Module 5

MODULE 5
KINEMATICS OF RIGID BODIES:

ROTATION AND PLANE MOTION
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After careful study of this chapter you should be able to do the following:
✓ Describe some types of rigid body motion: rotation about a fixed axis and
general plane motion
✓ Use angular kinematic relationships involving θ, 𝜔, and 𝛼 to determine the
angular motion of a rigid body.
✓ Calculate the linear velocity and acceleration of any point on a rigid body
undergoing fixed axis rotation or general plane motion.
✓ Solve planar rigid body kinematics problems using the relative velocity
equations.
In this chapter, we consider the kinematics of rigid bodies. We will investigate

the relations between the time, the positions, the velocities, and the accelerations
of the various particles forming a rigid body.
4.a Rotation about a Fixed Axis

In this motion, the particles forming the rigid body
move in parallel planes along circles centered on the
same fixed axis (Fig. 15.3). If this axis, called the axis of
rotation, intersects the rigid body, the particles located on
the axis have zero velocity and zero acceleration.
Be careful not to confuse rotation with certain

types of curvilinear translation. For example, the plate
shown in Fig. 15.4a is in curvilinear translation, with all of its
particles moving along parallel circles, whereas the plate shown in Fig. 15.4b is in
rotation, with all of its particles moving along concentric circles. In the first case, any
given straight
line drawn on
the plate
maintains the
same direction,
whereas in the
second case,
the orientation
of the plate
changes
throughout the
rotation.
ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 1

Because each particle moves in a given plane, the rotation of a body about a fixed
axis is said to be a plane motion.
Rotation about a Fixed Axis

Consider a rigid body that rotates about a
fixed axis AA’. Let P be a point of the body and r
be its position vector with respect to a fixed frame
of reference. For convenience, let us assume that
the frame is centered at point O on AA’ and that
the z axis coincides with AA’ (Fig. 15.8). Let B be
the projection of P on AA’. Since P must remain at
a constant distance from B, it describes a circle
with a center B and radius rsin ∅, where ∅ denotes
the angle formed by r and AA’.
The position both of P and of the entire body is

completely defined by the angle θ that the line
BP forms with the zx plane. The angle θ is known
as the angular coordinate of the body and is defined as positive when viewed as
counterclockwise from A’. The angular coordinate is expressed in radians (rad) or,
occasionally, in degrees (°) or revolutions (rev). Recall that
Recall that the velocity v = dr/dt of a particle P is a vector tangent to the path of P
and with a magnitude of v = ds/dt. The length ∆𝑠 of the arc described by P when
the body rotates through ∆𝜃 is
Then dividing both members by ∆𝑡, we obtain in the limit, as ∆𝑡 approaches zero,
where denotes the time derivative of 𝜃.
The vector is directed along the axis of rotation. It is called the

angular velocity of the body.
Differentiating

The vector d𝜔/dt is denoted by 𝛼 and is called the angular acceleration of the
body.
Equations Defining the Rotation of a Rigid Body About a Fixed Axis

The motion of a rigid body rotating about a fixed axis AA’ is said to be known
when we can express its angular coordinate θ as a known function of t. In practice,
however, we can seldom describe the rotation of a rigid body by a relation
between θ and t. More often, the conditions of motion are specified by the angular
acceleration of the body. For example, 𝛼 may be given as a function of t, as a
function of θ, or as a function of v. We have
These equations are similar to those obtained in previous chapter for the rectilinear
motion of a particle, so we can integrate them by following the procedures.
Two particular cases of rotation occur frequently:

1. Uniform Rotation. This case is characterized by the fact that the angular
acceleration is zero, therefore the angular velocity is constant and the
angular position is given by
2. Uniformly Accelerated Rotation. In this case, the angular acceleration is

constant. We can derive the following formulas relating angular velocity,
angular position, and time in a manner similar to that described in previous
section. The similarity between the formulas derived here and those obtained
for the rectilinear uniformly accelerated motion of a particle is apparent.
Sample Problem 1
A driver starts his car with the door on the passenger’s side wide open (θ = 0). As
the car moves forward with constant acceleration, the angular acceleration of the
door is 𝛼 = 2.5 cos θ, where 𝛼 is in rad/s2. Determine the angular velocity of the door
as it slams shut (θ = 90°).

Sample Problem 2
Two friction wheels A and B are both rotating freely at 300 rpm clockwise when they
are brought into contact. After 6s of slippage, during which each wheel has a
constant angular acceleration, wheel A reaches a final angular velocity of 60 rpm
clockwise. Determine the angular acceleration of each wheel during the period of
slippage.
4.b General Plane Motion

Many other types of plane motion can occur, i.e., motions in which all the particles
of the body move in a single plane. Any plane motion that is neither a rotation nor
a translation is referred to as general plane motion. As you will presently see,
however, a general plane motion can always be considered as the sum of a
translation and a rotation.

General Plane Motion
As an example of general plane motion, consider a wheel rolling on a
straight track (Fig. 15.12). Over some interval of time, two given points A and B will
have moved, respectively, from A 1 to A2 and from B1 to B2. However, we could
obtain the same result through a translation that would bring A1 and B1 into A2 and
B’1 (the line AB remaining vertical), followed by a rotation about A, bringing B into
B2. The original rolling motion differs from the combination of translation and rotation
when these motions are taken in succession, but we can duplicate the original
motion exactly using a combination of simultaneous translation and rotation.
Another example of plane motion is shown in Fig. 15.13, which represents a

rod whose ends slide along a horizontal and a vertical track. We can replace this
motion using a horizontal translation and a rotation about A (Fig. 15.13a) or using a
vertical translation and a rotation about B (Fig. 15.13b).

In the general case of plane motion, we consider a small displacement that
brings two particles A and B of a representative rigid body, respectively, from A1
and B1 into A2 and B2 (Fig. 15.14). We can divide this displacement into two parts: in
one, the particles move into A2 and B’1 while the line AB maintains the same
direction; in the other, B moves into B2 while A remains fixed. The first part of the
motion is clearly a translation, and the second part is clearly a rotation about A.
Absolute and Relative Velocity in Plane Motion

We have just seen that any plane motion of a rigid body can be replaced
by a translation of an arbitrary reference point A and a simultaneous rotation about
A. We can obtain the absolute velocity v B of a particle B of the rigid body from the
relative velocity formula derived in previous section, as
where the right-hand side represents a vector sum. The velocity v A corresponds to
the translation of the rigid body with A, whereas the relative velocity vB/A is

associated with the rotation of the rigid body about A and is measured with respect
to axes centered at A and of fixed orientation (Fig. 15.15).
As an example, let us again consider rod AB of Fig. 15.13. Assuming that we

know the velocity vA of end A, we propose to find the velocity v B of end B and the
angular velocity v of the rod in terms of the velocity vA, the length l, and the angle
θ. Choosing A as a reference point, the given motion is equivalent to a translation
of A and a simultaneous rotation about A (Fig. 15.16). The absolute velocity of B
therefore must be equal to the vector sum
Note that although we know the direction of v B/A, its magnitude 𝑙𝜔 is unknown.
However, this is compensated for by the fact that the direction of vB is known. We
can therefore complete the vector diagram of Fig. 15.16. Solving for the
magnitudes vB and 𝜔, we obtain

Sample Problem 3
In the engine system shown, the crank AB has a constant clockwise angular velocity
of 2000 rpm. For the crank position shown, determine (a) the angular velocity of the
connecting rod BD, (b) the velocity of the piston P.

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MODULE 5

KINEMATICS OF RIGID BODIES:

In this chapter, we consider the kinematics of rigid bodies. We will investigate

4.a Rotation about a Fixed Axis

Be careful not to confuse rotation with certain

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 1

Rotation about a Fixed Axis

The position both of P and of the entire body is

where denotes the time derivative of 𝜃.

The vector is directed along the axis of rotation. It is called the

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 2

Equations Defining the Rotation of a Rigid Body About a Fixed Axis

Two particular cases of rotation occur frequently:

2. Uniformly Accelerated Rotation. In this case, the angular acceleration is

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 3

4.b General Plane Motion

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 4

Another example of plane motion is shown in Fig. 15.13, which represents a

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 5

Absolute and Relative Velocity in Plane Motion

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 6

As an example, let us again consider rod AB of Fig. 15.13. Assuming that we

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 7

ES 102 – DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES PREPARED BY: ENGR. MARIEL A. DE VERA 8

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