GS-101

Applied Physics
Spring 2012 Intake-1

Semester-II Mechanical Engineering

CECOS UNIVERSITY OF I.T & EMERGING SCIENCE

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LECTURE NO 4

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 2D and 3D Motion

(a) Water fountain Volcanic eruption

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Motion in two and three dimensions is described by
displacement, velocity and acceleration vectors.
A particle has an acceleration when its speed is
changing :it also has an acceleration when its
direction of motion is changing.
Motion in two dimensions like the motion of
projectiles and satellites and the motion of charged
particles in electric fields.

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 Position
• The position of the particle is the location with respect to a
chosen reference point that we can consider to be the origin
of the coordinate system. The position of an object is
described by its position vector
Displacement
• The displacement of a particle is define as its change its
x
position in some time interval. If the particle moves f from
to x i then the displacement is

x xf xi
• Distance is the length of the path followed by a particle

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 Position relative to the origin
– An overall position relative to the origin can have
components in x, y, and z dimensions. The position
of an object is described by its position vector

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Average Speed:
The average speed of a particle is equal to the ratio of the
total distance it travels to the total time interval during
which it travels that distance

Average speed = total distance/total time

Instantaneous Speed:
The instantaneous speed of a particle is equal to the
magnitude of its instantaneous velocity.

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Average velocity
The average velocity of a particle during some time interval is
the displacement Δr divided by the time interval Δt during
which that displacement occurs
vx r
t
Instantaneous velocity
The instantaneous velocity of a particle is defined as the limit
of the ratio Δr/Δt as Δt approaches zero. By definition, this
limit equals the derivative of x with respect to t, or the time
rate of change of the position
r dr
v lim
t 0
t dt
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• Average velocity

(vector along Δr)

• Instantaneous velocity

• Direction of v is a tangent to the path at that point in

the direction of motion

• Magnitude of v is the speed.

Using an x-t graph to go from (a), (b) average x-velocity to (c) instantaneous x-
velocity vx In (c) we find the slope of the tangent
to the x-t curve by dividing any vertical interval (with distance units) along
the tangent by the corresponding horizontal interval (with
time units).

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 Velocity in 2D and 3D

 r
Average: vav
t

 dr dx dy dz
Instantaneous: v vx , vy , vz
dt dt dt dt
dx dy dz
v (t) i j k
dt dt dt 
v (t 1 s)
Magnitude: v = (vx2 + vy2 + vz2)1/2
 
v is always tangent v

to the trajectory. 
v (t 3 s)

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 Average acceleration
• The average acceleration of a particle is defined as the ratio of
the change in its velocity ΔVx divided by the time interval Δ t
during which that change occurs
x vxf vxi
ax
Instantaneous acceleration
t tf ti
• The instantaneous acceleration is equal to the limit of the
ratio ΔVx/ Δt as Δt approaches 0. By definition, this limit
equals the derivative of Vx with respect to t, or the time rate
of change of the velocity
vx dvx
ax lim
t 0
t dt
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 Motion in three dimensions with constant
acceleration
Now we consider a particle move in three
dimensions with constant acceleration. We can
represent the acceleration as a vector:

a ax i a y j az k

The particle starts at t=0 with initial position

r xi y j zk

and an initial velocity v vx i v y j v z k

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• NOTE:
Everything becomes a little more confusing
with vectors!
For example:
the velocity vector is always pointing in the
direction of a particle’s motion.(see Figure)

The acceleration vector can point in a

different direction
(it represents the rate of change of the
velocity vector)
Changes in a particle’s path may produce an
acceleration
– The magnitude of the velocity vector
may change
– The direction of the velocity vector
may change
– Both may change simultaneously
(depends: path vs time)

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 Acceleration

• Average: a v
av
t

• Instantaneous:
v dv dvx dvy dvz
a(t ) Lim t 0 i j k
t dt dt dt dt

 dv y
 dv dvx dvz
a ax , ay , az
dt dt dt dt
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 Tangential & radial acceleration
The instantaneous acceleration is a vector with components parallel (tangential) and/or
perpendicular (radial) to the tangent of the path

The tangential acceleration causes the change in the speed

of the particle, it is parallel to the instantaneous velocity,
and its magnitude is

The radial acceleration arises from the change in direction

of the velocity vector. It is perpendicular to instantaneous
velocity and has an absolute magnitude given by

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Acceleration vector can be resolved into components
parallel and perpendicular to the velocity

In 2 (or 3) dimensions,
acceleration can occur both
parallel to velocity or
perpendicular to it

Acceleration in the
direction of the velocity
changes the speed.

Acceleration perpendicular
to the velocity does not
change the speed but shifts
the direction of the motion.

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Example: Car on a curve

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 • Velocity and acceleration vectors for a particle moving down a
winding path

Particle is speeding up
at point 4
Particle slows
down at pt. 1
Particle is turning
at pts. 2 and 3

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 Summary
• Position, velocity, and acceleration of a particle:
r= xi +y j
v = vx i + vy j (i , j unit vectors )
a = ax i + ay j

 dr d ( xiˆ yĵ)
v
dt dt
dx dy
dx dy vx vy
î ĵ dt dt
dt dt d 2x d2y
ax ay
dt 2 dt 2
v x î v y ĵ
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