MMB241

Dynamics of Particles

Lecture 06
Relative Motion

AKANO, Theddeus T. (Dr)

E-mail: akanott@ub.ac.bw
Phone No: 3354364
Office: Block 248/140

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Relative Motion
 In the preceding sections on kinematics, displacements, velocities
and accelerations have all been absolute.
 That is, they have been measured from a stationary reference.
 It is not always possible or convenient to use a fixed set of axes for
the observation of motion.
 There are many engineering problems for which the analysis of
motion is simplified by using measurements made with respect to
a moving reference system.
 It is often useful to consider the motion of one point relative to
another point that has a different motion.

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Principle of Relativity
 When describing motion, we implicitly assumed a reference frame,
relative to which positions, velocities and accelerations are defined.
 The laws of physics (e.g. equations for constant acceleration,
Newton’s laws of motion, electromagnetic theory) are the same in any
inertial reference frame
 This implies that there is no preferred, absolute reference frame.
 the earth is hurtling around the sun at 29km/s
 the solar system is moving at a speed of 220km/s around the center of
the Milky Way
 our galaxy is moving towards the Andromeda galaxy at 130km/s

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Principle of Relativity contd.
 One “problem” in the principle of relativity, is that it only applies to
inertial reference frames
 an inertial reference frame is a non-accelerating frame.
 Strictly speaking, a frame with the origin on the earth’s surface is not
inertial, but for most purposes we can assume it is to a very good
approximation.
 So, assuming inertial reference frames, and all the laws of physics are
the same, why bother with all of this?
 Often a problem involves two (or more) different inertial frames, and
so one needs to know how to translate quantities (velocity in
particular) described in one, in terms of those in the other(s).

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Relative Motion of Two Particles
 Consider two particles A and B moving along the same straight line
(Fig. 1).
 If we measure the position coordinates xA and xB from the same
origin, the difference xB - xA defines the relative position coordinate
of B with respect to A, which is denoted by xB/A.
 We have
x Relative
 x position
x Or ofx two
 xparticles
x
B/ A B A B A B/ A Eq. (1)

Fig. 1
 Regardless of the positions of A and B with respect to the origin, a
positive sign for xB/A means that B is to the right of A, and a negative
sign means that B is to the left of A. 5
Relative Motion of Two Particles contd.
 The rate of change of xB/A is known as the relative velocity of B with
respect to A and is denoted by vB/A. Differentiating Eq. (1), we obtain
 Relative velocity of two Particles.
vB / A  vB  v A Or vB  v A  vB / A Eq. (2)

 A positive sign for vB/A means that B is observed from A to move in the
positive direction; a negative sign means that it is observed to move in
the negative direction.
 The rate of change of vB/A is known as the relative acceleration of B
with respect to A and is denoted by aB/A. Differentiating Eq. (2), we
obtain the Relative acceleration of two Particles
aB / A  aB  a A Or aB  a A  aB / A Eq. (3)
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Applications
When you try to hit a moving
object, the position, velocity, and
acceleration of the object all have
to be accounted for by your mind.

You are smarter than you thought!

Fig. 2

Here, the boy on the ground is at d = 10 ft when the girl in the window
throws the ball to him.

If the boy on the ground is running at a constant speed of 4 ft/s, how

fast should the ball be thrown? 7
Applications contd.

When fighter jets take off or

land on an aircraft carrier,
the velocity of the carrier
becomes an issue.

If the aircraft carrier is underway with a forward velocity of 50 km/hr

and plane A takes off at a horizontal air speed of 200 km/hr (measured by
someone on the water), how do we find the velocity of the plane relative
to the carrier?
How would you find the same thing for airplane B?
How does the wind impact this sort of situation?
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Relative Position

The absolute positions of two

particles A and B with respect to
the fixed x, y, z-reference frame
are given by rA and rB. The position
of B relative to A is represented by
rB/A = rB – rA

Therefore, if rB = (10 i + 2 j ) m
and rA = (4 i + 5 j ) m,
then rB/A = rB – rA = (6 i – 3 j ) m. 9
Relative Velocity
To determine the relative velocity of B with
respect to A, the time derivative of the
relative position equation is taken.

vB/A = vB – vA
or
vB = vA + vB/A

In these equations, vB and vA are called absolute velocities and vB/A is the
relative velocity of B with respect to A.

Note that vB/A = - vA/B .

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Relative Acceleration

The time derivative of the relative

velocity equation yields a similar
vector relationship between the
absolute and relative accelerations
of particles A and B.

These derivatives yield: aB/A = aB – aA

or
aB = aA + aB/A
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Procedure for Analysis
 When applying the relative velocity and acceleration equations, it is
first necessary to specify the particle A that is the origin for the
translating x’, y’, z’ axes. Usually this point has a known velocity or
acceleration.
 Since vector addition forms a triangle, there can be at most two
unknowns, represented by the magnitudes and/ or directions of the
vector quantities.
 These unknowns can be solved for either graphically, using
trigonometry (law of sines, law of cosines), or by resolving each of
the three vectors into rectangular or Cartesian components, thereby
generating a set of scalar equations.

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Miscellaneous Examples
Example 1: A train travels at a constant speed of 60 mi/h and crosses over a
road as shown in Fig. a. If the automobile A is traveling at 45 mi/h along the
road, determine the magnitude and direction of the velocity of the train
relative to the automobile.
Vector Analysis.
The relative velocity VT/A is measured from the translating x’,
y’ axes attached to the automobile, Fig. a. It is determined
from VT = VA+ VT/A. Since VT and VA are known in both
magnitude and direction, the unknowns become the x and y
components of VT/A. Using the x, y axes in Fig. a, we have:
vT  v A  vT / A
60i   45 cos 45i  45 sin 45 j   vT / A
vT / A  28.2i  31.8 j mi / h
VA VT/A
The magnitude of VT/A is
VT
vT / A   28.2 2   31.82  42.5 mi / h Ans. 13
 Miscellaneous Examples contd.
From the direction of each component, Fig. b, the direction of VT/A is

vT / A  y 31.8
tan      48.5 Ans.
vT / A x 28.2

Solution II
Scalar Analysis. The unknown components of VT/A
VT = VA+ VT/A
    
  
  
60mi / h  45mio / h   vT / A x    vT / A y 
  
  45       

Resolving each vector into its x and y components yields

   60  45 cos 45   vT / A x  0

  0  45 sin 45  0   vT / A  y

Solving, we obtain the previous results,

vT / A x  28.2 mi / h  28.2 mi / h 

vT / A  y  31.8 mi / h  31.8 mi / h  14
Miscellaneous Examples contd.
Example 2: Two planes A and B travel with the constant velocities shown.
Determine the magnitude and direction of the velocity of plane B relative
to plane A.
Given: Two aircraft as shown.
v A  650 km/h
vB  800 km/h

Find vB / A
Plan:
1) Vector Method: Write vectors v A and vB in Cartesian
form, then determine vB  v A
2) Graphical Method: Draw vectors v A and vB from a common point.
Apply the laws of sines and cosines to determine vB / A . 15
Miscellaneous Examples contd.
y
Solution:
x
1) Vector Method
v A  650 i km/h
vB  – 800 cos 60 i – 800 sin 60 j
  –400 i – 692.8 j km/h
VA

VB
vB / A  vB – v A   –1050 i – 692.8 j km/h VB/A
vB / A   1050  2   692.8  2  1258 km/h
 692.8  VB/A
  tan  1   33.4  (VB/A)y
 1050  θ
(VB/A)x
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 17

2) Graphical Method:

Note that the vector that measures the tip of B relative to A is

β
β 60
θ

 vB / A  800   650   2 800 650  cos 120

2 2 2
Law of Cosines: 
vB / A  1258 km/h

vB / A vA 650
Law of Sines:   sin    sin(120 o
)    26.58
sin(120o ) sin  1258
  60    60  26.58  33.42
Miscellaneous Examples contd.
Example 3: At the instant shown, cars A and B are traveling at velocities of 40
m/s and 30 m/s, respectively. If A is increasing its speed at 4 m/s2, whereas
the speed of B is decreasing at 3 m/s2, determine the velocity and
acceleration of B with respect to A. The radius of curvature at B is ρB =200 m.
Given: Car A moves in a straight line while Car B
moves along a curve having a radius of
curvature of 200 meter.
v A  40 m/s2
vB  30 m/s2
a A  4 m/s2
a B  -3 m/s2

Find: vB / A
a B/ A 18
 19

Plan: Write the velocity and acceleration vectors for Cars A and B. Determine

Solution:
The velocity of B is:
vB   30 sin 30  i  30 cos 30  j
  15i  25.98 j  m/s
The velocity of A is:
v A  40j m/s 
The relative velocity of B with respect to A is  vB / A  .
vB / A  vB – v A  ( 15i  25.98 j ) – ( 40 j )  ( 15i – 14.02 j ) m/s

 15  2   14.02 
2
or vB / A   20.5 m/s
 14.02 
  tan 1    43.1 
 15 
 20

Since car B is traveling along a curve, the acceleration of B is:

a B   at B   an B     3  sin 30  i   3  cos 30  j 

  302   30 2  
    cos  30  i    sin  30  j 
  200   200  
a B   2.397i – 4.848 j  m/s2

The acceleration of A is: a A   4 j  m/s

2

The relative acceleration of B with respect to A is:

a B / A  a B – a A   2.397i – 4.848 j  m/s 2

aB / A   2.397  2   8.848  2  917
. m/s 2
  tan1( 8.848 / 2.397 )  74.8 
Miscellaneous Examples contd.
Example 4: At the instant shown, the car at A is traveling at 10 m/s
around the curve while increasing its speed at 5 m/s2. The car at B is
traveling at 18.5 m/s along the straightaway and increasing its speed at
2m/s2. Determine the relative velocity and relative acceleration of A with
respect to B at this instant

Given

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Solution
y

Ans.

Ans.
22
 (aA)n (aA)t
aA/B = aA – aB

Ans.

Ans. 23
Miscellaneous Examples contd.
Example 5: At the instant shown, car A has a speed of 20km/h, which is
being increased at the rate of 300 km/h2 as the car enters an expressway.
At the same instant, car B is decelerating at 250 km/h2 while traveling
forward at 100km/h. Determine the velocity and acceleration of A with
respect to B.
Given

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Miscellaneous Examples contd.
Given

VA

VB

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Miscellaneous Examples contd.

Ans.

Ans.

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 N D
E
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