KINEMATICS OF RIGID

BODIES

MOTION RELATIVE TO
ROTATING AXES

In the previous article, we have used nonrotating reference axes to

describe relative velocity and relative acceleration.
Rotating as well as translating reference axes are used if the body lies
in the rotating system or is observed from a rotating system.
Lets consider the plane motion of two particles A and B in the fixed X
Y plane.
Y
Translating+Rotating reference axes

A(x,y)

r rA / B

rA

J
O

rB

B(x,y)

i
Fixed reference axes

We will consider A and B to be moving independently of one another.

We observe the motion of A from a moving reference frame x-y
which has its origin attached to B and which rotates with an angular

velocity ;the vector notation will be k k .

Y

Translating+Rotating reference axes

A(x,y)

r rA / B

rA

J
O

rB

B(x,y)

i
Fixed reference axes

The absolute position vector of A is

rA rB rA / B

rA / B r xi yj

Time Derivatives of Unit Vectors

Since the unit vectors

and
i
j are now rotating with the x-y axes,

their time derivatives will not be zero.

di i dj

di dj

di d

j
dt
dt

i j

dj j d ( i )

dj di

dj
d

i
dt
dt

j i

i j

j i
By using the cross product,

i k i j

j k j i

i i

j j

Relative Velocity
We are now going to take the time derivative of the position vector

rA rB rA / B rB r

dr
x i y j xi yj
dt

here x i xi

i i ,

vrel

dr d

xi yj
dt dt

j j

yj yj

dr
x i y j xi yj
dt

dr
x i y j r
dt

dr
v A vB
dt

dr
x i y j xi yj

dt

v A v B r vrel


vB

is the absolute velocity of B due to the translation of axes x-y.

If the x-y axes are not translating but only rotating , v = 0.

B

The term r appears due to the rotation of the x-y axes.

Its magnitude is r or r and a direction normal to r .


vrel

will be tangent to the path fixed in the x-y plane and its

magnitude will be equal to

where s is measured along the path.

Its sense will be in the direction of increasing s.

Relative Acceleration

The relative acceleration equation may be obtained by differentiating the

relative velocity equation,

v A v B r v rel

dr
x i y j r
dt

a A aB
r r vrel
dt **
*
r
*

vrel

r r vrel r vrel

d
d
vrel vrel x i y j x i y j xi yj
**

dt
dt

x i y j xi yj

x i y j xi yj

vrel a rel

a A aB

arel

r r

2 vrel

acoriolis

arel

arel t , arel n

a A aB

r r
r

2 vrel

acoriolis

vrel

a rel

arel t , arel n

 is and its direction is tangent to the

r
r
circle. The magnitude of r is r2 and its direction is from P
The magnitude of

to B along the normal to the circle.


arel may be expressed in rectangular, normal and tangential or polar

coordinates in the rotating system. Frequently, n and t components

are used as shown in the figure.

The

tangential

component

has the

magnitude a
where s is the
rel t v rel s
distance measured along the path to A.
The

normal

component

has

the

2
magnitude a v rel . The sense of this
rel n

vector is always toward the center of

curvature.

Coriolis Acceleration
The term

2 vrel

seen in the figure is called the Coriolis

acceleration. It represents the difference between the acceleration

of A relative to P as measured from nonrotating axes and from
rotating axes.
The direction is always normal to
the vector

vrel

or

and the
arel t

sense is established by the right

hand rule for the cross product.

The Coriolis acceleration appears when a particle or body

translates in addition to its rotation relative to a system which
itself is rotating. This translation can be rectilinear or curvilinear.

PROBLEMS
1. The disk rolls without slipping on the horizontal surface, and at the instant
represented, the center O has the velocity and acceleration shown in the figure.
For this instant, the particle A has the indicated speed
change of speed

u and the time rate-of-

, both relative to the disk. Determine the absolute velocity

and acceleration of particle A.

PROBLEMS

2.

For

the

represented,

link

instant
CB

is

rotating ccw at a constant

rate N = 4 rad/s and its pin A
causes a cw rotation of the
slotted

member

ODE.

Determine the angular velocity

and angular acceleration

of ODE for this instant.

PROBLEMS

3. Link OA has a constant clockwise angular velocity of 3 rad/s for a

brief interval of its rotation. Determine the angular acceleration BC of
BC for the instant when =60o.

PROBLEMS

4. Determine the angular acceleration of link EC in the position shown,

where 2 rad / s and

o
6 rad / s 2 when =60 . Pin A is fixed
to link EC. The circular slot in link DO has a radius of curvature of 150

mm. In the position shown, the tangent to the slot at the point of
contact is parallel to AO.

AC 150 mm

150
mm

PROBLEMS
5. For the instant shown, particle A has a velocity of 12.5 m/s towards point C
relative to the disk and this velocity is decreasing at the rate of 7.5 m/s each
second. The disk rotates about B with angular velocity =9 rad/s and angular
acceleration =60 rad/s2 in the directions shown in the figure. The angle
remains constant during the motion. Telescopic link has a velocity of 5 m/s and an
acceleration of 2.5 m/s. Determine the absolute velocity and acceleration of
point A for the position shown.

PROBLEMS
6. The gear has the angular motion shown. Determine the angular velocity and
angular acceleration of the slotted link BC at this instant. The pin at A is fixed to
the gear.

=2 rad/s

2m

0.5 m
0.7 m

=4 rad/s2

PROBLEMS

7. The pin A in the bell crank AOD is guided by the flanges of the
collar B, which slides with a constant velocity vB of 0.9 m/s along the
fixed shaft for an interval of motion. For the position =30o determine
the acceleration of the plunger CE, whose upper end is positioned by
the radial slot in the bell crank. .

PROBLEMS

8. Link 1, of the plane mechanism shown, rotates about the fixed point
O with a constant angular speed of 5 rad/s in the cw direction while
slider A, at the end of link 2, moves in the circular slot of link 1.
Determine the angular velocity and the angular acceleration of link 2 at
the instant represented where BO is perpendicular to OA. The radius
of the slot is 10 cm.
Take sin 37=06, cos 37=0.8

A
10 cm
2

37o

20 cm

37o

1=5 rad/s

BO OA
16 cm