Kinematics

By Dr Vipan Goyal
 Kinematics

Kinematics is branch of mechanics

which deals with the study of
motion of the objects without
taking into account the cause of
their motion.
 Rest and Motion
• An object is said to be at rest if it does not change its position
which respect to its surroundings with time and said to be in
motion if it changes its position with respect to its
surrounding with time.
• Rectilinear or Translatory motion : When a body moves along
a straight path e.g. moving car on horizontal road, motion
under gravity etc.
• Angular motion such as particle going on a circle, projectile
motion, rotation of machine shaft etc.
 Rest and Motion
• Rotational motion or circular motion such as motion of a fan.
• Circular motion : When a body moves in a circular path.
• Rotatory motion : When a body spins about its own axis. e.g. Car Tyre
• It an object travels equal distances in equal intervals of time, then it is said
to be in uniform motion. ( 1 min- 1 m)
• It an object travels unequal distances in equal intervals of time, then it is
said to be in non-uniform motion.
• Oscillatory and vibratory motion :When a body moves to and fro or back
and forth repeatedly a fixed point in a definite interval of time, it is said to
be in oscillatory motion.
• Amplitude : The extent to which the body moves on either side of a fixed
point.
• Vibratory motion : The oscillatory motion, where the amplitude is very
small.
 One, Two and Three Dimensional Motion

• 1-D Motion (motion in a line) : when position of an object changes only

along one axis.
• 2-D Motion (Motion in a plane) : When position of an object changes
along any two axis. e.g. motion of a planet around a sun.
• 3-D Motion (Motion in a space) : When position of an object changes in all
3 axes.
 Speed
• The distance covered by a moving body in a unit time interval is called its
speed.
• Speed = Distance travelled/ Time taken
• When a body travels equal distances with speed 𝑣1 and 𝑣2, then average
speed is the harmonic mean of the two speeds.
2/v = 1/v1 + 1/v2 = v = 2v1v2 / v1+v2
• When a body travels for equal times with speeds 𝑣1 and 𝑣2, then average
speed is the arithmetic mean of the two speeds.
v= v1+v2/ 2
 Velocity
• The time rate of change of displacement (initial and final position i.e.
direction) of a body is called its velocity.
• Velocity = Displacement/ Time
• Displacement is also smaller than Distance but equal only in straight.
• An object is said to be moving with uniform velocity if it undergoes equal
displacements in equal intervals of time.
• An object is said to be moving with non-uniform or variable velocity if it
undergoes unequal displacement in equal intervals of time.
• Average velocity = Time displacement / Total time taken
• Average velocity : Vavg = (u+v)/2
• Relative velocity :
• = Va + Vb ( if two bodies a and b travel in opposite direction)
• = Va - Vb ( if two bodies a and b travel in same direction)
 Acceleration
• The time rate of change of velocity of a body is called its acceleration.
• Acceleration = Change in velocity / Time taken
• It is a vector quantity and its SI unit is 𝑚/𝑠2.
• Acceleration at an instant of time is known as instantaneous acceleration.
• When the velocity of a body increases with time, then its acceleration is
positive and if velocity decreases with time, then its acceleration is
negative called deceleration or retardation.
• If acceleration does not change with time, it is said to be constant
acceleration.
 Equations of Motions
• If a body started its motion with initial velocity u and attains final velocity
v in the interval t. The acceleration assumed to be uniform in motion is a
and the distance travelled is s, then equations of motion:
𝑣 = 𝑢 + 𝑎𝑡
𝑠 = 𝑢𝑡 + ½ 𝑎𝑡2
𝑣2 = 𝑢2 + 2𝑎𝑠
• If any body is falling freely under gravity, then a is replaced by g in above
equations.
• If an object is thrown vertically upward, then in above equations of motion
a is replaced by (–g).
• A time period (denoted by 'T' ) is
the time taken for one complete cycle of
vibration to pass a given point.
• As the frequency of a wave increases,
the time period of the wave decreases.
The unit for time period is 'seconds‘.

• Frequency is the number of occurrences

of a repeating event per unit of time.
• Angular displacement : The angular
displacement is defined as the angle through
which an object moves on a circular path.
• It is the angle, in radians, between the initial
and final positions. (θf - θi)
• Angular displacement. θ = s/r
• SI unit is radian.
• Angular velocity : rate of change of angular
position of a rotating body.
• ω = dθ / dt
• Unit = radian/sec
• Angular acceleration, also called rotational acceleration, is a quantitative
expression of the change in angular velocity that a spinning object
undergoes per unit time.
• SI unit is radian/sec2
 Projectile Motion
• When a body is thrown from horizontal making an angle (θ) except 90°,
then its motion under gravity is a curved parabolic path, called trajectory
and its motion is called projectile motion.
• Examples:
 The motion of a bullet shot from the gun
 The motion of a rocket after burn-out
 The motion of a bomb dropped from a aeroplane etc. (half projectile)
 Projectile Motion
• Properties of Projectile Motion
• If we drop a ball from a height and at the same time thrown another ball
in a horizontal direction, then both the balls would strike the earth
simultaneously at different places. ( Accelaration due to gravity is same)
 Circular Motion
• The motion of an object along a circular path is called circular motion.
• Circular motion with a constant speed is called uniform circular motion.
• The direction of motion at any point in circular motion is given by the
tangent to the circle at that point.
• In uniform circular motion, the velocity and acceleration both changes.
• In case of non-uniform circular motion, the speed changes from point to
point on the circular track.
• Centripetal Acceleration
 During circular motion an acceleration acts on the body towards the
centre, called centripetal acceleration. The direction of centripetal
acceleration is always towards the centre of the circular path. E.g.
Tornoadoes ( centre low pressure outer high pressure)
• Force
 It is an external push or pull with can change or tries to change the state of
rest or of uniform motion.
 SI unit is newton (N) and CGS unit is dyne. 1 N = 105 dyne.
 If sum of all the forces acting on a body is zero, then body is said to be in
equilibrium.
• Centripetal Force
 During circular motion a force always acts on the body towards the
centre of the circular path, called centripetal force.
 F=mv2/r=mω2r.
• Centrifugal Force
 In circular motion we experience that a force is acting on us in
opposite to the direction of centripetal force called centrifugal force.
This is an apparent force or imaginary force and also called a pseudo
force.
 Applications of centripetal and centrifugal forces
• Cyclist inclined itself from vertical to obtain required centripetal force. To
take a safe turn cyclist slower down his speed and moves on a path of
larger radius.

• Roads are banked at turns to provide required centripetal force for taking
a turn.

• For taking turn on a curved road, the frictional force is acting between the
tyres of the vehicle and the road acts as centripetal force.
 Applications of centripetal and centrifugal forces

• If a bucket containing water is revolved fast in a vertical plane, the water

may not fall even when bucket is completely inverted because a
centrifugal force equal or greater than the weight of water pushes the
water to the bottom of the bucket.

• For orbital motion of electrons around the nucleus electrostatic force of

attraction is acting between the electrons and the nucleus as centripetal
force.
 Applications of centripetal and centrifugal forces

• Cream is separated from milk when it is rotated in a vessel about the same
axis. During rotation lighter particles of cream experience a lesser force
than the heavier particles of milk.

• For revolution of the earth around the sun, gravitational force of attraction
between the earth and the sun acts as centripetal force.
Thank You