MEC420 - Dynamics Name: Score:

Fakulti Kejuruteraan Mekanikal

Universiti Teknologi MARA SID: Group:

REVIEW OF KEY CONCEPTS: Kinematics of Particles

Basic1: Motion of a Particle

Kinematics of Particles: Dynamics concerns about the motion of a rigid body. When only the motion
is analyzed without looking at what causes it, it is called kinematics. When the size and shape of a
rigid body in motion are not significant, the body is treated as a particle.
Knowledge and skills to be acquired: Students must be able to
 Explain the concept of distance, position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration of particles
in 1-D and 2-D motion along a straight and a curved path.
 Determine the absolute and relative distance, position, displacement, velocity, and acceleration
of particles in 1-D and 2-D motion using x-y, n-t, and r- coordinates.

Key words: position, displacement, velocity, acceleration; types of motion – rectilinear motion,
curvilinear motion, dependent motion, relative motion; types of coordinate system – Cartesian or
rectangular coordinates, tangential-normal coordinates, and polar coordinates;

Review Questions:
A. Understanding (CO1)
A-1 Motion of a particle in a straight path is called ______________ motion.
A-2 Motion of a motorbike along a curved path is called ______________ motion.
A-3 Match each of the given statements and vector expressions with the correct diagram in Figure
A-3 where the positive direction of the reference axis is as indicated.
A. Block A moves to the right at 3 m/s and is increasing at 2 m/s 2.
B. Block A moves to the right at 3 m/s and is decreasing at 2 m/s 2.
C. Block A moves to the left at 3 m/s and is increasing at 2 m/s 2.
D. Block A moves to the left at 3 m/s and is decreasing at 2 m/s 2.

I. v = 3i m/s; a = 2i m/s2 III. v = 3i m/s; a = – 2i m/s2

II. v = – 3i m/s; a = 2i m/s2 IV. v = – 3i m/s; a = – 2i m/s2

x aA x aA x aA x aA
A vA A vA A vA A vA
O O O O

Figure A-3

A-4 When the tip of a robot arm undergoes a rectilinear motion, its acceleration can be specified in
5 different ways. What are they?
A-5 A small rigid body moving with a constant velocity is said to have a _____________ motion.
A-6 A car having a constant acceleration undergoes a __________________________ motion.
A-7 In one of the experiments, a mechanical engineering student in the 3rd semester observed a
sliding block on the vertical rod. Write down all kinematics equations for the following
situations: a) if the block had a constant velocity as it slid down the vertical rod, and b) if the
block had a constant acceleration.

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A-8 The motion of one body, which directly causes the motion of another body via some forms of
connection, is known as ____________ motion. Draw simple diagrams to illustrate this type of
motion for cases of a) one degree of freedom (1DOF) and b) two degree of freedom (2DOF)
systems.
A-9 For a bicycle moving along a curved indoor track, what are the reference coordinate systems
that can be used to analyze the motion of this bicycle? For each set of these references write
down the expression for its position, velocity, and acceleration.
A-10 A fireball is fired by a cannon and travels in the air for sometimes before it hits the level ground.
What type of motion does the fireball have? With the help of a simple diagram, describe this
motion clearly and write down all kinematics equations for this motion.
A-11 What components of acceleration will a train have when it is speeding along a circular track?
A-12 A collar may slide freely on a rotating rod in a horizontal plane. What reference coordinate
system would be best in order to analyze the motion of this collar? Use a simple sketch to help
you in your answer.
A-13 Motion of one body with respect to another body may be studied through _________________
analysis and it is best performed using a ___________ approach. With the aids of a simple
diagram, draw a system of two independent bodies to show this type of motion.

B. Analysis (CO2)
B-1 A car which is initially 70 m from its origin is cruising due South on a cold night along a straight
road at a constant speed of 54 km/h. Sketch a simple diagram representing the car and its
motion. Show and label your reference axis clearly. Express a) the velocity of the car, b) its
displacement, and c) its position when t = 5 s. Use proper symbols, notations, and units.

B-2 Starting from rest at the dock, a racing boat is accelerating constantly to the left of the dock in a
straight path at the rate of 25 m/s2. Sketch a simple diagram representing the boat and its
motion. Show and label your reference axis clearly. Determine a) the position and velocity of
the boat when t = 10 s, b) the time taken and the corresponding position for the boat to reach
100 m/s, and c) the time for the boat to come to a complete stop after reaching the 100 m/s
speed and is decelerating at the same rate. Use proper symbols, notations, and units for all
quantities.

B-3 At the instant shown, luggage A is moving to the right on a conveyor belt at 2 m/s and is
decelerating at 4.5 m/s2, while luggage B is moving at 3 m/s to the left and is decelerating at 7.5
m/s2. Using the proper symbols and notations, determine and express at this instant
a) the position of luggage A and B from the origin O,
b) the position of luggage B relative to A,
c) the velocity of luggage A and B,
d) the velocity of luggage B relative to A,
e) the acceleration of luggage A and B, and
f) the acceleration of luggage B relative to A.
Also draw or show each of these vectors clearly on the diagram.

B A
x
O
30 m 50 m

Figure B-3

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B-4 Car A moves with the initial velocity of 15 m/s at an acceleration given by 2.5t m/s2 where t is
time in seconds, while car B which is 100 m ahead of car A starts moving from rest at a constant
acceleration of 10 m/s2. If both cars start at the same time and move in the same direction,
a) find the velocity of car B relative to car A at the instant when t = 5 s.
b) determine the acceleration of car B relative to car A at the instant when t = 5 s.
c) determine whether car A will eventually overtake car B. If yes, at what position and time.

B-5 An object is moving in a straight path according to v2 = k/x where v is the velocity in m/s, x is the
distance traveled in m, and k is a constant. Knowing that at time t = 0 s, the velocity is 3 m/s,
and its position is 2 m, determine the velocity of the object at t = 3 s.

B-6 Using proper symbols and notations, label completely on the given diagrams the datum, the
reference coordinate, and the position of each block for each of the mass-pulley systems
shown.
a) Write down the expression relating the position of blocks A and B.
b) Determine the velocity and acceleration of block A knowing that at the instant shown block
B is moving upward with the speed of 5 m/s and is decreasing at 2 m/s2. What is the velocity
and acceleration of block A relative to block B at this instant?
c) If block B has displaced 2.5 m, what is the displacement of block A during this same period
of time?

A A

B B
B

Figure B-6

B-7 At the instant shown, trailer A is moving due north at 120 km/h and is decreasing at a constant
rate of 5 m/s2 while car B is travelling a curved path at 70 km/h and is increasing at the constant
rate of 2.5 m/s2. At the same time, pick-up truck D is cruising due west at a constant acceleration
of 40 m/s2 and has a speed of 90 km/s as it passes through point C. Draw the corresponding
velocity and acceleration vectors on each of the vehicles at their respective positions when t = 2
s. Express each of the velocities and accelerations using the rectangular coordinates as shown.
D C

B
130 m 100 m
y
30o
o
40
x
E

Figure B-7

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B-8 Arham, a 3rd semester mechanical engineering at UiTM, is maneuvering his Yamaha LC100 near
the roundabout at Section 2, Shah Alam. If he maintains his speed of 60 km/h from A to B and is
accelerating at the rate of at = 0.15t m/s2 from B to D where t is in seconds, determine his
velocity and acceleration when he is at B, C, and D.
D

C 50 m
o
75o 70
30 m

A s B
100 m

Figure B-8

B-9 A slotted link OA is used to drive roller P along a grooved horizontal spiral guide defined by the
equation r = 0.42 m, where  is in radians. At the instant when  = /4 rad, link OA is rotating
at a rate of 5 rad/s counterclockwise and is increasing at 10 rad/s 2.
a) the radial and transverse components of the velocity of roller P,
b) the radial and transverse components of the acceleration of roller P.
c) the rectangular components of the velocity and acceleration of roller P.

y
A

r P

r = f()
 x
O

Figure B-9

B-10 A radar positioned near the air force base at A is used to track an airplane flying in a loop as
shown in the figure. When the airplane passes through point B where  = tan–1(3/4),  = 20o, its
speed is 150 m/s and is increasing at the constant rate of 25 m/s2. Label the appropriate
reference coordinates in the dashed boxes provided in the diagram. Determine at this instant
a) the velocity of the airplane,
b) the acceleration of the airplane, and
c) the recorded values of r , r ,  , and  by the radar.

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 

B
r
 = 2 km
A 

1200 m

Figure B-10

Bonus:
B-11 During testing, a single-cart roller coaster in the figure is initially stationary at A when it starts
speeding to the right at the rate given by 1.5v1/2 m/s2 between sector AC which continues
through circular sector CH. Its motion from H to J is then controlled with constant acceleration
of 8 m/s2. Sector IJ is a curved path which can be approximated by the parabola y = 0.02x2
where xJ = 10 m. Use the units of s, m, m/s, m/s2, rad, rad/s, and rad/s2 unless otherwise
specified.
a) Identify and describe the types of motion that the roller coaster will undergo in each of the
section from A to J. Complete the given diagram by labelling each of the missing coordinates
with appropriate symbols.
b) Determine the time the roller coaster takes as it reaches at point B and the corresponding
velocity in km/h,
c) Determine at this same point B the recorded values of r , r ,  , and  by the radar located
at E where  = tan–1(5/12) and h = 15 m.
d) Determine the velocity and acceleration of the roller coaster at point C and D in km/h.
e) Determine the velocity and acceleration of the roller coaster at point H and I in km/h.
f) Determine the velocity and acceleration of the roller coaster at point J in km/h.
g) Determine (i) the angle  at which the roller coaster is launched into air at J, (ii) the
maximum height reachable by the roller coaster measured from point I, and (iii) the
maximum horizontal distance before it hits the ground at the same level as point I.

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 E

F D
y = 0.02x2

110 m
J
H I 

A r B C
h
E 

150 m 100 m
Figure B-11

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