Physics 111: Lecture 3

Todays Agenda

Reference frames and relative motion

Uniform Circular Motion

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 1

 Inertial Reference Frames:
Cart on
A Reference Frame is the place you measure from. track on
Its where you nail down your (x,y,z) axes! track

An Inertial Reference Frame (IRF) is one that is not

accelerating.
We will consider only IRFs in this course.

Valid IRFs can have fixed velocities with respect to each other.
More about this later when we discuss forces.
For now, just remember that we can make measurements
from different vantage points.

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 2

 Relative Motion
Consider a problem with two distinct IRFs:
An airplane flying on a windy day.

A pilot wants to fly from Champaign to Chicago. Having

asked a friendly physics student, she knows that Chicago
is 120 miles due north of Urbana. She takes off from
Willard Airport at noon. Her plane has a compass and an
air-speed indicator to help her navigate.

The compass allows her to keep the nose of the plane

pointing north.

The air-speed indicator tells her that she is traveling at

120 miles per hour with respect to the air.

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 3

 Relative Motion...

The plane is moving north in the IRF attached to the air:

Vp, a is the velocity of the plane w.r.t. the air.

Air

Vp,a

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 4

 Relative Motion...
But suppose the air is moving east in the IRF attached to
the ground.
Va,g is the velocity of the air w.r.t. the ground (i.e. wind).

Air

Vp,a

Va,g

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 5

 Relative Motion...

What is the velocity of the plane in an IRF attached to the

ground?
Vp,g is the velocity of the plane w.r.t. the ground.

Vp,g

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 6

 Tractor
Relative Motion...

Vp,g = Vp,a + Va,g Is a vector equation relating the airplanes

velocity in different reference frames.

Va,g

Vp,a
Vp,g

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 7

 Lecture 3, Act 1
Relative Motion
You are swimming across a 50m wide river in which the
current moves at 1 m/s with respect to the shore. Your
swimming speed is 2 m/s with respect to the water.
You swim across in such a way that your path is a straight
perpendicular line across the river.
How many seconds does it take you to get across ?

(a) 50 3 29

(b) 50 2 35

(c) 50 1 50 50 m 1 m/s
2 m/s

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 8

 Lecture 3, Act 1
solution
y
Choose x axis along riverbank and y axis across river
x
The time taken to swim straight across is (distance across) / (vy )

Since you swim straight across, you must be tilted in the water so that
your x component of velocity with respect to the water exactly cancels
the velocity of the water in the x direction:

1 m/s

y 2 2 12
2 m/s 1m/s
3 m/s
x

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 9

 Lecture 3, Act 1
solution
So the y component of your velocity with respect to the water is 3 m/s
50 m
So the time to get across is 29s
3m s

3 m/s

50 m
y

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 10

 Uniform Circular Motion

What does it mean?

How do we describe it?

What can we learn about it?

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 11

 What is UCM?
Puck on ice
Motion in a circle with:

Constant Radius R
y
Constant Speed v = |v|
v
(x,y)

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 12

 How can we describe UCM?

In general, one coordinate system is as good as any other:

Cartesian:
(x,y) [position] y
(vx ,vy) [velocity] v
Polar: (x,y)
(R,) [position]
R
x
(vR ,) [velocity]

In UCM:
R is constant (hence vR = 0).
(angular velocity) is constant.
Polar coordinates are a natural way to describe UCM!

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 13

 Polar Coordinates:
The arc length s (distance along the circumference) is
related to the angle in a simple way:
s = R, where is the angular displacement.
units of are called radians.
y

For one complete revolution: v

2R = Rc (x,y)
c = 2 R s

has period 2. x

1 revolution = 2radians

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 14

 Polar Coordinates...
y

x = R cos R (x,y)
y = R sin

x

1
cos sin

0
/2 3/2 2

-1

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 15

 Polar Coordinates...
Tetherball
In Cartesian coordinates, we say velocity dx/dt = v.
x = vt
In polar coordinates, angular velocity d/dt = .
= t
y
has units of radians/second.
v
Displacement s = vt.
R
but s = R = Rt, so: s
t
x
v = R

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 16

 Period and Frequency
Recall that 1 revolution = 2 radians
frequency (f) = revolutions / second (a)
angular velocity () = radians / second (b)
By combining (a) and (b)
= 2 f v

Realize that: R
s
period (T) = seconds / revolution
So T = 1 / f = 2/

= 2 / T = 2f

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 17

 Recap:

x = R cos() = R cos(t)
y = R sin() = R sin(t)
= arctan (y/x) v
(x,y)
R
s
= t t
s=vt
s = R = Rt

v = R

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 18

 Aside: Polar Unit Vectors

We are familiar with the Cartesian unit vectors: i j k

Now introduce
^
polar unit-vectors r^ and :
r^ points in radial direction
^ points in tangential direction
^ ^
(counter clockwise) r
y

j
x
i

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 19

 Acceleration in UCM:

Even though the speed is constant, velocity is not constant

since the direction is changing: must be some acceleration!
Consider average acceleration in time t aav = v / t

v
v2
v1
v2
R v1
t

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 20

 Acceleration in UCM:

Even though the speed is constant, velocity is not constant since

the direction is changing.
Consider average acceleration in time t aav = v / t

v
R
seems like v (hence v/t )
points at the origin!

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 21

 Acceleration in UCM:

Even though the speed is constant, velocity is not constant

since the direction is changing.
As we shrink t, v / t dv / dt = a

a = dv / dt
R
We see that a points
in the - R direction.

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 22

 Acceleration in UCM:

This is called Centripetal Acceleration.

Now lets calculate the magnitude:

v R
v Similar triangles:
v R
v1
v2
But R = vt for small t
v2
v vt v v 2
R v1 So:
R
v R t R

v2
a
R

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 23

 Centripetal Acceleration

UCM results in acceleration:

Magnitude: a = v2 / R
Direction: -^
r (toward center of circle)

R
a

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 24

 Useful Equivalent:

v2 v = R
We know that a and
R

Substituting for v we find that:

R 2
a
R

a = 2R

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 25

 Lecture 3, Act 2
Uniform Circular Motion
A fighter pilot flying in a circular turn will pass out if the
centripetal acceleration he experiences is more than about
9 times the acceleration of gravity g. If his F18 is moving
with a speed of 300 m/s, what is the approximate diameter
of the tightest turn this pilot can make and survive to tell
about it ?

(a) 500 m
(b) 1000 m
(c) 2000 m

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 26

 Lecture 3, Act 2
Solution
m2
v2 2 90000 2
a 9g v s
R
R 9 g 9 9.81 m
s2

10000
R m 1000 m D 2R 2000 m
9.81

2km

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 27

 Example: Propeller Tip

The propeller on a stunt plane spins with frequency

f = 3500 rpm. The length of each propeller blade is L = 80cm.
What centripetal acceleration does a point at the tip of a
propeller blade feel?

what is a here? f

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 28

 Example:

First calculate the angular velocity of the propeller:

rot 1 min rad rad

1 rpm 1 x x 2 0.105 0.105 s -1
min 60 s rot s

so 3500 rpm means = 367 s-1

Now calculate the acceleration.

a = 2R = (367s-1)2 x (0.8m) = 1.1 x 105 m/s2
= 11,000 g

^ ).
direction of a points at the propeller hub (-r

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 29

 Example: Newton & the Moon

What is the acceleration of the Moon due to its motion

around the Earth?
What we know (Newton knew this also):
T = 27.3 days = 2.36 x 106 s (period ~ 1 month)
R = 3.84 x 108 m (distance to moon)
RE = 6.35 x 106 m (radius of earth)

R RE

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 30

 Moon...

Calculate angular velocity:

1 rot 1 day rad
x x 2 2 .66 x10 6 s -1
27 .3 day 86400 s rot

So = 2.66 x 10-6 s-1.

Now calculate the acceleration.

a = 2R = 0.00272 m/s2 = 0.000278 g
^ ).
direction of a points at the center of the Earth (-r

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 31

 Moon...
So we find that amoon / g = 0.000278
Newton noticed that RE2 / R2 = 0.000273

amoon g

R RE

This inspired him to propose that FMm 1 / R2

(more on gravity later)

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 32

 Lecture 3, Act 3
Centripetal Acceleration

The Space Shuttle is in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) about 300 km

above the surface. The period of the orbit is about 91 min.
What is the acceleration of an astronaut in the Shuttle in the
reference frame of the Earth?
(The radius of the Earth is 6.4 x 106 m.)

(a) 0 m/s2
(b) 8.9 m/s2
(c) 9.8 m/s2

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 33

 Lecture 3, Act 3
Centripetal Acceleration
First calculate the angular frequency :

1 rot 1 min rad

x x 2 0.00115 s -1

91 min 60 s rot

Realize that: RO

RO = RE + 300 km
= 6.4 x 106 m + 0.3 x 106 m 300 km
= 6.7 x 106 m

RE

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 34

 Lecture 3, Act 3
Centripetal Acceleration

Now calculate the acceleration:

a = 2R

a = (0.00115 s-1)2 x 6.7 x 106 m

a = 8.9 m/s2

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 35

 Recap for today:

Reference frames and relative motion.

Uniform Circular Motion

Physics 111: Lecture 3, Pg 36