Topic: Relative Velocity

Relative Velocity
(1) Introduction : When we consider the motion of a particle, we assume a fixed point relative to which the given
particle is in motion. For example, if we say that water is flowing or wind is blowing or a person is running with a speed
v, we mean that these all are relative to the earth (which we have assumed to be fixed).
Now to find the velocity of a moving object relative to another moving object, consider a particle P whose position
  
relative to frame S is rPS while relative to S is rPS . If the position of frames S relative to S at any time is r SS then
from fig.
   Y
rPS  rPS  rSS Y P

Differentiating this equation with respect to time r

PS'
rP
   S
drPS drPS drSS S
X
  r S' S
dt dt dt X
S
    
or vPS  vPS  vSS [as v  dr /dt ]
  
or vPS  vPS  vSS

(2) General Formula : The relative velocity of a particle P1 moving with velocity v1 with respect to another particle P2
   
moving with velocity v2 is given by, v r12 = v1 – v2 v1

(i) If both the particles are moving in the same direction then : v2
P2
r12  1 –  2
P1
(ii) If the two particles are moving in the opposite direction, then :
r12  1   2
(iii) If the two particles are moving in the mutually perpendicular directions, then:
 r12  12   22
 

(iv) If the angle between 1 and  2 be , then r12  12   22 – 21 2 cos 
1/ 2
.

(3) Relative velocity of satellite : If a satellite is moving in equatorial plane with velocity vs and a point on the

surface of earth with ve relative to the centre of earth, the velocity of satellite relative to the surface of earth
  
vse  vs  v e
So if the satellite moves form west to east (in the direction of rotation of earth on its axis) its velocity relative to earth's
surface will be vse  vs  ve
And if the satellite moves from east to west, i.e., opposite to the motion of earth, vse  vs  (ve )  vs  ve

(4) Relative velocity of rain : If rain is falling vertically with a velocity v R and an observer is moving horizontally
   
with speed vM the velocity of rain relative to observer will be vRM  vR  vM
 – vM 
which by law of vector addition has magnitude vR vR
  – vR 
vM vM
 vRM  vR2  vM
2

direction   tan1(vM / vR ) with the vertical as shown in fig.


(5) Relative velocity of swimmer : If a man can swim relative to water with velocity v and water is flowing relative
 
to ground with velocity v R velocity of man relative to ground vM will be given by:
     
v  vM  vR , i.e., vM  v  vR
So if the swimming is in the direction of flow of water, v M  v  v R

And if the swimming is opposite to the flow of water, v M  v  v R

(6) Crossing the river : Suppose, the river is flowing with velocity  r . A man can swim in still water with velocity m .
He is standing on one bank of the river and wants to cross the river Two cases arise.
(i) To cross the river over shortest distance : That is to cross the river straight, the man should swim making angle
 with the upstream as shown.

A vr B


 vr
w  v
vm


Upstreem O Downstreem

     
Here OAB is the triangle of vectors, in which OA  vm , AB  r . Their resultant is given by OB   . The direction
of swimming makes angle  with upstream. From the triangle OBA, we find,
r r
cos   Also sin 
m m
where  is the angle made by the direction of swimming with the shortest distance (OB) across the river.
Time taken to cross the river : If w be the width of the river, then time taken to cross the river will be given by
w w
t1  
 m2 – r2
(ii) To cross the river in shortest possible time : The man should swim perpendicular to the bank.
The time taken to cross the river will be:

w A vr B
t2 
m

 vr
In this case, the man will touch the opposite bank at a distance AB w vm

downstream. This distance will be given by:

w r Upstreem O Downstreem
AB  r t 2 r or AB  w
m m

Sample problems based on relative velocity

Problem 01. Two trains along the same straight rails moving with constant speed 60 km/hr respectively toward each other. If at
time t  0 , the distance between them is 90 km, the time when they collide is

(a) 1 hr (b) 2 hr (c) 3 hr (d) 4 hr

Solution : (a) The relative velocity vrel.  60  (30)  90km/ hr.

s rel. 90
Distance between the train srel.  90km,  Time when they collide    1 hr.
vrel. 90

Problem 02. Two cars are moving in the same direction with the same speed 30 km/hr. They are separated by a distance of 5
km, the speed of a car moving in the opposite direction if it meets these two cars at an interval of 4 minutes, will
be
 (a) 40 km/hr (b) 45 km/hr (c) 30 km/hr (d) 15 km/hr

Solution : (b) The two car (say A and B) are moving with same velocity, the relative velocity of one (say B) with respect to the
other A, vBA  v B  v A  v  v  0

So the relative separation between them (= 5 km) always remains the same.

Now if the velocity of car (say C) moving in opposite direction to A and B, is v C relative to ground then the

velocity of car C relative to A and B will be v rel.  v C  v

But as v is opposite to vC so vrel  vc  (30)  (vC  30) km/ hr.

d 4 5
So, the time taken by it to cross the cars A and B t    vC  45km/ hr.
vrel 60 vC  30

Problem 03. A steam boat goes across a lake and comes back (a) On a quite day when the water is still and (b) On a rough day
when there is uniform current so as to help the journey onward and to impede the journey back. If the speed of
the launch on both days was same, in which case it will complete the journey in lesser time
(a) Case (a) (b) Case (b)
(c) Same in both (d) Nothing can be predicted
Solution : (b) If the breadth of the lake is l and velocity of boat is vb. Time in going and coming back on a quite day
l l 2l
tQ    .....(i)
vb v b v b
Now if va is the velocity of air- current then time taken in going across the lake,
l
t1  [as current helps the motion]
vb  v a
l
and time taken in coming back t 2  [as current opposes the motion]
vb  v a
2l
So t R  t1  t 2  .....(ii)
vb [1  (va / vb )2 ]

tR 1 va2
From equation (i) and (ii)   1 [as 1   1] i.e. t R  t Q
t Q [1  (va / vb )2 ] vb2
i.e. time taken to complete the journey on quite day is lesser than that on rough day.
Problem 04. A man standing on a road hold his umbrella at 30° with the vertical to keep the rain away. He throws the umbrella
and starts running at 10 km/hr. He finds that raindrops are hitting his head vertically, the speed of raindrops with
respect to the road will be
(a) 10 km/hr (b) 20 km/hr (c) 30 km/hr (d) 40 km/hr
Solution : (b) When the man is at rest w.r.t. the ground, the rain comes to him at an angle 30° with the vertical. This is the
direction of the velocity of raindrops with respect to the ground.

v mg
Here v rg  velocity of rain with respect to the ground

30o
vmg  velocity of the man with respect to the ground.


v rg
v rm
and vrm  velocity of the rain with respect to the man,

We have vr g  vr m  vmg ......(i)

Taking horizontal components equation (i) gives vr g sin 30  vm g  10 km / hr

10
or vr g   20km / hr
sin 30
Problem 05. In the above problem, the speed of raindrops w.r.t. the moving man, will be
(a) 10/ 2 km/ h (b) 5 km/h (c) 10 3 km/ h (d) 5 / 3 km/ h

3
Solution : (c) Taking vertical components equation (i) gives vrg cos 30  vrm  20  10 3 km / hr
2
Problem 06. Two cars are moving in the same direction with a speed of 30 km/h. They are separated from each other by 5 km.
Third car moving in the opposite direction meets the two cars after an interval of 4 minutes. What is the speed of
the third car
 (a) 30 km/h (b) 35 km/h (c) 40 km/h (d) 45 km/h

Solution : (d) Let v be the velocity of third car, then relative velocity of third car w.r.t. the either car is

v – (– 30) = (v+30) km/h.

Now ( + 30)  (4/60) = 5  v = 45 km/h

Problem 07. To a person, going eastward in a car with a velocity of 25 km/hr, a train appears to move towards north with a
velocity of 25 3 km/hr. The actual velocity of the train will be

(a) 25 km/hr (b) 50 km/hr (c) 5 km/hr (d) 5 3 km/hr

2
Solution : (a) 2
vT  vTC  vC2 = (25 3)  (25)2 = 1875  625 = 2500 = 25 km/hr

Problem 08. A boat is moving with a velocity 3i + 4j with respect to ground. The water in the river is moving with a velocity –
3i – 4j with respect to ground. The relative velocity of the boat with respect to water is

(a) 8j (b) – 6i – 8j (c) 6i +8j (d) 5 2

Solution : (c) Relative velocity = (3i + 4j) – (– 3i – 4j) = 6i + 8j

Problem 09. A thief is running away on a straight road at 9 m/s. A policeman chases him on a motor cycle at 10 m/s. If the
separation between them is 100 m, how long will it take for policeman to catch the thief.
Ans. 100 sec.

Problem 10. A bus is moving at 10 m/s on a straight road. A scooterist 80 m behind moving at 5 m/s wishes to overtake the bus
in 100 sec. Find the acceleration required for scooterist to do this.
Ans. 0.116 m/sec.

Problem 11. Three elephants A, B and C are moving along a straight line as shown with constant speeds. When B catches C
the separation between A and C becomes 3d. Find speed of B.
VA=5 m/s VB=? VC=10m/s

A B C

Ans. 15 m/sec. d d
Problem 12. A swimmer wishes to cross a river flowing at 3 km/hr in minimum time. Find the direction in which he should
swim to achieve this if he can swim at 5 km/hr relative to water.

Problem 13. If a swimmer wishes to cross a river in the shortest path find the direction in which he should swim to achieve this.
The velocity of river current is 4 km/hr and the swimmer can swim relative to water at 5 km/hr.
Ans. 3 km/hr at 143o with river.

Problem 14. An Aeroplane which files at speed VP tracks a horizontal square of side l as seen from ground. Given that wind
exist in direction parallel to one side of the square at speed V W. Find the time taken by plane to complete one
round of the square.

Problem 15. A river flows at 20 m/s in which a swimmer jumps from one bank of river who can swim at 10 m/s relative to
water. Find the direction from normal to bank of river at which he should swim so as to minimize his drift along
river flow.
Ans. 30o

Problem 16. A man is standing on ground with an umbrella hat as shown. Suddenly rain fall starts at speed V R = 20 m/s at an
angle 30o with the vertical. Find the speed and direction in which man should start running so as to save himself.
Ans. 10 m/sec (left)

Problem 17. A truck shown in figure is traveling on horizontal road. At its back there are some cotton bags placed as shown in
figure. Rain starts falling in vertical direction at speed 10 m/s. Find the velocity at which truck should move so that
cotton bags will not get wet. VR=10 m/s
3m

2m
VT
Ans. 15 m/sec

Problem 18. A pipe which can rotate in vertical plane is mounted on a cart as shown. The cart travels along the horizontal path
at 2 m/s. At what angle  to the horizontal the pipe be placed so that rain drops move parallel to the walls of pipe,
if rain is falling vertically at 6 m/s.

VB

VC

Ans.  = tan-1(3)

Problem 19. A man wearing a hat of extended length 12 cm is running in rain falling vertically down at 10 m/s. Find the
maximum speed with which he can run so that rain drops does not fall on his face as shown.
Ans. 7.5 m/sec

Problem 20. A helicopter is flying toward south at 50 km/hr. A train is moving with same speed toward east. Find velocity of
helicopter as seen by passengers in train.

Ans. 50 2 m/sec along SW.

Problem 21. An airplane flies towards west at 240 km/hr and after 1 Hr it is at a position which is 300 km west and 80 km
south from its starting point. Find the wind speed and its direction.
Ans. 100 km/hr at 53o South of West.