DYNAMICS

CHAPTER 2.1

RECTILINEAR MOTION WITH VARIABLE ACCELERATION

When bodies are acted upon by variable forces, they move with variable acceleration. To determine the kinematic
equations of motion in such cases, it is necessary to apply the given data to the differential equations of kinematics.
Since the acceleration may vary in many ways, no general equations can be stated as was done in the case of constant
acceleration. At most we can only indicate the procedure to be followed.

Basically, we have three principal variables: s, v, and a, related by a common parameter t as in the following box:

s
v t
a

Each of these principal variables may be expressed in terms of the time, or they may be expressed in terms of each other
or even a combination of the others. Let us consider here the simpler combinations.

Case I: The displacement is given in terms of the time; i.e., 𝑠 = 𝑓(𝑡), to find v and a.

This is the simplest case and is easily solved by successive differentiation of the displacement with respect to the time
𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑣 𝑑2 𝑠
according to the fundamental definitions of velocity (𝑣 = 𝑑𝑡 ) and acceleration (𝑎 = 𝑑𝑡
= 𝑑𝑡 2 ). As an example, let it be
required to determine the velocity and acceleration of a body after 3 seconds, if the motion is defined by the relation
𝑠 = 5𝑡 + 4𝑡 3 , s being feet and t in seconds.

Differentiating, we obtain the equations of velocity and acceleration:

𝑑𝑠
𝑣= = 5 + 12𝑡 2
𝑑𝑡

𝑎𝑛𝑑

𝑑𝑣
𝑎= = 24𝑡
𝑑𝑡

Hence at t = 3 seconds

𝑣 = 5 + 12(3)2 = 113 𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐

𝑎 = 24(3) = 72 𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐 2

Case II: The acceleration is expressed in terms of the time; i.e., 𝑎 = 𝑓(𝑡), to find v and s.

𝑑𝑣 𝑑2𝑠
The general procedure is to start with equation 𝑎 = = written in the form 𝑑𝑣 = 𝑎 𝑑𝑡 and integrate to find the
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 2
velocity in terms of time.
𝑑𝑠
We may now apply equation 𝑣 = 𝑑𝑡 written in the form 𝑑𝑠 = 𝑣 𝑑𝑡 and likewise integrate to determine the displacement
in terms of the time. Eliminating the time between these two relations will give an equation between velocity and
displacement.

As an example of Case II, let it be required to determine the velocity and displacement of a body after 2 sec, if the
motion is defined by the relation 𝑎 = 2𝑡, a being in feet per sec2 and t in seconds, and if it is known that 𝑠 = 4 𝑓𝑡 and
𝑣 = 2 𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐 when 𝑡 = 1 𝑠𝑒𝑐.
𝑣 𝑡 𝑡
∫ 𝑑𝑣 = ∫ 𝑎𝑑𝑡 = ∫ 2𝑡𝑑𝑡
2 1 1

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒:

𝑣 − 2 = 𝑡2 − 1

𝑂𝑟

𝒗 = 𝒕𝟐 + 𝟏

We now replace the variable v, just found in terms of time, in the differential equation 𝑑𝑠 = 𝑣𝑑𝑡 and again proceed to
integrate between the given limits. This gives:
𝑠 𝑡
∫ 𝑑𝑠 = ∫ (𝑡 2 + 1)𝑑𝑠
4 1

𝑠 𝑡2 𝑡
[𝑠] = [ + 𝑡]
4 3 1

𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒:

𝑡3 1
𝑠−4= +𝑡− −1
3 3

𝑂𝑟

𝑡3 8
𝑠= +𝑡+
3 3

Hence, if 𝑡 = 2 𝑠𝑒𝑐, substituting:

𝑣 = 22 + 1 = 5 𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐

23 8
𝑠= + 2 + = 7.33 𝑓𝑡
3 3

Case III: The velocity is given in terms of the time; i.e., 𝑣 = 𝑓(𝑡), to find a and s.

This case is a combination of Cases I and II. Differentiating the given velocity time relation determines the acceleration
𝑑𝑣
(i.e., 𝑎 = 𝑑𝑡
) while integrating it determines the displacement. (i.e., ∫ 𝑑𝑠 = ∫ 𝑣𝑑𝑡).

Other Cases: When the principal variables are not given as functions of the time, direct differentiation or integration
cannot be performed as above without a preliminary treatment. There are two main variations which follow:

Case IV: One of the principal variables is expressed in terms of an adjacent variable; i.e., 𝑎 = 𝑓(𝑣) or 𝑣 = 𝑓(𝑠).
𝑑𝑣 𝑑𝑠
The procedure here is to use either 𝑎 = or 𝑣 = to relate the given variables in terms of the time and thereby
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
reduce the problem to one of the variables in terms of the time and thereby reduce the problem to one of the three
𝑑𝑣
proceeding cases. For example, if we are given 𝑎 = 𝑓 (𝑣), apply 𝑎 = 𝑑𝑡
= 𝑓(𝑣). Separating the variables gives:

𝑡 𝑣
𝑑𝑣
∫ 𝑑𝑡 = ∫
𝑡𝑜 𝑣𝑜 𝑓(𝑣)

Which is integration to give v in terms of the time t, which is Case III above.
Case V: The given variables are not adjacent; i.e., 𝑎 = 𝑓(𝑠).

In this case, we substitute the given relation in 𝑣 𝑑𝑣 = 𝑎 𝑑𝑠, separate the variables and integrate to obtain one variable
in terms of its adjacent variable. Thus we obtain Case IV and proceed as indicated therein.

EXAMPLES

1. A rope of length L connects the wheel A and the weight B by passing over a pulley of negligible size at C as shown in
Fig. 10-5. At the instant when x = 9 ft, the center of wheel A has a velocity 𝑣𝐴 = 10 𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐 and an acceleration 𝑎𝐴 =
4 𝑓𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑐 2 , both rightward. What is then the velocity and acceleration of B?

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:

If we denote the variable distance AC by z, the vertical length CB = L – z, and hence:

ℎ = 𝐿−𝑧+𝑦

From the figure we also have:

𝑧2 = 𝑥2 + ℎ2

By eliminating z from these relations, y may be expressed directly in terms of x so that successive

Differentiation with respect to the time will relate the velocity and acceleration of B to that of A.

However, a preferable method is to retain z as a parameter and proceed as follows:

𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑦
0=− +
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑜𝑟

𝑑𝑧
𝑣𝐵 =
𝑑𝑡

This result is not surprising if we note that the change in length z determines the rise (or fall) of B.

We next differentiate the second equation with respect to the time which gives:

𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑥
2𝑧 = 2𝑥
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝑜𝑟

𝑧 𝑣𝐵 = 𝑥 𝑣𝐴

Another differentiation of the previous equations yields:

𝑑𝑣𝐵 𝑑𝑧 𝑑𝑣𝐴 𝑑𝑥
𝑧 + 𝑣𝐵 =𝑥 + 𝑣𝐴
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑜𝑟

𝑧𝑎𝐵 + 𝑣𝐵 2 = 𝑥𝑎𝐴 + 𝑣𝐴 2

By substituting given data in 𝑧 𝑣𝐵 = 𝑥 𝑣𝐴 and 𝑧𝑎𝐵 + 𝑣𝐵 2 = 𝑥𝑎𝐴 + 𝑣𝐴 2

Noting that z = 15 ft when x = 9 ft, we obtain:

𝑧 𝑣𝐵 = 𝑥 𝑣𝐴

(15) 𝑣𝐵 = 9(10)

𝒗𝑩 = 𝟔 𝒇𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝐬𝐞𝐜 𝒖𝒑

𝑧𝑎𝐵 + 𝑣𝐵 2 = 𝑥𝑎𝐴 + 𝑣𝐴 2

(15)𝑎𝐵 + (6)2 = 9(4) + (10)2

𝒂𝑩 = 𝟔. 𝟔𝟕 𝒇𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐 𝒖𝒑

𝑡3
2. The motion of a particle is given by the equation 𝑠 = 2𝑡 4 − 6
+ 2𝑡 2 where s is in feet and t in seconds. Compute the
values of v and a when t = 2 seconds.

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:

𝑑𝑠 3
= 𝑣 = 8𝑡 3 − 𝑡 2 + 4𝑡
𝑑𝑡 6

𝑡 = 2 𝑠𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠

3 𝒇𝒕
𝑣 = 8(2)3 − (2)2 + 4(2) = 𝟕𝟎
6 𝒔
𝑑𝑣 2
= 𝑎 = 24𝑡 2 − 𝑡 + 4
𝑑𝑡 2
2 𝒇𝒕
𝑎 = 24(2)2 − (2) + 4 = 𝟗𝟖 𝟐
2 𝒔

3) The velocity of a particle moving along the X axis is defined by 𝑣 = 𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 6𝑥 where v is in feet per second and x
is in feet. Compute the value of the acceleration when x = 2 ft.

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛:

𝑣 = 𝑥 3 − 4𝑥 2 + 6𝑥

𝑓𝑡
𝑣 = (2)3 − 4(2)2 + 6(2) = 4
𝑠𝑒𝑐

𝑣 𝑑𝑣 = 𝑎 𝑑𝑥

𝑣𝑑𝑣
𝑎=
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑣
= 3𝑥 2 − 8𝑥 + 6
𝑑𝑥
𝑑𝑣
= 3(2)2 − 8(2) + 6 = 2
𝑑𝑥
𝒇𝒕
𝑎 = 4(2) = 𝟖
𝒔𝒆𝒄𝟐

4. The motion of a particle is defined by the relation a = 4t, where a is in feet per sec 2, and t is in seconds. It is known
that s = 1 ft and v = 2 ft per sec when t = 1 sec. Determine the relations between v and t, s and t, v and s.

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑎 = 4𝑡

𝑠 = 1, 𝑣 = 2, 𝑡 = 1

𝑑𝑣
= 4𝑡
𝑑𝑡
4
𝑣 = 𝑡 2 + 𝐶 = 2𝑡 2 + 𝐶
2

𝐶 = 𝑂 𝑖𝑓 𝑡 = 1

𝑽 = 𝟐𝒕𝟐

√𝑣
𝑡=
√2
𝑑𝑠
= 2𝑡 2
𝑑𝑡
2
𝑠 = 𝑡3 + 𝐶
3
2
1 = (1)3 + 𝐶
3
1
𝐶=
3
2 1
𝑆 = 𝑡3 +
3 3

𝟑𝒔 = 𝟐𝒕𝟑 + 𝟏
3
√𝑣
3𝑠 = 2 ( ) + 1
√2

2(√𝑣)3
3𝑠 = +1
2√2

(√𝑣)3
3𝑠 = +1
√2

(𝟑𝒔 − 𝟏)√𝟐 = 𝒗𝟑/𝟐

5. The motion of a particle is given by 𝑎 = 6𝑣1/2 , where a is in feet per sec2 and v in feet per sec. When t is zero, s = 6 ft,
and v = 0. Find the relations between v and t, s and t, v and s.

𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛

𝑎 = 6𝑣1/2

𝑡 = 0, 𝑠 = 6, 𝑣 = 0
𝑑𝑣
= 6𝑣1/2
𝑑𝑡
𝑑𝑣
= 𝑑𝑡
6√𝑣
1
𝑑𝑣(𝑣)−2 = 6𝑑𝑡

2𝑣1/2 = 6𝑡

𝑣1/2 = 3𝑡

𝒗 = 𝟗𝒕𝟐

√𝑣
𝑡=
3
𝑑𝑠
= 9𝑡 2
𝑑𝑡
9
𝑠 = 𝑡3 + 𝐶
3

𝑖𝑓 𝑠 = 6 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡 = 0, 𝐶 = 6

9
𝑠 = 𝑡3 + 6
3

𝒔 = 𝟑𝒕𝟑 + 𝟔
3
√𝑣
𝑠 = 3( ) +6
3

3𝑣 3/2
𝑠= +6
3(9)

𝟗𝒔 = 𝒗𝟑/𝟐 + 𝟓𝟒