Coordinates

Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics

D. Dane Quinn, PhD
Department of Mechanical Engineering
The University of Akron
Akron OH 443253903 USA

c 2015
Copyright
All rights reserved

quinn@uakron.edu
www.uakron.edu
D. D. Quinn (The University of Akron)

Coordinates

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Coordinates

Dynamics describes the

changing configuration of a
system

The configuration is defined in

terms of position vectors

How do we choose to measure the position vector rP/O (t)?

Basis: reference directions

Coordinates: measurable quantities (e.g.
distance, angle) that specify
specific position vectors with respect to a
chosen basis, and
the basis with respect to the ground

path

rP/O (t)

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Cartesian Coordinates

Cartesian Coordinates (Ren Descartes, 15961650)

The position vector can be described in terms of components of directions fixed in the
ground

rP/O ) = x + y ,

d 
vP =
rP/O = x + y ,

dt

d  
d2 
vP = x + y .
aP = 2 rP/O =
dt

dt

path
y

rP/O

If x = f (t)

Z t
x() = f () d

Z 0t 
Z
x(
) = x(0)

+
f () d d
0

x(t)
x(0)

Z t

f () d,
Z0 t Z
f () d d + x(0)
t.
x(t) x(0) =
0

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Polar Coordinates

Polar Coordinates
The position vector can be described in terms of
the magnitude of the position and basis directions

e
r
e
that move with the position.
path
P

The directions (
er , e ) spin with angular velocity
rP/O (t)

= k, so that

r




d
e
r = e
,
r = e
r = k
e
O
dt  
 
d

= k e
= e
r.
= e
e
dt

r , so that
The position vector is rP/O = r e


d 
d  
r + r
r = r e
r + r e
,
vP =
rP/O = r e
e
dt
dt

and

 
d2 
d  
d  
d  
d
d  

r + r
r +
+ (r )
,
aP = 2 rP/O =
vP =
e
e
r e
r e
dt
dt
dt
dt

dt
dt

.
r + r + 2 r e
= r r 2 e
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Polar Coordinates

r and e
are defined as the radial
The components of velocity and acceleration in the e
and transverse components




r + |{z}
,
r + r + 2 r e
.
vP = |{z}
r e
r
e
aP = r r 2 e

| {z }
|
{z
}
transverse
radial
radial

transverse

) can be related to the Cartesian directions (, ) as

The polar directions (
er , e
r = C + S ,
e
= S + C ,
e

= C e
r S
= S e
r + C

,
e

In terms of the Cartesian and polar coordinates, the speed can be written as
 2
v 2 = kvP k2 = (vP vP ) = x 2 + y 2 = r 2 + r .

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Normal and Tangential Coordinates

Normal and Tangential Coordinates

The velocity vector can be described in terms of
t, as
its magnitude v and direction e
t
vP = v e

The directions (
et, e n) move with the velocity, and
the acceleration is
v2
n
t + e
aP = v e

path

vP

vP
e
t

path

n
e

n is directed
is defined as the radius of curvature while e
toward the center of curvature C.
For a circular path the radius of curvature is identical to
the radius of the path, so that = r
If the path is written as y = f (x), then

 2 32
dy
1 + dx
 2 
=
.
d y 
 dx2 
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