ENG1040 Engineering Dynamics

Practice Class 10
Instantaneous Centres and Velocity Diagrams - Solutions
Question 1
To calculate the velocity of the slider, we realise that it is attached to member 3, and therefore its
instantaneous velocity will be equal to the instantaneous velocity of the pin connecting member 3 to the
slider, V4.
To find velocity V4, we first need to know the location of the instantaneous centre of member 3, its angular
velocity, and its distance from the slider pin.
To find the location of the instantaneous centre of member 3, find two points on the member at which we
know the velocity. These are the velocities of the pin connecting members 2 and 3 (V23), and the pin
connecting member 3 to slider 4 (V4). The intersection of lines drawn normal to these velocities gives us
the instantaneous centre IC3.
Graphically, we can find that IC3 is located 236 mm vertically above slider 4.
Velocity V23 is found from the length of member 2 and its angular speed, as

V23 = 60 mm
2

= 1000 rpm
60 mm = 6.283 m/s.
60

Thus the angular speed of member 3 can be found (the distance of pin 23 to IC3 can be measured to be
approximately 210 mm):

3 = V23 / r
= 6.283 m/s / 0.210 m
= 29.9 rad/s.
Then velocity V4 is

V4 = 3 236 mm
= 29.9 rad/s 0.236 m = 7.061 m/s right.

-1-

Question 2
To solve this problem, we will use a velocity diagram to determine the velocity of pin 34 with respect to
ground, V1,34, and then use a distance ratio between the blade tip and pin 34, and the point on member 4
about which they both rotate, to determine the blade tip velocity.

Firstly, V1,23 can be determined from given information in the question:

V1, 23 = 65 mm
2

= 50 rpm
65 mm = 340.3 mm/s.
60

Then V1,34 can be measured from the diagram:

V1,34 = 199 mm/s.

Then the blade tip velocity can be found:

V4 = V1,34 3.08 = 613 mm/s.

-2-

Question 3
As with Questions 1, the locations of the instantaneous centres of members 2 and 5 need to be found.
Member 2 can be solved first, as velocity directions at pin 2-3 and slider 4 can be determined immediately.
The instantaneous centre IC2 is located below and to the left of slider 6.

Once IC2 is known, the direction of velocity of pin 2-5 can be found (V25), and once this is known, the
instantaneous centre of member 5 can be determined.

IC5 is located slightly above slider 6.

-3-

Taking measurements from the images allows us to determine the required linear and angular speeds:
Member 2 angular speed:

2 = V4 / r
= 5 m/s / 0.305 m
= 16.39 rad/s.
Member 3 angular speed:

3 = V23 / r
= V23 / 0.138 m
= 2 0.33 m / 0.138 m
= 39.19 rad/s.
Member 5 angular speed:

5 = V25 / r
= 2 0.308 m / 0.138 m
= 36.58 rad/s.
Slider 6 speed:

V6 = 5 65 mm
= 2.38 m/s.

-4-

Question 4
First we will calculate the velocity of point C:

VC = 0.32 m
2
0.32 m
60
= 0.0335 m/s.
= 1 rpm

The velocity at point B can be determined by constructing an appropriate velocity diagram (note that the
direction of velocity of point C w.r.t. point B is being used, and recognise that the direction of the velocity at
point B is known as member 4 is rotating about the ground):

Measuring the velocities gives:

VB = 1.595 0.0335 m/s

= 0.0534 m/s.

Now we can draw lines in the directions of velocity of point N w.r.t. both B and C from the ends of the
arrows in the above diagram, to find the velocity of point N w.r.t. ground:

-5-

Now we can measure the velocity at point N:

VN = 1.79 0.0335 m/s

= 0.06 m/s.

-6-

The following are solutions to the supplementary questions.

Question 5

To solve this problem using Velocity Diagrams, we need to find V1,4 (the velocity of member 4 w.r.t. member
1 (ground).
Mathematically, this vector can be obtained by the sum
V1,4 = V1,23 + V23,4.
We know the direction of V14, (horizontal line) and the velocity V1,23 can be ascertained immediately from
the information given in the question as

V1, 23 = 60 mm
2

= 1000 rpm
60 mm = 6.283 m/s.
60

From the origin (representing the ground - 1), draw a vector for V1,23, and a horizontal line for the direction
of V1,4:

For member 3, we do not know, in advance, the relative velocity of the pin connecting members 3 & 4 with
respect to the pin connecting members 2 & 3. We do know its direction (normal to the line connecting the
two pins, as member 3 is a rigid member, and pin 34 is rotating around pin 23). Due to the vector sum, this
velocity component should pass through the head of vector V1,23:

-7-

Finally we can determine V1,4:

By taking measurements from this diagram, the magnitude of V1,4 can be determined:

V1, 4 = 6.97 m/s.

-8-

Question 6
(i) To find the speed of the tip of the blade, we need to determine the following:
The distance of the blade tip from its instantaneous centre (the pin connecting member 4 to the ground)
o

This distance can be measured from the diagram as approximately 370 mm.

The velocity of pin 34 (V34)

o

This requires knowledge of

The angular velocity (3) and instantaneous centre (IC3) of member 3

o

To find 3 we need the velocity of pin 23 (V23), and the distance of pin 23 from IC3.

IC3 can be determined by finding the intersection of lines normal to the velocities of pins 23
and 34 (which are both points on member 3). Graphically, this point lies in line with both
members 2 and 4, and is located a little above the blade tip.

V23 can be determined from given information:

V23 = 65 mm
2

= 50 rpm
65 mm = 340.3 mm/s.
60

Now, pin 23 is located approximately 545 mm from IC3 (measured from the diagram), which allows us
to determine 3:

3 = V23 / r
= 340.3 mm/s / 545 mm
= 0.6244 rad/s.
Given 3, and the measured distance from IC3 to pin 34 (310 mm), we can now determine the velocity
at pin 34:

V34 = 3 310 mm
= 0.6244 rad/s 310 mm = 193.6 mm/s,
and then without explicitly evaluating 4, we can determine the blade tip velocity from the ratio of radial
distances from the instantaneous centre of member 4:

V4 = V34 370 mm / 120 mm

= 597 mm/s.
(ii) To find the angle through which the blade would rotate (graphically), we must first appreciate under
what arrangements the blade will be at its nearest and farthest extents.
These will occur when members 2 and 3 are parallel, with maximum extent occurring when member 2 is
pointing upwards and to the right, and the members are end-to-end, and minimum extent occurring when
member 2 pointing down and left, and member 3 is overlapping member 2.
Under these conditions, the effective combined length of member 23 would be L3+L2, or L3-L2,
respectively. From the diagram, these can be measured as L2 = 65 and L3 = 288, thus L3+L2 = 353 and L3L2 = 223. As member 3 is connected via pin 34 to member 4, the task is to find at what angles member 4
would be when pin 34 is these distances from the pin about which member 2 is rotating.
We can make an estimate graphically, but a more precise indication can be gained geometrically by
constructing triangles, and solving for the unknown angles:

-9-

Minimum angle case

Maximum angle case

To solve for the angles, use the Law of Cosines (note: this formula should be provided in the Practice
Classes):

b 2 = c 2 + a 2 2ca cos( )
Thus:

2232 = 288 2 + 120 2 2 288 120 cos(1 )

cos(1 ) = 0.68887442
1 = 0.81086 = 46.5o
Likewise,

2 = 113.2 o
Therefore the angle through which the blade rotates is
113.2 - 46.5 = 66.7.
(iii) By inspection, it can be seen that the angle would increase if the length ratio between members 2 and
4 was increased.

- 10 -

Question 7
We will use a velocity diagram to determine velocity of pin 23, by realising that we know the velocity of
slider 4 w.r.t. ground, and know the direction of the relative velocity of pin 23 w.r.t. pin 24.

From this diagram, we can measure V1,23 as:

V1, 23 = 5 m/s 0.993

= 4.97 m/s.
How do we find the velocity of pin 25? We realise that this pin lies on a line on member 2 connecting pins
24 and 23. Pin 25 rotates around pin 24 just as pin 23 does, but it is closer than pin 23, and thus by taking
a ratio of distances, we can determine the magnitude of this relative velocity:

Measuring from the diagram gives the velocity of pin 25:

V1, 25 = 5 m/s 0.935

= 4.67 m/s.

- 11 -

Finally, a velocity diagram can also be constructed to determine the velocity of slider 6 (note that we know
that slider 6 is constrained to move horizontally w.r.t. ground):
Once IC2 is known, the direction of velocity of pin 2-5 can be found (V25), and once this is known, the
instantaneous centre of member 5 can be determined.

The slider velocity can be measured from the diagram to be:

V1, 6 = 1.4 m/s.

- 12 -

Question 8
Find the directions of velocities points B and C, and use these to determine the location of the
instantaneous centre for member 3:
We can also use this instantaneous centre to determine the velocity at point N:
Taking measurements from the images allows us to determine the required linear and angular
speeds:
Member 3 angular speed:

VC = 0.32 m
2
0.32 m
60
= 0.0335 m/s
3 = VC / r
= 1 rpm

= VC / 0.4 m
= 0.0838 rad/s.
Speeds at B and N:

VB = 0.627 m
= 0.0525 m/s
VN = 0.827 m
= 0.0693 m/s.
Member 4 angular speed:

4 = VB / r
= VB / 0.333 m
= 0.158 rad/s.

- 13 -