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SPH4U
UNIVERSITY PHYSICS
DYNAMICS
L Relative Motion
(P.44-49)

Relative Motion

Suppose that you are flying in an airplane at a constant velocity south.

How would you describe the view? At first, the answer might seem simple
and you would describe the clouds and the ground. After a little thought,
you would realize that you can see much more. From the point of view of
the plane, the ground and the clouds appear to be moving north and the
plane appears to be stationary. However, from the point of view of an
observer on the ground, the plane is moving south, the ground is
stationary, and the clouds are moving with the wind.

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Relative Velocity

The airplane scenario is an example of relative motion. The pilot and

passengers in the plane are in one frame of reference, and the observer on
the ground is in another frame of reference. The velocity of an object
relative to a specific frame of reference is called relative velocity. This
term is useful when we study situations that involve at least two frames of
reference. Such situations occur for passengers walking about in a moving
train, for watercraft travelling on a flowing river, and for aircraft flying
when there is wind blowing relative to the ground.

RELATIVE VELOCITY
velocity of an object relative to a specific frame of reference

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Relative Velocity

NOTE!
To analyze relative velocity in more than one frame of reference, we use
the symbol for relative velocity with two subscripts in capital letters. The
first subscript represents the object whose velocity is stated relative to the
object represented by the second subscript. In other words, the second
subscript is the frame of reference (see below).
r
v CW = velocity of the canoe relative to the water

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Relative Velocity

For example, if P is a plane travelling at 490 km/h[W] relative to Earth’s

frame of reference, E, then vPE = 490 km/h[W]. If we consider another
frame of reference, such as the wind or air, A, affecting the plane’s motion,
then vPA is the velocity of the plane relative to the air and vAE is the velocity
of the air relative to Earth. The vectors vPA and vAE are related to vPE using
the following relative velocity equation:
r r r
v PE = v PA + v AE

NOTE!
Air navigators have terms for some of the key concepts of relative velocity.
Air speed is the speed of a plane relative to the air (vPA ). Wind speed is
the speed of the air relative to Earth (vAE ). Ground speed is the speed of
the plane relative to Earth (vPE ).

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Relative Velocity

This equation applies whether the motion is in one, two, or three

dimensions. For example, consider the one-dimensional situation in which
the wind and the plane are both moving eastward. If the plane's velocity
relative to the air is 430 km/h[E], and the air’s velocity relative to the
ground is 90 km/h[E], the velocity of the plane relative to the ground is:
r r r
v PE = v PA + v AE
= 430 km/h[E] + 90 km/h[E]
r
v PE = 520 km/h[E]

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Relative Velocity

NOTE!
Before looking at relative velocity in two dimensions, make sure you
understand the pattern of the subscripts used in any relative velocity
equation. As shown below, the left side of the equation has a single
relative velocity, while the right side has the vector addition of two or more
relative velocities. Note that the “outside” and the “inside” subscripts on
the right side are in the same order as the subscripts on the left side.
r r r r r r r
v PE = v PA + v AE v DG = v DE + v EF + v FG

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
1. A cruise ship is moving with a velocity of 2.8 m/s[fwd] relative to the
water. A group of tourists walks on the deck with a velocity of 1.1 m/s
relative to the deck. Determine the velocity of the tourists relative to
the water (vTW) if they are walking toward:
(a) the bow (i.e. the front of the ship) Hint: vTS = 1.1 m/s[fwd]

(a) vTW = vTS + vSW

= 3.9 m/s[fwd]

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
1. A cruise ship is moving with a velocity of 2.8 m/s[fwd] relative to the
water. A group of tourists walks on the deck with a velocity of 1.1 m/s
relative to the deck. Determine the velocity of the tourists relative to
the water (vTW) if they are walking toward:
(b) the stern (i.e. the rear of the ship)

(b) vTW = 1.7 m/s[fwd]

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
1. A cruise ship is moving with a velocity of 2.8 m/s[fwd] relative to the
water. A group of tourists walks on the deck with a velocity of 1.1 m/s
relative to the deck. Determine the velocity of the tourists relative to
the water (vTW) if they are walking toward:
(c) the starboard (i.e. the right side of the ship as you face the bow)

(c) vTW = 3.0 m/s[21E right of fwd]

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
2. A canoeist, capable of travelling at a speed of 4.5 m/s in still water, is
crossing a river that is flowing with a velocity of 3.2 m/s[E]. The river
is 220 m wide.
(a) If the canoe is aimed northward, what is the velocity of the canoe
relative to the shore?

(a) vCS = vCW + vWS

= 5.5 m/s[N35EE]

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
2. A canoeist, capable of travelling at a speed of 4.5 m/s in still water, is
crossing a river that is flowing with a velocity of 3.2 m/s[E]. The river
is 220 m wide.
(b) How long does it take the canoe to cross the river?

(b) t = 49 s

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
2. A canoeist, capable of travelling at a speed of 4.5 m/s in still water, is
crossing a river that is flowing with a velocity of 3.2 m/s[E]. The river
is 220 m wide.
(c) How far downstream does the canoe land?

(c) d = 160 m[E]

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
2. A canoeist, capable of travelling at a speed of 4.5 m/s in still water, is
crossing a river that is flowing with a velocity of 3.2 m/s[E]. The river
is 220 m wide.
(d) If the canoeist wanted to land directly across from the starting
position, at what angle should the canoe be aimed?

(d) [N45EW] 7 this value was calculated, not “assumed”

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Relative Velocity

PRACTICE
3. An airplane flies due north over Sudbury with a velocity relative to the
air of 235 km/h and with a wind velocity of 65.0 km/h[NE]. Calculate
the speed and direction of the airplane.

vPE = 285 km/h[N9.3EE]

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U Check Your Learning

TEXTBOOK
P.48 Q.3-7 (Practice)

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