1-D kinematics:

dv dv dx dv dx
a ＝ ―＝ ― ― ＝ v ― v＝―
dt dx dt dx dt

Ask yourself when integrating/differentiating:

Which variable am I integrating/differentitating with respect to?
Which terms are constants and which are variables?
What are my limits of integration?

If acceleration is constant, the following equations can be used (derived

from above equations):

1
s ＝ s0 + v0 t + ―a t 2
2

v ＝ v0 + a t

v 2 ＝ v0 2 + 2 a ⎛⎝s - s0⎞⎠

2-D/3-D kinematics:

Cartesian Coordinates:
unit vectors i and j do not change with time/path
Example: Satellite tracking an object moving in a specified area

r＝x i + y j

dx dy
v＝― i + ― j
dt dt

d2 x d2 y
a ＝ ―― i + ―― j
dt 2 dt 2

t-n Coordinates:
unit vectors et and en do change with time/path
et is aligned with velocity direction (tangent to the path)
en is perpendicular to et and pointing towards the center of curvature of the path at the
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t-n Coordinates:
unit vectors et and en do change with time/path
et is aligned with velocity direction (tangent to the path)
en is perpendicular to et and pointing towards the center of curvature of the path at the
point
Example: Driver of a car: His information is: what is my speed? How much am I
accelerating by pressing on the gas pedal (tangential acceleration)? How much am I
steering to say on curve (normal acceleration)?

v ＝ vt et

dvt vt 2
a ＝ ―― et + ―― en
dt ρ

r- θ Coordinates:
unit vectors er and eθ do change with time/path
er is aligned with r and pointing away from origin
eθ is perpendicular to er and pointing towards counter clockwise assuming θ is
defined counter clockwise
Example: Radar tracking flying object: Its information is how far the object is from the
radar (r)? How does this distance change ( dr / dt , d 2 r / dt 2 )? At what angle
should it be to see the object ( θ )?
How does this angle change ( dθ / dt , d 2 θ / dt 2 )?

r ＝ r er

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Position vs Displacement vs Distance:

r1 and r2 are position vectors to represent the location of an object with

respect to a coordinate system. (Position changes if you change coordinate
system)

s is the displacement vector to represent the resultant vector of motion of

an object between two instants of time. Note that the displacement vector
will not change by changing the coordinate system.

L is the distance (scalar) which represents the length of the path the object
moved between two instants of time. Note that the distance will not change
by changing the coordinate system and that the distance is not the
magnitude of the displacement.

Problem 1: A 40-lb panel is resting on the ground. A

25-lb counterweight A is attached to a cable as shown
and is initially in contact with a vertical edge of the
panel. If the static and kinetic coefficients of friction
between the panel and the groundNon-Commercial
are 0.3 and 0.2 Use Only
Problem 1: A 40-lb panel is resting on the ground. A
25-lb counterweight A is attached to a cable as shown
and is initially in contact with a vertical edge of the
panel. If the static and kinetic coefficients of friction
between the panel and the ground are 0.3 and 0.2
respectively, determine the acceleration of the panel
and the tension in the cord immediately after the
system is released from rest.

WA ≔ 25 lbf Wp ≔ 40 lbf μk ≔ 0.2

Static Analysis:

First, we need to identify if the system will move or not. To do so, the system is assumed
to be at equilibrium and we solve for the friction coefficient.

Weight A: FBD A:

ΣFx ＝ -FAp ＝ 0 FAp ＝ 0

ΣFy ＝ T - WA ＝ 0 T ＝ WA

Panel: FBD Panel:

ΣFy ＝ N - T - Wp ＝ 0 N ＝ T + Wp ＝ WA + Wp

ΣFx ＝ Ff + FAp - T ＝ 0 Ff ＝ T ＝ WA

Ff WA
μ＝― μ ≔ ―――= 0.38
N WA + Wp

μ > μs : This means that the system will be in motion

Dynamic Analysis:

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Dynamic Analysis:

Constraint Equation: First we identify the position vectors that define the motion of weight A
and the panel. Note that weight A will move in x and y directions. We apply the equation that
the length of the cable (L) is constant.

L ＝ sp + sAy sp ＝ sAx

0 ＝ ap + aAy ap ＝ aAx

ap ＝ aAx ＝ -aAy

Kinettic Equations: We apply Newtons second law by first drawing FBD and KD. Note that the
acceleration directions in KD have to be consistent with position vectors assumed in constraint
equation

Weight A:

WA
ΣFx ＝ -FAp ＝ ―― aAx
g
FBD A: KD A:
-WA
FAp ＝ ――ap equ.1
g

WA
ΣFy ＝ T - WA ＝ -―― aAy
g

WA
T ＝ WA + ―― ap equ.2
g

Panel:

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Panel:

FBD Panel: KD Panel:

WA
ΣFy ＝ N - T - Wp ＝ 0 N ＝ T + Wp ＝ WA + ―― a p + Wp
g

⎛ WA ⎞
Ff ＝ μk ⋅ N ＝ μk ⋅ ⎜WA + ―― ap + Wp⎟ equ.3
⎝ g ⎠

Wp
ΣFx ＝ Ff + FAp - T ＝ ―― ⋅ ap equ.4
g

Substituting Equations 1, 2 and 3 into 4:

⎛ WA ⎞ -WA ⎛ WA ⎞ Wp
μk ⋅ ⎜WA + ―― ap + Wp⎟ + ――ap - ⎜WA + ――ap⎟ ＝ ――⋅ ap
⎝ g ⎠ g ⎝ g ⎠ g

g ⋅ μk ⋅ WA + μk ⋅ WA ap + g ⋅ μk ⋅ Wp - WA ap - WA ⋅ g - WA ap ＝ Wp ⋅ ap

μk ⋅ ⎛⎝WA + Wp⎞⎠ - WA ft ft
ap ≔ ――――――― ⋅ g = -4.54 ― ||ap|| = 4.54 ― to the left
Wp + WA ⋅ ⎛⎝2 - μk⎞⎠ s2 s2

WA
T ≔ WA + ―― ap = 21.5 lbf
g

Problem 2: It is observed that the skier leaves the ramp A

at an angle θA ≔ 25 ° with the horizontal. If he strikes the
ground at B, determine the following:

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Problem 2: It is observed that the skier leaves the ramp A
at an angle θA ≔ 25 ° with the horizontal. If he strikes the
ground at B, determine the following:

Part A: Determine the velocity at A:

Origin is at ground 4m below A

⎡ 4 ⎤
⎡0⎤ ⎢ 100 ⋅ ―⎥ ⎡ 80 ⎤ ⎡ 0 ⎤
5 ⎥
sA ≔ ⎢ ⎥ m sB ≔ ⎢ m=⎢ m a≔⎢
⎣4⎦ 3⎥
⎢ -100 ⋅ ― ⎣ -60 ⎥⎦ ⎣ -g ⎥⎦
⎢⎣ 5 ⎥⎦

1
sB ＝ sA + vA t + ―a t 2
2

80
x-dir 80 ＝ vA ⋅ cos ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠ t vA ＝ ――――
t ⋅ cos ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠

1
y-dir -60 ＝ 4 + vA ⋅ sin ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠ t - ―g t 2
2

1
-64 ＝ 80 tan ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠ - ―g t 2
2

‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
2 ⎛⎝80 tan ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠ m + 64 m⎞⎠ 80 m m
t≔ ―――――――― = 4.545 s vA ≔ ―――― = 19.42 ―
g t ⋅ cos ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠ s

Part B: Determine the velocity at B:

vB ＝ vA + a t

m m
vBx ≔ vA ⋅ cos ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠ = 17.6 ― vBy ≔ vA ⋅ sin ⎛⎝θA⎞⎠ - g t = -36.4 ―
s s

⎡ v ⎤ ⎡ 17.6 ⎤ m m
vB ≔ ⎢ Bx ⎥ = ⎢ ⎥― ‖
‖vB‖
‖ = 40.4 ―
⎣ vBy ⎦ ⎣ -36.4 ⎦ s s

Part C: Determine the radius of curvature of the path at maximum height:

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Part C: Determine the radius of curvature of the path at maximum height:

-> et is in the direction of +x

Maximum height -> vy ＝ 0
-> en is in the direction of -y

m vt 2
vt ≔ vBx = 17.6 ― an ≔ g ρ ≔ ―― = 31.6 m
s an

Part D: Determine the radius of curvature of the path at point B:

⎛| vBy |⎞
Angle between vB and positive x-axis (cw): α ≔ atan ⎜|―― |⎟ = 64.2 °
⎝| vBx |⎠

m
vt ≔ ‖‖vB‖‖ = 40.4 ―
s

Angle α is also between et and positive x-axis (cw):

Angle α is also between en and negative y-axis (cw):

m vt 2
an ≔ g ⋅ cos ((α)) = 4.27 ― ρ ≔ ―― = 382.1 m
s2 an

Part E: Assume the origin (O) of polar coordinate system is 4m below point A and that θ is
measured counter clockwise from the line OB. Determine the quantities dr / dθ , dθ / dt ,
d 2 r / dt 2 , d 2 θ / dt 2 .

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Part E: Assume the origin (O) of polar coordinate system is 4m below point A and that θ is
measured counter clockwise from the line OB. Determine the quantities dr / dθ , dθ / dt ,
d 2 r / dt 2 , d 2 θ / dt 2 .

Angle β is between er and positive x-axis (cw): r ≔ 100 m

⎛| 3 |⎞
Angle β is also between eθ and positive y-axis (cw): β ≔ atan ⎜|― |⎟ = 36.9 °
⎝| 4 |⎠

m dr m
vr ≔ ‖‖vB‖‖ ⋅ cos ((α - β)) = 35.9 ― ――= vr = 35.9 ―
s dt s

m dθ vθ rad
vθ ≔ -‖‖vB‖‖ ⋅ sin ((α - β)) = -18.5 ― ――= ―= -0.185 ――
s dt r s

m d2 r ⎛ vθ ⎞ 2 m
ar ≔ g ⋅ sin ((β)) = 5.9 ― ―― = a r + r ⎜― ⎟ = 9.3 ―
s2 dt 2 ⎝ r ⎠ s2

m d2 θ 1 ⎛ vθ ⎞ rad
aθ ≔ -g ⋅ cos ((β)) = -7.8 ― ―― = ―⋅ ⎜aθ - 2 ⋅ vr ⋅ ―⎟ = 0.055 ――
s2 dt 2
r ⎝ r ⎠ s2

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