Engineering Mechanics Dynamics Mushrek A.

Mahdi

2. Plane Curvilinear Motion:

Curvilinear motion occurs when a particle moves along a curved path.

Curvilinear motion can cause changes in both the magnitude and direction of the
position, velocity, and acceleration vectors

2.1. Rectangular Coordinates (x-y):

- Vector Representation

Position vector.
r = 𝑥𝒊 + 𝑦𝒋
𝒊, 𝒋 : unit vectors

velocity vector.
𝐯 = 𝒓̇ = 𝒙̇ 𝒊 + 𝒚̇ 𝒋
𝐯 = 𝒗𝒙 𝒊 + 𝒗𝒚 𝒋

acceleration vector
𝐚 = 𝒗̇ = 𝒓̈ = 𝒙̈ 𝒊 + 𝒚̈ 𝒋
𝐚 = 𝒂𝒙 𝒊 + 𝒂𝒚 𝒋

The scalar values of the components of 𝒗 and 𝒂 are;

𝒗𝒙 = 𝒙̇ , 𝒗𝒚 = 𝒚̇ , and 𝒂𝒙 = 𝒗̇ 𝒙 = 𝒙̈ , 𝒂𝒚 = 𝒗̇ 𝒚 = 𝒚̈
𝒅𝒙 𝒅𝒚
Where: 𝑥 = 𝒙(𝒕) , 𝒚 = 𝒚(𝒕), 𝒙̇ = , 𝒚̇ =
𝒅𝒕 𝒅𝒕

The magnitude of the velocity is : 𝒗 = √𝒗𝟐𝒙 + 𝒗𝟐𝒚

𝒗𝒚
The direction of v is : 𝜽 = 𝒕𝒂𝒏−𝟏 ( )
𝒗𝒙

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Engineering Mechanics Dynamics Mushrek A. Mahdi

The magnitude of acceleration is : 𝒂 = √𝒂𝟐𝒙 + 𝒂𝟐𝒚

Note: The velocity (v) is always a vector tangent to the path, while the acceleration (𝒂) is
not tangent to the path.

Ex.(7): The curvilinear motion of a particle is defined by 𝒗𝒙 = (𝟓𝟎 − 𝟏𝟔𝒕) m/s, and 𝒚 =
(𝟏𝟎𝟎 − 𝟒𝒕𝟐 ) m . It is also known that 𝒙 = 𝟎 when 𝒕 = 𝟎. Determine velocity and acceleration
of the particle when the position 𝒚 = 𝟎 is reached.

Sol.:

The y-components of velocity and acceleration are

When 𝑦 = 0

0 = 100 − 4𝑡 2 ∴ 𝑡 =5𝑠

∴ 𝑣𝑥 = 50 − 16𝑡 = 50 − 16(5) = −30 m/s

𝑣𝑦 = −8𝑡 = −8(5) = −40 m/s

𝑣 = √𝑣𝑥2 + 𝑣𝑦2 = √(−30)2 + (−40)2 = 50 m/s

𝑎 = √𝑎𝑥2 + 𝑎𝑦2 = √(−16)2 + (−8)2 = 17.89 m/s 2

The velocity and acceleration as a vectors are

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Engineering Mechanics Dynamics Mushrek A. Mahdi

v = 𝑣𝑥 𝐢 + 𝑣𝑦 𝐣 = −30𝐢 − 40𝐣 m/s Ans.

a = 𝑎𝑥 𝐢 + 𝑎𝑦 𝐣 = −16𝐢 − 8𝐣 m/s 2 Ans.

2.2. Normal and Tangential Coordinates ( n-t ):

One of the common descriptions of the curvilinear motion uses the path
variables, which are measurements made along the normal (n) and tangent (t) to
the path of particle.

𝜌 : radius of curvature (m, ft)

- Acceleration.
𝑑v 𝑑(𝑣𝑒𝑡 )
a= =
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

a = 𝑣̇ 𝑒𝑡 + 𝑣𝑒𝑡̇

𝑒𝑡 , 𝑒𝑛 : unit vectors

The acceleration becomes

𝑣2
a= 𝑒𝑛 + 𝑣̇ 𝑒𝑡
𝜌

a = 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑛 + 𝑎𝑡 𝑒𝑡 (as a vector)

where: 𝒂𝒏 = 𝒗𝟐 /𝝆 = 𝝆𝜷̇𝟐 = 𝒗𝜷̇ , 𝒂𝒕 = 𝒗̇ = 𝒔̈ …….. (19)

the magnitude of acceleration is : 𝒂 = √𝒂𝟐𝒏 + 𝒂𝟐𝒕 …..(20)

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Engineering Mechanics Dynamics Mushrek A. Mahdi

Notes:

1- If the particle moves along a straight line, then 𝝆 → ∞

𝒂𝒏 = 𝟎 , 𝒂 = 𝒂𝒕 = 𝒗̇

2- If the particle move along curve with constant speed then;

𝒂 = 𝒂𝒕 = 𝒗̇ = 𝟎 and 𝒂 = 𝒂𝒏 = 𝒗𝟐 /𝝆

3- The 𝒂𝒕 acts in the positive direction of 𝒔 if the particle’s speed is

increasing or in the opposite direction if the particle’s speed is decreasing.

4- The relations between 𝒂𝒕 , 𝒗, 𝒕 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝒔 are the same as for rectilinear motion,

𝒂𝒕 = 𝒗̇ , 𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒔 = 𝒗𝒅𝒗

5- If 𝒂𝒕 is constant, 𝒂𝒕 = (𝒂𝒕 )𝒄 the above equations, when integrated, give;

𝟏
𝒗 = 𝒗𝟎 + (𝒂𝒕 )𝒄 𝒕 , 𝒗𝟐 = 𝒗𝟐𝟎 + 𝟐(𝒂𝒕 )𝒄 (𝒔 − 𝒔𝟎 ) , 𝒔 = 𝒔𝟎 + 𝒗𝟎 𝒕 + (𝒂𝒕 )𝒄 𝒕𝟐
𝟐

6- The 𝒂𝒏 component is always directed toward the center of curvature of the path
(along the positive n - axis).

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Engineering Mechanics Dynamics Mushrek A. Mahdi

7- If the path is expressed as 𝒚 = 𝒇(𝒙) , the radius of curvature 𝝆 at any point on

the path is determined from the following equation:

𝟑
𝟐 𝟐
𝒅𝒚
[𝟏 + ( ) ]
𝒅𝒙
𝝆=
|𝒅𝟐 𝒚⁄𝒅𝒙𝟐 |

Ex. ( 1): To anticipate the dip and hump in the road, the driver of a car applies her
brakes to produce a uniform deceleration. Her speed is 𝟏𝟎𝟎 km/h at the bottom A of
the dip and 𝟓𝟎 km/h at the top C of the hump, which is 𝟏𝟐𝟎 m along the road from A.
If the passengers experience a total acceleration of 𝟑 𝐦/𝐬𝟐 at A and if the radius of
curvature of the hump at C is 𝟏𝟓𝟎 𝐦, calculate:

(a) The radius of curvature at A.

(b) The total acceleration at the inflection point B.
(c) The total acceleration at C.

Sol.:

(a).
𝑘𝑚 1000
𝑣𝐴 = 100 = 100 ( ) = 27.8 𝑚/𝑠
ℎ 360

𝑘𝑚
𝑣𝐶 = 50 = 50(1000/3600) = 13.89 𝑚/𝑠
ℎ

For constant deceleration, we can use the following formulae

𝑣𝐶2 = 𝑣𝐴2 + 2𝑎𝑠

(13.89)2 = (27.8)2 + 2𝑎𝑡 (120)
∴ 𝑎𝑡 = −2.14 𝑚/𝑠 2

Total acceleration at A is given as:

𝑎 = √𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑎𝑡2

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Engineering Mechanics Dynamics Mushrek A. Mahdi

3 = √𝑎𝑛2 + (−2.14)2

∴ 𝑎𝑛 = 1.785 𝑚/𝑠 2
2
𝑣𝐴 (27.8)2
𝑎𝑛 = 𝜌 , 𝜌𝐴 = = 432 𝑚 Ans.
𝐴 1.785

(b). Since the radius of curvature is infinite at the inflection point B (𝜌𝐵 = ∞)

𝑎𝑛 = 0 and 𝑎𝑡 = −2.41 𝑚/𝑠 2

Total acceleration at B is

𝑎 = 𝑎𝑡 = −2.41 𝑚/𝑠 2 Ans.

(c). 𝑎𝑡 = −2.14 𝑚/𝑠 2

𝑣𝐶2 (13.89)2
𝑎𝑛 = 𝜌 = = 1.286 𝑚/𝑠 2
𝐶 150

Total acceleration at C is

𝑎 = √𝑎𝑛2 + 𝑎𝑡2 = √(1.286)2 + (−2.14)2 = 2.73 𝑚/𝑠 2 Ans.

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Engineering Mechanics Dynamics Mushrek A. Mahdi

Ex. ( 2): A small particle P starts from point O with a negligible speed and increases
its speed to a value 𝑣 = √2𝑔𝑦, where y is the vertical drop from O. When 𝑥 = 50 ft,
determine the n-component of acceleration of the particle.

Sol.:
𝑥 2 50 2
𝑦 = ( ) = ( ) = 6.25 ft
20 20

𝑣 = √2𝑔𝑦 = √2 ∗ 32.2 ∗ 6.25 = 20 ft/s

3/2 3/2 3/2

𝑑𝑦 2 𝑥 2 50 2
[1+(𝑑𝑥) ] [1+(200) ] [1+(200) ]
𝜌= |𝑑2 𝑦⁄𝑑𝑥 2 |
= |1⁄200|
= |1⁄200|
= 219 ft

𝑣2 202
∴ 𝑎𝑛 = = = 1.838 ft/s2 Ans.
𝜌 219

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