Chapter 5: Planar kinematics of rigid bodies.

5.0 Introduction
The motion of a particle in a curvilinear motion is on a curved path. For
example, a wood is thrown (Fig. 1) and we can determine the motion of
the center mass without considering the rotational motion. The particle
does not repeat the journey once it has passed over a point on the curved
path. Its center of rotation also goes on changing. The only significant
force is the weight and NSL can be used to find the acceleration of the
mass center.

In a rotating (circular) motion, the movement of the particle repeats its

journey along the same circular path about the same center of rotation
which remains fixed. For example, same wood is now standing on the
ground and is now tipped over. Apart from the weight, there is another
force exerted by the ground.

Fig. 1

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(1) Rigid body - a rigid body is an object that does not deform. The
distance between every pair of points of a rigid body remains
constant.

(2) As for particles a reference frame is required relative to which

the motions of the points of the rigid body and its angular motion are
measured.

Angular displacement - the displacement of a body in rotation and

it is measured in terms of the angle through which the body moves
from the initial state.

- The angle θ is a measure of angular displacement.

- Angular displacement is a vector, has magnitude and direction.
- The direction is a rotation either clockwise or anticlockwise.
- Units: 1 revolution = 2π radians = 360 degrees.

Angular velocity: the rate of change of angular

displacement of a body with respect to time.

d
Angular velocity, w, =
dt

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Unit: rad/seconds or revolution per min (rpm)
w = 2πN/ 60 rad/s

Angular acceleration: the rate of change of angular

velocity of a body with respect to time.
2
d d  d  d 
   
Angular acceleration, α, = dt dt  dt  dt
2

d d d d
    w
dt d dt d

Unit: rad/second2 (rad/s2)

Relationship between circular motion and linear motion:

s=rθ (with reference to Fig. 2)

ds d d
Linear velocity, v =  (r )  r  r
dt dt dt

dv d d
Linear acceleration, a =  (r )  r  r
dt dt dt

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 Equations of circular motion

When a body moves in a circular path with uniform angular

acceleration, the equations of motion are:

w= w0 + α t; w2 - w02 = 2α θ; θ = w0t + 0.5α t2

Where w0 = initial angular velocity

w = final angular velocity
α = angular acceleration
θ = the angle moved in time, t. (Fig. 2)

5.1 Translation
If rigid body in motion relative to a given reference does not rotate is said
to be in translation. During translation, the particles have the same
velocity and acceleration, and a straight line drawn and the moving body
remains parallel to its original position at any time.

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Every point of a rigid body in translation has the same velocity and
acceleration; hence, if we describe the motion of a single point we
describe the motion of the rigid body completely.

5.2 Rotation
The body rotates about a fixed point and all the particles constituting the
body move in a circular path. The fixed point about which the body rotates
is called the point of rotation and the axis passing through the point of
rotation is called the axis of rotation. A point lying on the axis of rotation
has a zero velocity and zero acceleration.
The point of rotation may lie inside the body (a) or outside the body (b).

Fig. 4

5.3 Planar motion - combined motion of translation and rotation.

There exist certain situations where a body possesses both motions of
translation and rotation simultaneously at particular instant.

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(a) Motion of a wheel rolling on a horizontal surface.

(b) Bar sliding against wall at one end and the floor at the other end.

(c) Other examples include internal combustion engine.

- The position translates within the cylinder
- The connecting rods are in general plane motion

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 - Crankshaft rotates about a fixed axis

Note- the shift of link AB from the initial to final position will remain
same irrespective of the fact whether the motion of translation or that of
rotation takes place first.

5.4 Rotation about a fixed axis

1. Each point of the rigid body moves in a circular path around the
fixed axis.
2. The reference line is fixed, and the body-fixed line rotates with the
rigid body.
3. The angle Ө between the reference line and the body-fixed line
describes the position, or orientation, of the rigid body about the
fixed axis.
d
4. The rigid body’s angular velocity,   , and angular acceleration,
dt

2
d d 
   2
dt dt

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5. Each point not on the fixed axis moves in a circular path about the
axis.
6. The velocity of a point at a distance r from the fixed axis is tangent
to the point's circular path,
v  r
7. A point has components of acceleration tangential and normal to its
circular path,
2 2
v
a t  r , an   r
r

8. The velocities of the gears must be equal at P, because there is no

relative motion between them in the tangential direction at P.
Therefore, rAωA = rBωB, and we find that the angular velocity of gear
B is

 rA 
 
 B = r  A
 B 
9. By taking the derivative of this equation with respect to time, we
determine the angular acceleration of gear B:

 r 
  
A
 B
r  A

 B 
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 10. From this result, we see that the tangential components of the
acceleration of the gears at P are equal: rAαA = rBαB.
11. The normal component of the acceleration of the gears at P are
different in direction and, if the gears have different radii, are
different in magnitude as well.
12. The normal component of the acceleration of gear A at P points
toward the center gear A, and its magnitude is rAω2A.
13. The normal component of the acceleration of gear B at P points
toward the center of gear B, and its magnitude is rBω2B = (rA/rB)(
rAω2A).

Fig. 9: relating the angular velocities and angular acceleration of meshing

gears [1]

Example 1
Gear A of a winch turns gear B, raising the hook H. If gear A starts from
rest at t = 0, and its clockwise angular acceleration is  A
 0 . 2 t rad / s ,
what vertical distance has the hook H risen and what is its velocity at t =
10 s.

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Solution
a t  0 . 05  0 . 2 t  0 . 2   B
 at the po int of contact between the
2
 B  0 . 05 t rad / s two gears

d B
 B

dt
 B t

 d B
  0 . 05 t dt
0 0

2
 B  0 . 025 t rad / s

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 d B
B 
dt
 B t
2
 d B   0 . 025 t dt
0 0

3
 B  0 . 00833 t rad

At t = 10s,  B =8.33 rad

Hook H is risen by = r   B
= 0.1(8.33)
=0.833m

At t = 10s,  B = 2.5 rad/s

VH = 0.1 (2.5) = 0.25 m/s.

5.5 Instantaneous center (IC)

- While analyzing plane motion of a body, a point can be located in
the plane which has zero velocity is called IC.
- The plane motion of all the particles of the body may then be
considered as pure rotation about point (IC) at that instant.
- The axis passing through this point and at right angles to the plane of
motion is called instantaneous axis of rotation.

A point of a rigid body whose velocity is zero at a given instant is called

an instantaneous center.

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When we know the location of an instantaneous center of a rigid body in
two-dimensional motion and we know its angular velocity, the velocities
of other points are easy to determine.

Relative to C (C is IC), a point A moves in a circular path. The velocity of

A relative to C is tangent to the circular path and equal to the product of
the distance from C to A and the angular velocity. At this instant, every
point of the rigid body rotates about C (Fig. 10b).

Fig. 10: (a) an instantaneous center C and a different point A, (b) every
point is rotating about the instantaneous center [1].

The instantaneous center of rigid body in planar motion can often be

located by a simple procedure. Suppose that the directions of the motions
of two points A and B are known and are not parallel. If we draw lines
through A and B perpendicular to their directions of motion, then the point
C where the lines intersect is the instantaneous center.

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 Fig. 11: locating the instantaneous center in planar motion

Location of the IC: to locate the IC we can use the fact that the velocity of
a point on the body is always perpendicular to the relative position vector
extending from the IC to the point. Several possibilities exist:
 Given the velocity vA of a point A on the body, and the angular
velocity  of the body. In this case, the IC is located along the line
drawn perpendicular to vA at A, such that the distance from A to the
vA
IC is r A / IC  . Note that the IC lies up and to the right of A since


vA must cause a clockwise angular velocity  about the IC.

 Given the magnitude and direction of two parallel velocities vA and

vB. Here the location of the IC is determined by proportional
triangles. Examples are shown in Figure 2.13 (a) and (b). In both
vA vB
cases r A / IC  and rB / IC  . If the distance AB in (b) is known,
 

then r A / IC  rB / IC  dis tan ce AB and in Figure 2.13 (a),

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 r A / IC  r B / IC  dis tan ce AB . As a special case, note that if the body is
translating, vA = vB then the IC would be located at infinity, in which
vA vB
case r A / IC  rB / IC   . This being the case,     0, as
r A / IC r B / IC

expected.

Realize that the point chosen as the instantaneous centre of zero velocity
for the body can only be used for an instant of time since the body changes
its position from one instant to next. The locus of the points which define
the location of the IC during the body’s motion is called the centrode, and
so each point on the centrode acts as the IC for the body only for an
instant.

Fig. 12 [2].
Example 2
Bar AB rotates with counterclockwise angular velocity of 10 rad/s. What
are the angular velocities of bars BC and CD.

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Solution

vB = 2 (10) = 20 m/s

vB = 2 (10) = 20 m/s = 2 (wBC)

wBC = 10 rad/s

vc = 2.83 (wBC) = 2.83 (10) = 2.83 (wCD)

wCD = 10 rad/s

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5.6 General motions: velocities
Each point of a rigid body in translation undergoes the same motion. Each
point of a rigid body rotating about a fixed axis undergoes circular motion.
To analyze more complicated motions that combine translation and
rotation, we must develop equations that relate the relative motions of
points of a rigid body to its angular motion.

5.6.1 Relative velocities

In Fig. 13, we view a rigid body from a perspective perpendicular to the
plane of its motion. The position of A relative to B, rA/B, is related to the
position of A and B relative to 0 by

r A  rB  r A B and vA  vB  vA B

where vA and vB are the velocities of A and B relative to the given

reference frame and vA/B = drA/B/dt is the velocity of A relative to B.

Fig. 13

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The velocity of A relative to B is therefore tangent to the circular path and
equal to the product of rA/B and the angular velocity ω of the rigid body.

We show a circular disk of radius R rolling with counterclockwise angular

velocity ω on a stationary plane surface. The velocity of the center B of
the disk relative to C is illustrated in Fig. 14b. Since vc = 0 (velocity of the
disk relative to the surface is zero at the point of contact C), the velocity of
B in terms of the fixed coordinate system shown is

vB  vC  vB C
  Ri

Fig. 14c shows the velocity of a point A relative to point B. The velocity of
A is the sum of the velocity of B and the velocity of A relative to B (Fig.
14d).
vA  vB  vA B
  Ri  Rj

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 Fig. 14: (a) a disk rolling with angular velocity ω, (b) the velocity of the
center B relative to C, (c) the velocity of A relative to B, (d) the velocity of
A equals the sum of the velocity of B and the velocity of A relative to B
[1].

5.3.2 The angular velocity vector

The angular velocity vector, denoted by ω, specifies both the direction of
the instantaneous axis of rotation and the angular velocity. The angular
velocity vector is defined to be parallel to the instantaneous axis of
rotation, and its magnitude is the rate of rotation, the absolute value of ω.
Its direction is related to the direction of the rigid body's rotation through a
right-hand rule: pointing the thumb of the right hand in the direction of ω,
the fingers curl around ω in the direction of rotation (Fig. 15).

For example, the axis of rotation of the rolling disk in Fig. 15 is parallel to
the z axis, so the angular velocity vector of the disk is parallel to the z axis
and its magnitude is ω. Curling the fingers of the right hand around the z
axis in the direction of the rotation, the thumb points in the positive z
direction. The angular velocity vector of the disk is ω=ωk.

Let A and B be points of a rigid body with angular velocity ω. We can

show that the velocity of A relative to B is

dr A B
vA B
    rA B
dt

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 v A  v B    rA B
  
vA B

Fig. 15: determining the direction of the angular velocity vector of a

rolling disk.

Returning to the example of a disk of radius R rolling with angular

velocity ω. The velocity of the center of the disk is given in terms of the
angular velocity by vB = -Rωi, the disks angular velocity vector is ω=ωk,
and the position vector of A relative to the center is rA/B = Ri. The velocity
of A is
v A  v B    rA B
  R  i   k    Ri 

  Ri  Rj

Example 3
Bar AB in the figure below rotates with a clockwise angular velocity of 10
rad/s. Determine the angular velocity of bar BC and the velocity of point C

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Solution
rB / A  0 .4 i  0 .4 j ( m )

 AB
  10 k rad / s

v B  v A    rB / A

v B  0   10 k  ( 0 . 4 i  0 . 4 j )

v B  4i  4 j m / s

v C  v B   BC  rC / B

v C i  4 i  4 j   BC k  ( 0 . 8 i  0 . 4 j )

v C i  ( 4  0 . 4  BC ) i  ( 4  0 . 8  BC ) j m / s

Equating i and j components

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v C  4  0 . 4  BC and 0  4  0 . 8  BC

Solving we get vC = 6 m/s and wBC = 5 rad/s.

The angular velocity of bar BC is wBC = 5k rad/s and vC = 6i m/s.

Example 4
The bar is rotating in the counter clockwise direction with the angular
velocity w. The magnitude of the velocity of point A is 6 m/s. Determine
the velocity of point B.

Solution
v 6
    10 . 6 rad / s
r 0 .4
2
 0 .4
2

v B    rB

v B  10 . 6 k  ( 0 . 4 i  0 . 2 j )

v B  2 . 12 i  4 . 24 j m / s

5.4 General motions: accelerations

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Consider points A and B of a rigid body in planar motion relative given
reference frame (Fig. 17). Their velocities are related by

vA  vB  vA B

Fig. 17: (a) points A and B of a rigid body in planar motion and the
position vector of A relative to B, (b) components of the acceleration of A
relative to B, (c) the acceleration of A [1].

Taking the derivative of this equation with respect to time, we obtain

aA  aB  aA B

where aA and aB are the accelerations of A and B relative to the reference

frame and aA/B is the acceleration of A relative to B.

For example, let us consider a circular disk of radius R rolling on a

stationary plane surface. The disk has counterclockwise angular velocity 
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and counterclockwise angular acceleration . The disk’s center B is
moving in a straight line with velocity R, toward the left if  is positive.
Therefore, the acceleration of B is d/dt(R) = R and is toward the left if
 is positive (Fig. 18b).

We know the acceleration of the disk’s center; we can find the

acceleration of the point C that is in contact with the surface. Relative to
B, C moves in a circular path of radius R with angular velocity  and
angular acceleration . The n and t components of acceleration of C
relative to B are shown in Fig. 5.18c. The acceleration of C relative to B
(Fig. 18d) is given as
2
aC  aB  aC B
  R  i  R  i  R j
2
 R j

The acceleration of point C parallel to the surface is zero but C does have
an acceleration normal to the surface.

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Fig. 18: (a) a disk rolling with angular velocity  and angular acceleration
. (b) acceleration of the center B, (c) components of the acceleration of C
relative to B, (d) the acceleration of C [1].

Expressing the acceleration of point A relative to a point B in terms of A’s

circular path about B as we have done is useful for visualizing and
understanding the relative acceleration. The velocity of A relative to B is
given in terms of :

vA B
   rA / B

Integrating with respect to time

d
aA B
  rA B
   vA/B
dt
d
  r A / B      r A / B 
dt

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The angular acceleration vector  to be the rate of change of the angular
velocity vector:
d

dt

Thus the acceleration of A/B is

a A / B   r A / B      r A / B 

Velocity and acceleration of two points of a rigid body in terms of its

angular velocity and acceleration:

v A  v B    rA / B ,

a A  a B    r A / B      r A / B 

In planar motion the acceleration is given by:

2
a A  a B    rA / B   rA / B

Example 5
Bar AB has a counter clockwise angular velocity of 10 rad/s and a
clockwise angular acceleration of 300 rad/s2. What are the angular
accelerations of bars BC and CD?

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Solution
vB  vA   AB
 rB / A

v B  0  10 k  2 j

v B   20 i m / s

v C  v D   CD  rC / D

i j k

vC  0  0 0  CD
 2 2 0

v C   2  CD i  2  CD m /s

(Note that wCD and αCD are taken as CCW, hence, positive)

v C  v B   BC  rC / B

v C   20 i   BC k  2 i

v C   20 i  2  BC j m / s

(Note that wBC and αBC are taken as CCW, hence, positive)

Equating the two equations for the vc yields

 2  CD i  2  CD   20 i  2  BC j

We get wCD = 10 rad/s and wBC = -10 rad/s.

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 2
a B  a A    rB / A   rB / A
2
a B  0  (  300 k )  2 j  10 ( 2 j )
2
a B  600 i  200 j m /s
2
a C  a D    rC /D
  rC /D

i j k
aC  0  0 0  CD
 2 2 0
2
a C  ( 200  2  CD ) i  ( 200  2  CD ) j m /s

2
a C  a B    rC / B   rC / B
2
a C  600 i  200 j   BC
k  2 i  (  10 ) ( 2 i )
2
a C  400 i  ( 200  2  BC
)j m /s

Equating aC we obtain

( 200  2  CD ) i  ( 200  2  CD ) j  400 i  ( 200  2  BC

) j

αBC = 100 rad/s2.

αCD = -100 rad/s2.

Example 6
The components of a power hacksaw are shown below. The saw blade is
mounted in a frame which slides along the horizontal guide. If the motor
turns the flywheel at a maximum constant counterclockwise speed of 60

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rev/min, determine the acceleration of the blade for the position where θ =
90o, and find the corresponding angular acceleration of the link AB.

Solution
2
a B  a O    rB / O   rB / O
2
a B  0  0  r B / O  6 . 283 (  0 . 1i )
2
a B  3 . 948 i m / s

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v B  6 . 283  0 . 1  0 . 6283 m /s

v B  ICB   BA

0 . 6283  0 . 43875  BA

 BA  1 . 43 rad / s CW

2
aA  aB   AB
 rA / B   AB
rA / B
2
a A  3 . 948 i   AB
k  (  0 . 439 i  0 . 1 j )  1 . 43 (  0 . 439 i  0 . 1 j )

a A  3 . 948 i  0 . 439  AB
j  0 . 1 AB
i  0 . 9 i  0 . 2045 j

for aB , j component is zero

0   0 . 439  AB
 0 . 2045
2
 AB
 0 . 466 rad / s
2
a A  4 . 895 i m / s .

References
1. Bedford, A., and Fowler, W., Engineering Mechanics: Dynamics,
Prentice Hall, Fourth Edition, 2005.
2. Meriam, J. L., and Glenn Kraige, L., Engineering Mechanics:
Dynamics, John Wiley & Sons, Sixth Edition, 2008.

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