Kinematics of

Translating and
Rotating Bodies

Introduction

Kinematics studies the motion of particles or bodies,

without considering the mass and without regard to the
cause of the motion.

Kinetics describes the speed and acceleration of a

particle or a body and the relations between them.

The kinematics of a particle is characterised by specifying at

any given instant the particles
1.

Position

2.

Velocity

Acceleration.

Rectilinear Kinematics
Rectilinear kinematics is concerned with the motion of a particle in a
straight line.

POSITION
Consider a particle P moving on a straight line along the s-axis.

r
O

The position of the particle at any instant is specified by the

position vector r, measured from O.
Note
1.

The direction of r is always along the s axis

2.

s is a scalar function representing the magnitude and

sense of r as a function of time.

DISPLACEMENT
The displacement of particle P is defined as the change in its position.
r
r
r
O

s
s

s
In vector form: Displacement r = r- r
In scalar form: Displacement s = s - s

DISTANCE
The distance travelled is a positive scalar which represents the total
length of the path over which the particle travels.

s
r
r

Path travelled
by particle

time

s
P

NOTES
1. The minimum distance between two points is called
displacement while the actual path covered is called
distance.
2. The displacement is a vector term and distance is scalar
term.
3. Distance and displacement both have SI unit as meter.

AVERAGE VELOCITY
If the particle moves through a displacement r from P to P during
the time interval t, the average velocity of the particle during this
time interval is
s

r
v
t

r
P

t
O

time

INSTANTANEOUS VELOCITY: VECTOR DEFINITION

The instantaneous velocity of particle P is defined as the velocity at
the limit where t0, i.e.

r dr
v lim

t 0 t
dt
r

r
r
O

Instantaneous velocity: Scalar Definition

s ds
v v lim

t 0 t
dt
O

s
P

time

P
s

Speed of a particle

The average speed of a particle is defined as the total distance travelled

by the particle, sT, divided by the elapsed time, t; i.e.

sT
vav
t
P

sT

time

Average acceleration: vector definition

The average acceleration during the time interval t is defined as

v
a
t
where v = v - v

O
v

Instantaneous acceleration: vector definition

The instantaneous acceleration during the time interval t is defined as

v dv
a lim

t 0 t
dt
P

O
v

Instantaneous acceleration: scalar definition

The instantaneous acceleration during the time interval t is defined as

v dv
a lim

t 0 t
dt

O
v

Alternate form
Using v = ds/dt, we can also express the acceleration as

d 2s
a 2
dt

P
v

Equations of motion: General velocity- speed relationship

From the equation v = ds/dt, we can write

ds vdt
Integrating both sides of the equation, we obtain
s

ds vdt

s0

Therefore,

t0

s vdt s 0
t0

where s0 = displacement at initial time t0

s = displacement at time t.

Equations of motion: constant velocity

For the special case where v is constant, we get

t

or

s v dt s 0
t0

s v( t t 0 ) s 0
Note
1. When the initial time t0 is 0, the equation reduces to s

vt s 0

2. In the constant velocity condition, the acceleration a is zero, since

dv
a
0
dt

Equations of motion: General acceleration-velocity relationship

From the equation a = dv/dt, we can write

dv adt
Integrating both sides of the equation, we obtain
v

dv adt

v0

t0

Therefore,

where t0 = initial time t0

v0 = velocity at initial time t0
v = velocity at time t

v v 0 adt
t0

Equations of motion: constant acceleration

For the special case where a is a constant, we get
t

or

v a dt v 0
t0

v a (t t0 ) v0
Note
1. When the initial time t0 is 0, the equation reduces to

v at v0

WORKED EXAMPLE
An electron moving along the x axis has a position given by x = (16te-t)
m, where t is in seconds. How far is the electron from the origin when
it momentarily stops?
x

Distance from
origin

Path travelled
by electron

electron

time

0
Time instant where
electron momentarily
stops.

SOLUTION
To find the velocity of the electron as a function of time, take the first
derivative of x(t):

dx
16e t 16te t 16e t (1 t ) m/s
dt

again where t is in seconds, so that the units for v are m/s.

Now the electron momentarily stops when the velocity is zero. From
our expression for v we see that this occurs at t = 1 s. At this
particular time we can find the value of x:

x(1 s) 16(1)e 1 m 5.89 m

The electron was 5.89 m from the origin when the velocity was zero.

EXERCISE
Small blocks are being dropped into a 3-foot-wide chute by means
of a conveyor belt from a height h as shown in the figure. If h = 6 ft,
determine the range of velocity vo of the conveyor belt for which the
blocks will fall into the chute. Neglect air resistance. Let g = 32.2
ft/s2.

EXERCISE
If the conveyor belt in Example 1, is moving with a velocity of 20 ms/s,
determine the range of the height h of the conveyor for which the blocks
will fall into the chute.

Graphical Solution of Rectilinear-Motion

Problems

Given the x-t curve, the v-t curve is equal

to the x-t curve slope.
Given the v-t curve, the a-t curve is
equal to the v-t curve slope.
11 - 25

GRAPHICAL SOLUTION OF RECTILINEAR-MOTION

PROBLEMS

Given the a-t curve, the change in velocity between t1 and t2 is

equal to the area under the a-t curve between t1 and t2.
Given the v-t curve, the change in position between t1 and t2 is
equal to the area under the v-t curve between t1 and t2.

OTHER GRAPHICAL METHODS

Moment-area method to determine particle position
at time t directly from the a-t curve:
x1 x0 area under v t curve
v0t1

v1

t1 t dv

v0

using dv = a dt ,
x1 x0 v0t1

v1

v1

t1 t a dt

v0

t1 t a dt first moment of area under a-t curve

v0

with respect to t = t1 line.

x1 x0 v0t1 area under a-t curve t1 t

t abscissa of centroid C

OTHER GRAPHICAL METHODS

Method to determine particle acceleration

from v-x curve:
dv
av
dx
AB tan
BC subnormal to v-x curve

Kinematics of
Circular Motion

CIRCULAR MOTION
Consider the figure on the right which
shows a particle P moving in a circle of
radius r.
The angle made by the
radius vector r and the
reference line OA can be
defined in terms of the
length of r and the arc
length s as follows:

r
The unit of is the radian and is
dimensionless.

Since the circumference of a circle of

radius r is 2, angle subtended by P in
moving a full circumference is then

2r

2
r
Thus we obtain the
proportionality relation:

rad deg

2 360

Angular velocity
Suppose that the particle P
rotates in the anticlockwise
direction and sweeps through
an angle during the time
interval t. The average
angular velocity made by P is
defined as

Note
1. The unit of angular velocity is
the radians/second.
2. The dimension of angular velocity is T -1.

Angular velocity
The instantaneous angular
velocity is obtained in the
limit t0, i.e.

d
lim

t 0 t
dt

Angular Acceleration
The instantaneous angular
acceleration is defined as
the time diffential of the
angular velocity, i.e.

d
lim

t 0 t
dt

Tangential velocity
If s is the tangential distance
travelled by the point P in the
time interval t, then the
average tangential velocity of
particle P is

s
v
t

The instantaneous tangential

velocity v is defined in the limit
t0, i.e.

s ds
v lim

t 0 t
dt

Relationship between angular velocity and linear velocity

For small increments, we can

write ds= r d. Hence,

ds
d
v
r
r
dt
dt

Tangential acceleration
The average tangential
acceleration of particle P is
defined by

v
a
t
The instantaneous tangential
acceleration a is defined in
the limit t0, i.e.

v dv

t 0 t
dt

a lim

Relationship between linear acceleration and angular

acceleration
P

Using v = r, we can write

dv d r
d
a

r
r
dt
dt
dt

From

d
dt

we can write

d dt

Therefore

d dt

t0

Hence

0 dt
0

or
t

dt 0
0

For the special case of linear angular

acceleration, we obtain

dt 0
t 0

Relation between angular velocity and speed of rotation

If is the angular velocity, then.

Hence
dt

d
dt

Integrating both sides we obtain

t

dt

to

or
t t0

where o is angular velocity at time to and angular velocity at time t.

For the case of constant angular acceleration we can bring to the

left of the integral sign and write

1
t d t 0
0
Hence
t

1
0 t 0

Angular motion ,
2

or
dn

dn
dt

dt
2

H
ence

1
d
2 0

For the special case of w = constant, we have

1
t
2

For the special case of w = constant, we have

1
n
t
2

Example
A direct-connected pump and motor accelerate uniformly from rest to
1750 rpm in 0.3 second. Determine the angular acceleration.

Solution
Given that the acceleration is constant, we have

1
n
t
2
Hence,

2N

1750
60 610.86 rad/s
0.3

Example
A rotating drive shaft decelerates uniformly from 900 rpm to 650 rpm in 6
seconds. Determine the angular deceleration and the total number of
revolutions in the 6-second interval.
Solution
1 complete rev = 2 rad
N rev = 2N rad
N rev/s = 2N rad/s
N rev/min = 2N/60 rad/s
For constant deceleration case, we have

1
t 0 t 0

Hence,

t to

900 650
60
6

4.363 rad/s

Exercise
A table fan, rotating at a speed of 2400 rpm, is switched off and the
resulting variation of the rpm with time is shown in Figure 1.
(a) Draw the a-t and -t curves,
(b) Determine the total number of revolutions the fan has turned.
[Ans. (b) 289 rev]
(rpm)
2400

600
8

24

t (s)

Exercise
Block B in Figure 1 moves downward from rest with a linear acceleration of 2
m/s2. Calculate the linear velocity v and displacement s of the block, and the
angular velocity and displacement of the pulley at the end of 5 s.

r = 0.5 m
r

Solution
Angular acceleration = d2/dt2 is given by

a
2

4 rad.s- 2
r 0.5

where a = dv/dt is linear acceleration, and a = 2 m/s.

Linear velocity v is related to the linear acceleration a via the expression
t

v adt v o
0

where v0 is the initial velocity, and v0 = 0. For the case of linear acceleration
starting from rest,
t

v a dt at
0

Therefore,
v = at = 2 x 5 = 10 m.s-1
Angular velocity
t

d at
0

For the case of constant angular acceleration,

t

d t
0

Therefore,

t 4 x 5 20 rad.s-1

Angular displacement is related to angular velocity via the relation

t

d
0

For the case of constant angular velocity,

t

d t
0

Therefore,

t 20 x 5 100 rad.s-1

Exercise
In the manufacture of steel sheet, the sheet, which has a velocity of 12
m/s, is drawn between two rollers. If the rollers are 180 mm in diameter,
determine their speed of rotation in rpm.

180 mm
v = 12 m/s

180 mm