
4. the distance and displacement traveled by the particle
or oscillates back and forth, over the same path, each
from t = 4 s to t = 6 s.
oscillation taking the same amount of time.
5. the average speed of the particle from t = 4 s to t = 6 s.
6. the average velocity of the particle from t = 4 s to t = 6 s.
Translational Motion Formulas:
Situation 3: The motion of a particle starting from initial
A. Uniform Motion (velocity is constant)
velocity of 5 ft/s is governed by the a-t diagram shown.
s = vt

B. Uniform acceleration (acceleration is constant)

1 2
s = vo t + at
2
vf 2 = vo2 + 2as
vf = vo + at
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 Review Innovations CE Review for April 2024 – Engineering Mechanics 5
1. Determine the velocity at t = 6 seconds later another ball is thrown at ground level at 150 ft/s. Use
2. Determine the velocity at t = 9 seconds g = 32 ft/s2.
3. Determine the displacement at t = 6 seconds 1. When will the two balls meet after the first ball is
4. Determine the displacement at t = 9 seconds thrown?
2. Where will the two balls meet from the top of the
Situation 4: A motorist is traveling on a curved section of building?
highway of radius 2500 ft at the speed of 60 miles per hour. 3. What is relative velocity of the second ball with respect
The motorist suddenly applies the brakes, causing the to the first ball when they meet?
automobile to slow down at a constant rate. Knowing that
after 8 seconds the speed has been reduced to 45 miles per Situation 6: A rocket rises vertically, from rest, with an
hour, acceleration of 3.2 m/s2 until it runs out of fuel at an altitude
of 775 m. After this point, its acceleration is that of gravity,
downward.
1. What is the velocity of the rocket when it runs out of
fuel?
2. How long does it take to reach this point?
3. What maximum altitude does the rocket reach?
4. How much time (total) does it take to reach maximum
altitude?
5. With what velocity does it strike the Earth?
6. How long (total) is it in the air?
1. Determine the acceleration of the automobile
immediately after the brakes have been applied. Situation 7: The motion of a particle is defined by the relation
x = 3t3 - 6t2 - 12t + 5, where x and t are expressed in m and sec,
PROBLEMS FOR PRACTICE: respectively. Determine:
1. the time when the velocity is zero
Situation 1: A man drives his Mercedes Benz down a straight 2. the position of the particle at that time
road at 5.2 km at 40 kph at which point he ran out of gas. The 3. the acceleration of the particle at that time
man walked 1.5 km farther to the nearest gas station in 25 4. the total distance traveled when t = 4 seconds.
minutes. What is the average velocity of the driver from the 5. the average velocity during the time interval 1 £ t £ 4
time that the car started to the time when the driver arrived 6. the average speed during the time interval 1 £ t £ 4
at the gas station?
7. the average acceleration during the time interval 1 £ t £
4
Situation 2: A man runs around a circular track of 800 meters
radius for 30 seconds, starting at a point directly to the right
Situation 8: The components of the acceleration of a particle,
of the center and goes in a counterclockwise manner. He goes
starting from rest, are as follows:
5 meters per second for the first 15 seconds, runs 90 meters
ax = 0.7t ay = 3 – 0.5t az = 7
for the next 6 seconds and then 180 meters for the rest of the
Assuming the particle starts from rest, determine the:
course.
1. resultant acceleration of the particle after 5 seconds
1. What was his average speed?
2. resultant velocity of the particle after 5 seconds
2. What was his displacement from the starting point?
3. resultant displacement of the particle after 5 seconds
3. What was his average velocity?
4. What will be his total displacement upon return to the
Situation 9: A particle moving along a straight line is
starting point?
subjected to a deceleration a = (-2v3) m/s2, where v is in m/s.
If it has a velocity of v = 8 m/s and a position s = 10 m when
Situation 3: At the instant the traffic light turns green, an
t = 0,
automobile starts with a constant acceleration of 2.2 m/s2. At
1. Determine its velocity when t = 4 seconds
the same instant a truck traveling with a constant speed of
2. Determine its position when t = 4 seconds
9.5 m/s overtakes and passes the automobile. How far
beyond the starting point will the automobile overtake the
Situation 10: A car starting from rest moves with a constant
truck?
acceleration of 10 km/hr2 for 1 hour, then decelerates at a
constant rate of 5 km/hr2 until it comes to stop. How far has
Situation 4: A stone is projected vertically upward from the
it traveled?
top of a 120-m- high tower at a velocity of 36 m/s.
1. How high will it go reckoned from the ground?
Situation 11: A 5-kg block is at rest at a time t = 0 and is acted
2. How long will it take it to reach the top?
upon by a horizontal force P that varies with time t as shown.
3. How high will it be above the ground after 9 seconds?
Determine the:
4. How long will it reach the ground? 1. initial acceleration of the block.
5. With what velocity will it hit the ground? 2. the magnitude of the velocity of the block after 5 seconds.
3. the distance traveled after 5 seconds
Situation 5: A ball is thrown vertically up into the air at 120
ft/s released on top of a building 60 ft high. Three seconds

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 Review Innovations CE Review for April 2024 – Engineering Mechanics 5

1. radius of curvature at A
2. acceleration at the inflection point B
3. total acceleration at C

ANSWER KEY:

1. 12.25 kph
2. 11.5 m/s, 342.33 m, 11.41 m/s, 0
3. 82.05 m
Situation 12: The racing car shown in the figure is traveling 4. 186.06 m, 3.670 seconds, 46.70 m, 9.829 seconds, 60.42
at 90 km/h when it enters the semicircular curve at A. The m/s
driver increases the speed at a uniform rate, emerging from 5. 5.19 seconds, 191.80 ft, 126 ft/s
the curve at C at 144 km/h. 6. 70.43 m/s, 22.01 seconds, 1,027.82 m, 29.19 seconds,
142.01 m/s, 43.68 seconds
7. t = 2 seconds, -19 m, 24 m/s2, 96 m, 21 m/s, 27 m/s, 33
m/s2
8. 7.84 m/s2, 37.12 m/s, 92.74 m
9. 0.25 m/s, 11.94 m
10. 15 km
11. 8.369 m/s2, 34.92 m/s, 97.11 m
12. 1.552 m/s2, 11.126 m/s2, 11.234 m/s2
13. 4.87 seconds, 3.87 m/s2, 34.09 m/s
14. 3.2 m/s2, 0.45 m/s2, 3.23 m/s2
15. 432.3 m, 2.411 m/s2, 2.733 m/s2
1. Determine the tangential acceleration when the car is at
B.
2. Determine the normal acceleration when the car is at B.
3. Determine the magnitude of the acceleration when the
car is at B.

Situation 13: A race car C travels around the horizontal

circular track that has a radius of 300 ft. If the car increases
its speed at a constant rate of 7 ft/s2, starting from rest
1. Determine the time needed for it to reach an acceleration
of 8 ft/s2.
2. Determine the tangential acceleration at this instant.
3. Determine the speed at this instant?

Situation 14: A race car starts from rest in the pit area and
accelerates at a uniform rate to a speed of 35 m/s in 11 s,
moving on a circular track of radius 500 m. Assuming
constant tangential acceleration,
1. Determine the tangential acceleration.
2. Determine the centripetal acceleration, at the instant the
speed is v = 15 m/s.
3. Determine the total acceleration, at the instant the speed
is v = 15 m/s.

Situation 15: To anticipate the dip and hump in the road, the
driver of a car applies her brakes to produce a uniform
deceleration. Her speed is 100 kph at the bottom A of the dip
and 50 kph at the top C of the hump, which is 120 m along
the road from A. If the passengers experience a total
acceleration of 3 m/s2 at A and if the radius of curvature of
the hump at C is 150 m, determine the

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