ENGR 233: Applied Advanced Calculus Winter 2023, Lecture Note #3
Instructor: Kiarash Aryankia
Email:
[email protected] Reference: D. Zill, Advanced Engineering Mathematics, Jones & Bartlett Learning,
2018.
1 Motion of a Curve
Velocity and Acceleration of a Particle
For a particle that move along vector function r(t) = f (t)i + g(t)j + h(t)k, velocity and acceleration
are denoted by v(t) and a(t), respectively; they defined by
v(t) = r′ (t) = f ′ (t)i + g ′ (t)j + h′ (t)k,
(1)
a(t) = r′′ (t) = f ′′ (t)i + g ′′ (t)j + h′′ (t)k.
Note: The speed of the particle is a positive scalar defined by ∥v(t)∥ as follows:
s
df 2
2 2
dr dg dh
∥v(t)∥ = = + + . (2)
dt dt dt dt
Centripetal Acceleration
Let a circular motion in a plane be described by r(t) = A cos wti+A sin wtj, the centripetal acceleration
is denoted by a(t) and is defined by
′′
a(t) = r (t) = −w2 r(t). (3)
page 1 of 5
ENGR 233: Applied Advanced Calculus Winter 2023, Lecture Note #3
Curvilinear Motion in the Plane
Consider the trajectory of a projectile (r(t)) as shown in Figure 1, with an initial velocity v0 =
v0 cos θi+ v0 sin θj from an initial height r(0) = y0 j, then
Z
v(t) = (−gj)dt = −gtj + c1 , (4)
where ∥v(0)∥ = v0 implies that c1 = v0 cos θi + v0 sin θj. One has
v(t) = (v0 cos θ) i + (−gt + v0 sin θ) j. (5)
Taking integral from (5), one has
1 2
r(t) = (v0 cos θ) ti + − gt + (v0 sin θ) t + y0 j. (6)
2
Parametric equations for the trajectory of the projectile:
1
x(t) = (v0 cos θ) t, y(t) = − gt2 + (v0 sin θ) t + y0
2
Figure 1: Trajectory of a projectile.
Example 1. A shell is fired from ground level with an initial speed of 100m/s at an angle of elevation of
30◦ . Find:
a. A vector function and parametric equations of the shell’s trajectory,
b. The maximum altitude attained,
c. The range of the shell, and
d. The speed at impact.
page 2 of 5
ENGR 233: Applied Advanced Calculus Winter 2023, Lecture Note #3
2 Curvature Components of Acceleration
Unit Tangent Vector
For a smooth vector r(t), unit tangent vector is defined by
′
r (t)
T(t) = . (7)
∥r′ (t)∥
′
See page 2, definition of tangent of smooth curve (r (t)).
Rt
Recall “Note: A curve can be parameterized in terms of arc length s. It means s = 0 ∥r′ (t)∥ dt = R(t),
you one substitute t = R−1 (s) in r(t), therefore, r(s) is obtained.” If r(t) is a function of s then for r′ (t) in
(7), one has
′ dr ds dr r′ (t) r′ (t)
r (t) = → = = = T(t). (8)
ds dt ds ds/dt ∥r′ (t)∥
| {z }
unit vector
Curvature
In a plain words, curvature is how much a curve deviates from being a straight line, or a surface
deviates from being a plane. Let r(t) be a vector function defining a smooth curve. If s is the arc
length parameter and T = dr
ds is the unit tangent vector, then the curvature of the curve at a point is
′
dT ∥T ∥
κ=∥ ∥= ′ . (9)
ds ∥r (t)∥
Note: ρ = κ1 is said to be the radius of curvature. At the point P on a curve, ρ is the circle’s radius with
the best at point P , where the tangent touches the circle (and the curve).
Example 1. Find the curvature of a circle of radius a.
′ ′
Answer: r(t) = a(cos ti + sin tj) => r (t) = a(− sin ti + cos tj) => ∥r (t)∥ = a => T(t) = (− sin ti + cos tj).
′ ′
T (t) = (− cos ti − sin tj) => ∥T (t)∥ = 1 => κ = a1 .
page 3 of 5
ENGR 233: Applied Advanced Calculus Winter 2023, Lecture Note #3
Question: Consider (2) and (9), what can you conclude?
Tangential and Normal Components of Acceleration
′
Consider a vector function r(t) its velocity can be given as v(t) = r (t), its speed is ν = ds/dt =
∥v(t)∥. Consider the unit tangent vector of T(t), one can write v(t) = νT. Thus, acceleration vector
can be given by
dT dν
a=ν + T. (10)
dt dt
Now, let’s define a unit vector N(t) by
dT/dt
N(t) = . (11)
∥dT/dt∥
Then, one has
dν
a = κν 2 N(t) + T(t). (12)
dt
dν
In acceleration vector (12), aT = dt and aN = κν 2 are tangential and normal components of the
acceleration, respectively.
Binormal
It is a unit vector which is perpendicular to the plane T(t) × N(t) and is defined by
B(t) = T(t) × N(t). (13)
Example: prove that T(t) and N(t) are perpendicular.
Solution: We know that T(t) is a unit vector; thus, ∥T∥2 = T · T = 1. Take the time-derivative, one has
2T(t) · T′ (t) = 0. (14)
Then, one can conclude that T(t) and T′ (t) are perpendicular; consequently, T(t) and N(t).
Figure 2: Osculating plane of three unit vectors T, N (B form a right-handed,orthogonal to T, N).
page 4 of 5
ENGR 233: Applied Advanced Calculus Winter 2023, Lecture Note #3
Note: Using T, B, and, T, three planes can be defined: Osculating, Normal, and Rectifying. The normal
vector of each plane is given in the following table.
Note: Note that as three normal vectors are perpendicular, one can write B(t) = T(t) × N(t), N(t) =
B(t) × T(t), T(t) = N(t) × B(t).
Plane Normal vector
Osculating B
Normal T
Rectifying N
Alternative formulas for aT , aN and Curvature:
r′ (t)·r′′ (t)
• aT = dv
dt = v·a
∥v∥ = ∥r′ (t)∥ ,
∥v×a∥ ∥r′ (t)×r′′ (t)∥
• aN = κv 2 = ∥v∥ = ∥r′ (t)∥ ,
∥v×a∥ ∥r′ (t)×r′′ (t)∥
• κ(t) = ∥v∥3
= ∥r′ (t)∥3
.
Example 2. 7: Find the curvature of an elliptical helix that is described by r(t) = a cos ti+b sin tj+ctk, a >
0, b > 0, c > 0.
Figure 3: An elliptical helix with a = 1, b = 1, and c = 1.
page 5 of 5
