Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components

When the path of motion of a particle is known,

describe the path using n and t coordinates which
act normal and tangent to the path
Consider your origin for the n and t axes to be
located at the particle
Planar Motion
Consider particle P which is moving in a plane
along a fixed curve, such that at a given instant it
is at position s, measured from point O
Consider a coordinate
system that has origin at a
fixed point on the curve on
the curve, and at the instant,
considered this origin
happen to coincide with the
location of the particle
t axis is tangent to the curve at P and is positive in
the direction of increasing s
Designate this positive position direction with unit
vector u
t
For normal axis, note that geometrically, the curve
is constructed from series differential arc segments
Each segment ds is
formed from the arc of an
associated circle having
a radius of curvature
(rho) and center of
curvature O
Normal axis n is perpendicular to the t axis and is
directed from P towards the center of curvature O
Positive direction is always on the concave side of
the curve, designed by u
n
Plane containing both the n and t axes is known
as the oscillating plane and is fixed on the plane of
motion
Velocity.
Since the particle is moving, s is a function of time
Particles velocity v has direction that is always
tangent to the path and has a magnitude that is
determined by taking the time derivative of the path
function s = s(t)
s v
u v v
t

=
=
where
Acceleration
Acceleration of the particle is the time rate of
change of velocity
t t
u v u v v a

+ = =
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
As the particle moves along the arc ds in time dt,
u
t
preserves its magnitude of unity
When particle changes direction, it becomes u
t

u
t
= u
t
+ du
t
du
t
stretches between the arrowhead of u
t
and
u
t
, which lie on an infinitesimal arc of radius u
t
= 1
n n n t
u
v
u
s
u u

u = = =
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components

2
v
a
vdv ds a v a
u a u a a
n
t t
n n t t
=
= =
+ =

Magnitude of acceleration is the positive value
of
2 2
n t
a a a + =
where
and
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
Consider two special cases of motion
If the particle moves along a straight line, then
and a
n
= 0. Thus , we can
conclude that the tangential component of
acceleration represents the time rate of change in
the magnitude of velocity.

If the particle moves along the curve with a
constant speed, then and
v a a
t
= =
0 = = v a
t
/
2
v a a
n
= =
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
Normal component of acceleration represents the
time rate of change in the direction of the velocity.
Since a
n
always acts towards the center of
curvature, this component is sometimes referred to
as the centripetal acceleration
As a result, a particle moving along the curved
path will have accelerations directed as shown
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
Three Dimensional Motion
If the particle is moving along a space curve, at a
given instant, t axis is completely unique
An infinite number of straight lines can be
constructed normal to tangent axis at P
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
For planar motion,
- choose positive n axis directed from P towards
paths center of curvature O
- The above axis also referred as principle normal
to curve at P
-u
t
and u
n
are always perpendicular to one another
and lies in the osculating plane
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
For spatial motion,
a third unit vector ub, defines a binormal axis b
which is perpendicular to ut and un
Three unit vectors are related by vector cross
product
ub = ut X un
un is always on the concave side
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
PROCEDURE FOR ANALYSIS
Coordinate System
When path of the particle is known, establish a
set of n and t coordinates having a fixed origin
which is coincident with the particle at the instant
Positive tangent axis acts in the direction of the
motion and the positive normal axis is directed
toward the paths center of curvature
n and t axes are advantageous for studying the
velocity and acceleration of the particle
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
Velocity
Particles velocity is always tangent to the path
Magnitude of the velocity is found from the
derivative of the path function


Tangential Acceleration
Tangential component of acceleration is the result
of the time rate of change in the magnitude of
velocity
s v =
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
Tangential component acts in the positive s
direction if the particles speed is increasing and in
the opposite direction if the seed is decreasing
For rectilinear motion,
vdv ds a v a
t t
= =
If a
t
is constant,
) ( ) ( 2
) (
) (
2
1
0
2
0
2
0
2
0 0
s s a v v
t a v v
t a t v s s
c c
c c
c c
+ =
+ =
+ + =
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
Normal Acceleration
Normal component of acceleration is the result of
the time rate of change in the direction of the
particles velocity
Normal component is always directed towards the
center of curvature of the path along the positive n
axis
For magnitude of the normal component,

2
v
a
n
=
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
If the path is expressed as y = f(x), the radius of
the curvature at any point on the path is
determined from
2 2
2 / 3 2
/
] ) / ( 1 [
dx y d
dx dy +
=
Curvilinear Motion: Normal and Tangential Components
EXAMPLE 12.14
When the skier reaches the
point A along the parabolic
path, he has a speed of 6m/s
which is increasing at 2m/s
2
.
Determine the direction of his
velocity and the direction and
magnitude of this
acceleration at this instant.
Neglect the size of the skier
in the calculation.
Coordinate System. Establish the origin of the n,
t axes at the fixed point A on the path and
determine the components of v and a along these
axes.
Velocity. The velocity is directed tangent to the
path.
1 ,
20
1
10
2
= =
= x
dx
dy
x y
v make an angle of = tan
-1
= 45 with the x axis
s m v
A
/ 6 =
EXAMPLE 12.14
Acceleration. Determined from
n t
u v u v a

) / (
2
+ =
m
dx y d
dx dy
28 . 28
/
] ) / ( 1 [
2 2
2 / 3 2
=
+
=
The acceleration becomes
2
2
/ } 273 . 1 2 { s m u u
u
v
u v a
n t
n t A

+ =
+ =

EXAMPLE 12.14
( ) ( )

5 . 57
327 . 1
2
tan
/ 37 . 2 237 . 1 2
1
2 2 2
= =
= + =

|
s m a
Thus, 57.5 45 = 12.5
a = 2.37 m/s
2
EXAMPLE 12.14
Race car C travels round the horizontal circular
track that has a radius of 90 m. If the car increases
its speed at a constant rate of 2.1 m/s
2
, starting
from rest, determine the time needed for it to reach
an acceleration of 2.4 m/s
2
. What is its speed at
this instant?
EXAMPLE 12.15
Coordinate System. The origin of the n and t
axes is coincident with the car at the instant. The t
axis is in the direction of the motion, and the
positive n axis is directed toward the center of the
circle.
Acceleration. The magnitude of acceleration
can be related to its components using
2 2
n t
a a a + =
t
t a v v
c t
1 . 2
) (
0
=
+ =
EXAMPLE 12.15
2 2
2
/ 049 . 0 s m t
v
a
n
= =

Thus,
The time needed for the acceleration to reach
2.4m/s
2
is
2 2
n t
a a a + =
Solving for t = 4.87 s
Velocity. The speed at time t = 4.87 s is
s m t v / 2 . 10 1 . 2 = =
EXAMPLE 12.15
The box travels along the
industrial conveyor. If a
box starts from rest at A
and increases its speed
such that a
t
= (0.2t) m/s
2
,
determine the magnitude
of its acceleration when it
arrives at point B.
EXAMPLE 12.16
Coordinate System. The position of the box at
any instant is defined by s, from the fixed point A.
The acceleration is to be determined at B, so the
origin of the n, t axes is at this point.
Acceleration. Since vA when t = 0
2
0 0
1 . 0
2 . 0
2 . 0
t v
dt t dv
t v a
t v
t
=
=
= =
} }

(1)
(2)
EXAMPLE 12.16
The time needed for the box to reach point B can
be determined by realizing that the position of B is
s
B
= 3 + 2(2)/4 = 6.142 m, since s
A
= 0 when t = 0
s t
dt t ds
t
dt
ds
v
B
t
B
690 . 5
1 . 0
1 . 0
0
2
142 . 6
0
2
=
=
= =
} }
EXAMPLE 12.16
Substituting into eqn (1) and (2),
s m v
s m v a
B
B t B
/ 238 . 3 ) 69 . 5 ( 1 . 0
/ 138 . 1 ) 690 . 5 ( 2 . 0 ) (
2
2
= =
= = =
At B,
B
= 2 m,
2
2
/ 242 . 5 ) ( s m
v
a
B
B
n B
= =

2
2 2
/ 36 . 5
) 242 . 5 ( ) 138 . 1 (
s m
a
B
=
+ =
EXAMPLE 12.16