MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY – GENERAL SANTOS CITY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Dynamics of Rigid Bodies

Kinematics of a Particle: Path Coordinates
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Lesson Objectives:
1. Apply the concepts of kinematics in the analysis of curvilinear motion using path coordinates.
2. Explain the differences and similarities of path coordinates and rectangular coordinates.
3. Solve kinematic problems involving curvilinear motion using path coordinates.

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Using curvilinear coordinates often lead to an easier description of the motion of a particle on a curved
path than rectangular coordinates. In this chapter and the next one, two such coordinates will be discussed: path
coordinates and polar coordinates.
Path coordinates, also known as normal-tangential (n-t) coordinates, describe the motion of a particle in
terms of components that are normal and tangent to its path. When the path along which a particle travels is
known (an example is a car traveling on a curved road), then it is often convenient to describe the motion using
this 𝑛 and 𝑡 coordinate axes, and at the instant considered have their origin located at the particle.

I. Geometric Preliminaries
As the particle shown moves from A to B during an infinitesimal
time interval 𝑑𝑡, it traces an arc of radius 𝜌 and infinitesimal length 𝑑𝑠.
The corresponding displacement of the particle is 𝑑𝑟, where |𝑑𝑟| = 𝑑𝑠.
From geometry, we obtain the useful relationship between these values
which is 𝑑𝑠 = 𝜌 𝑑𝜃, or after differentiating with respect to time,

𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝜃
=𝜌
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝑠̇ = 𝜌𝜃̇
where the angle 𝜃 is measured in radians.
The radius 𝜌 is called the radius of curvature of the path at A. Take note that it is unnecessary to consider
the differential change in 𝜌 between A and B because a higher-order term would be introduced which disappears
in the limit. If the equation of the path is known, its radius of curvature can be computed from
 3/2 3/2
𝑑𝑦 2 𝑑𝑥 2
[1 + ( ) ] [1 + ( ) ]
𝑑𝑥 𝑑𝑦
𝜌= =
𝑑2 𝑦 𝑑2 𝑥
| | | |
𝑑𝑥 2 𝑑𝑦 2
Note that either 𝑥 or 𝑦 can be taken as the independent variable. The inverse
of 𝜌, that is, 1/𝜌, is known as the curvature of the path.

II. Base Vectors

Like the vectors i and j of the rectangular coordinate system, the
base vectors en and et are mutually perpendicular, of magnitude 1, and
serve as the bases for the velocity and acceleration vectors. However, the
direction and position of these base vectors are not fixed, but depend on
the location A of the particle: et is tangent to the path at A and points in the
direction of increasing 𝑠, whereas en is normal to the path and directed
toward the center of curvature 𝐶.
Noting that 𝑑𝑟 is tangent to the path at A and has the magnitude
𝑑𝑠, as shown on the figure in the previous section, we can write 𝑑𝑟 = 𝑑𝑠 𝒆𝒕 .
Therefore,
𝑑𝑟
𝒆𝒕 =
𝑑𝑠

III. Derivative of Base Vectors

Because the base vectors en and et depend on the location of the particle, their position is not fixed but it
also changes, therefore their time derivatives are not zero. To easily obtain the derivatives, we first express the
base vectors in terms of the rectangular components. As shown in the figure,
𝒆𝒕 = − sin 𝜃 𝐢 + cos 𝜃 𝐣 𝒆𝒏 = − cos 𝜃 𝐢 − sin 𝜃 𝐣

𝑑𝐢 𝑑𝐣
Differentiating with respect to time and noting that = = 0, because i and j are fixed, we get
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

𝒆𝒕̇ = (− cos 𝜃 𝐢 − sin 𝜃 𝐣 )𝜃̇ 𝒆𝒏̇ = (sin 𝜃 𝐢 − cos 𝜃 𝐣)𝜃̇

Comparison with the previous two equations yields

𝒆𝒕̇ = 𝜃̇ 𝒆𝒏 𝒆𝒏̇ = −𝜃̇ 𝒆𝒕

Note that each base vector and its derivative are mutually perpendicular.

IV. Velocity and Acceleration in Path Coordinates

 We start by recalling the definition of velocity: 𝐯 = 𝑑𝑟/𝑑𝑡, where 𝑟 is the position vector of the particle.
Multiplying both numerator and denominator by 𝑑𝑠 we can write 𝐯 = (𝑑𝑟/𝑑𝑡)(𝑑𝑠/𝑑𝑠), or
𝑑𝑟 𝑑𝑠
𝐯=( )( )
𝑑𝑠 𝑑𝑡
𝐯 = 𝑣𝒆𝒕
where the magnitude of the velocity 𝑣 = 𝑠̇ is called the speed. The equation above shows that the velocity is in
the direction of 𝒆𝒕 which is always tangent to the path.
The acceleration is now obtained by differentiating the velocity with respect to time
𝑑𝐯 𝑑
𝐚= = (𝑣𝒆𝒕 )
𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡
𝐚 = 𝑣𝒆𝒕̇ + 𝑣̇ 𝒆𝒕
𝐚 = 𝑣𝜃̇ 𝒆𝒏 + 𝑣̇ 𝒆𝒕

Substituting 𝜃̇ = 𝑠̇ /𝜌 = 𝑣/𝜌, from the equation obtain in the first section, we now have
𝑣2
𝐚= 𝒆 + 𝑣̇ 𝒆𝒕
𝜌 𝒏

Therefore, the normal and tangential components of the acceleration are

𝑣2
𝑎𝑛 = 𝑎𝑡 = 𝑣̇
𝜌

Sometimes it is advantageous to eliminate time from the expression for 𝑎𝑡 . Using the chain rule of differentiation,
we write 𝑎𝑡 = 𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑡 = (𝑑𝑣/𝑑𝑠) × (𝑑𝑠/𝑑𝑡), or
𝑑𝑣
𝑎𝑡 = 𝑣
𝑑𝑠
It is now evident that 𝑎𝑡 is caused by the change in the speed of the particle. If the speed is increasing, 𝑎𝑡
has the same direction as the velocity; if the speed is decreasing, 𝑎𝑡 and the velocity have opposite directions. If
the speed is constant, then 𝑎𝑡 = 0.
The normal component 𝑎𝑛 , sometimes called the centripetal acceleration, is due to the change in the
direction of the velocity. It is always directed toward the center of curvature of the path.

V. Circular Motion
Circular motion is an important special case of plane curvilinear motion where the radius of curvature 𝜌
becomes the constant radius 𝑅 of the circular path. Therefore, we now have the equations

𝑠̇ = 𝜌𝜃̇ → 𝒗 = 𝑹𝜽̇
 𝑣2 𝒗𝟐
𝑎𝑛 = → 𝒂𝒏 = = 𝑹𝜽̇𝟐
𝜌 𝑹

𝑎𝑡 = 𝑣̇ → 𝒂𝒕 = 𝑹𝜽̈

Examples:
1. When the skier reaches point A along the parabolic path shown, he has a speed of 6 m/s which is
increasing at 2 m/s2. Determine the direction of his velocity and the direction and magnitude of his acceleration
at this instant. Neglect the size of the skier in the calculation.

Solution:
Coordinate System. Although the path has been expressed in terms of its 𝑥 and 𝑦 coordinates, we can
still establish the origin of the 𝑛 − 𝑡 axes at point 𝐴 on the path and determine the components of the
velocity and acceleration along these axes.
Velocity and Acceleration. As we have proven on our derivations on the previous sections, the velocity is
1
always directed tangent to the path. Since, 𝑦 = 20 𝑥 2

𝑑𝑦 𝑥
=
𝑑𝑥 10
at point A, 𝑥 = 10 m
𝑑𝑦
=1
𝑑𝑥
Therefore, at point A, the velocity makes an angle of 𝜃 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 1 = 45° with the x axis.
𝒗𝑨 = 𝟔 𝒎/𝒔 𝟒𝟓°
 𝑣2
The acceleration is determined from 𝐚 = 𝜌 𝒏
𝒆 + 𝑣̇ 𝒆𝒕. The radius of curvature needs to be determined
first before the value of the acceleration can be obtained.
3/2
𝑑𝑦 2
[1 + ( ) ]
𝑑𝑥
𝜌=
𝑑2 𝑦
| |
𝑑𝑥 2
3/2
𝑥 2
[1 + (10) ]
𝜌=
1
|10|

at point A, 𝑥 = 10 m
𝜌 = 28.284 𝑚
Therefore, the acceleration at point A will now be
𝑣2
𝐚= 𝒆 + 𝑣̇ 𝒆𝒕
𝜌 𝒏
(6 𝑚/𝑠)2
𝐚= 𝒆 + (2 𝑚/𝑠 2 )𝒆𝒕
28.284 𝑚 𝒏
1.2728 𝑚/𝑠 2 𝐚 = (1.2728 𝒆𝒏 + 2 𝒆𝒕 ) 𝑚/𝑠 2

As shown,

|𝐚| = √(2 𝑚/𝑠 2 )2 + (1.2728 𝑚/𝑠 2 )2 = 2.37 𝑚/𝑠 2

2
𝜑 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 = 57.5273°
1.2728

Thus, 45° + 90° + 57.5273° − 180° = 12.527° so that,

𝒂 = 𝟐. 𝟑𝟕 𝒎/𝒔𝟐 𝟏𝟐. 𝟓𝟑°

2. The trolley in shown travels at the constant speed of 40 𝑚𝑖/ℎ along a parabolic track described by
𝑦 = 𝑥 2 /500, where 𝑥 and 𝑦 are measured in feet. Compute the acceleration of the trolley when it is at point A.
Solution:
Coordinate System. Although the path has been expressed in terms of its 𝑥 and 𝑦 coordinates, we can
still analyze this problem using path coordinates.
Acceleration. Because the trolley is travelling at a constant speed, the tangential component of its
acceleration 𝑎𝑡 is zero at all points along the track. Therefore, the acceleration will only have a normal
component
𝑣2
|𝐚| = 𝑎𝑛 =
𝜌
The radius of curvature at point A will be equal to
3/2
𝑑𝑦 2
[1 + ( ) ]
𝑑𝑥
𝜌=
𝑑2 𝑦
| |
𝑑𝑥 2
3/2
𝑥 2
[1 + (250) ]
𝜌=
1
| |
250
where x=100 ft at point A,
3/2
100 2
[1 + ( ) ]
250
𝜌=
1
|250|

𝜌 = 312.3396 𝑓𝑡
Therefore, the acceleration will be equal to
𝑣2
|𝐚| = 𝑎𝑛 =
𝜌
Converting the given speed to ft/s
mi 5280ft 1h
𝑣 = 40 ∙ ∙ = 58.6667 𝑓𝑡/𝑠
h 1mi 3600s
(58.6667 𝑓𝑡/𝑠)2
|𝐚| =
312.3396 𝑓𝑡
= 11.02 𝑓𝑡/𝑠 2

𝜑
Using the slope at point A,
𝑑𝑦 100
𝐴 𝜑 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 𝑑𝑥 = 𝑡𝑎𝑛−1 250 = 21.8014°
Thus, 21.8014° + 90° = 111.8014° so that,

𝒂 = 𝟏𝟏. 𝟎𝟐 𝒇𝒕/𝒔𝟐 𝟏𝟏𝟏. 𝟖𝟎°