MOTION IN PLANE

Scalar quantity
A scalar quantity is a quantity with magnitude only.
Ex: distance between two points, mass of an object, temperature of a body
Vector quantity
A vector quantity is a quantity that has both a magnitude and a direction and
obeys the triangle law of addition or equivalently the parallelogram law of
addition.
Example: displacement, velocity, acceleration and force
Types of vectors
Vectors can be equal vectors, unequal vectors, parallel vectors, anti-
parallel vectors, collinear vectors, coplanar vectors, concurrent
vectors, zero vectors and unit vectors.
1. Equal vectors are defined as two or more vectors that have the same
magnitude and the same direction. This implies that vector A is said to be
an equal vector to vector B if they have the same length and are pointing in
the same direction.
2. Vectors that lie along the same line or parallel lines are known to be
collinear vectors. They are also known as parallel or anti-parallel vectors.
3. Parallel vectors: Parallel vectors are those vectors that are in the same
direction, and they always have the same angle with the horizontal or
vertical axis, but they may vary in terms of magnitude.
4. Coplanar vectors are the vectors which lie on the same plane, in a three-
dimensional space. These are vectors which are parallel to the same plane.
5. Concurrent vectors are those types of vectors that pass through the same
point.

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POSITION AND DISPLACEMENT VECTORS

Let P and P′ be the positions of the object at time t and t′, respectively.
Here, OP and OP’ represents the position vectors.
The length of the vector r represents the magnitude of the vector and the
arrow shows its direction.
If the object moves from P to P′, the vector PP′ (with tail at P and tip at P′) is
called the displacement vector.

EQUALITY OF VECTORS: Two vectors A and B are said to be equal if,

they have the same magnitude and the same direction.

NULL VECTOR (0)

A vector whose magnitude is zero is called a null vector.
Since the magnitude of a null vector is zero, its direction cannot be
specified.
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The main properties of 0 are: A + 0 = A
λ 0 = 0, λ is any real number
0A=0

UNIT VECTORS: A unit vector is a vector of unit magnitude and points in

a particular direction. It has no dimension and unit. It is used to specify
direction.
Unit vectors along the x, y and z axes of a rectangular coordinate system
are denoted by 𝑖̂, 𝑗 and 𝑘̂, respectively, as shown in figure.
Since these are unit vectors, we have l 𝑖̂ l = l 𝑗 l = l 𝑘̂ l=1

MULTIPLICATION OF VECTORS BY REAL NUMBERS

If A is multiplied by 2, the resultant vector 2A is in the same direction as
A and has a magnitude twice of |A| as shown in Figure (a)

(a)
Multiplying a given vector A by negative numbers, say -1 and -1.5, gives
vectors as shown in Figure (b).

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ADDITION AND SUBTRACTION OF VECTORS: GRAPHICAL METHOD
1. Triangular method (head to tail method)
Consider two vectors A and B that lie in a plane as shown in Fig (a).

(c) (d)
To find the sum A + B, we place vector B so that its tail is at the head of the
vector A, as in Figure (b).
Then, we join the tail of A to the head of B.
This line OQ represents a vector R, that is, the sum of the vectors A and B.
In this procedure of vector addition, vectors are arranged head to tail, this
graphical method is called the head-to-tail method.
The two vectors and their resultant form three sides of a triangle, so this
method is also known as triangle method of vector addition.

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If we find the resultant of B + A as in Figure (c), the same vector R is
obtained. Thus, vector addition is commutative: A + B = B + A

Addition of vectors also obeys the associative law as illustrated in Figure(d).

The result of adding vectors A and B first and then adding vector C is the
same as the result of adding B and C first and then adding vector A.
(A + B) + C = A + (B + C)

SUBTRACTION OF VECTORS: We define the difference of two vectors A

and B as the sum of two vectors A and -B
A - B = A + (-B)

PARALLELOGRAM METHOD TO FIND THE SUM OF TWO VECTORS

Parallelogram Law of Vectors: If two vectors acting at a point are
represented in magnitude and direction by the two adjacent sides of a
parallelogram drawn from a point, then their resultant is represented in
magnitude and direction by the diagonal of the parallelogram drawn from
the same point.

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The magnitude of the resultant is given by the equation,

The direction is given by,

Example 4.2: Find the magnitude and direction of the resultant of two
vectors A and B in terms of their magnitudes and angle θ between them.

This equation gives the magnitude of resultant vector, and is

known as Law of cosines

This equation gives the direction of the resultant vector

VELOCITY
Average velocity (𝐯̅ ) of an object is the ratio of the displacement and the
corresponding time interval:

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Average velocity, 𝐯̅= Δr/Δt

Direction of average velocity is same as dr (refer fig 4.13)

Instantaneous velocity is given by the limiting value of the average
velocity as the time interval approaches zero. It is the velocity at any instant
of time.

ACCELERATION
Average acceleration of an object for a time interval Δt moving in x-y plane
is the change in velocity divided by the time interval:
⃑ =Δv/Δt
Average acceleration 𝒂

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Direction of average acceleration is same as dv (refer fig 4.15)
Instantaneous acceleration is the limiting value of the average
acceleration as the time interval approaches zero:

In one dimension, the velocity and the acceleration of an object are

always along the same straight line (either in the same direction or in
the opposite direction).
For motion in two or three dimensions, velocity and acceleration
vectors may have any angle between 0°and 180°between them.
Numerical based on :

a=dr/dt
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a=dv/dt

Example 4.3
A motorboat is racing towards north at 25 km/h and the water current in that
region is 10 km/h in the direction of 60° east of south. Find the resultant
velocity of the boat.

R=22 km/h
φ ≅ 23.40

Example 4.4
The position of a particle is given by 𝑟⃗= 3t𝑖̂+2 t2𝑗+5𝑘̂̂ here t is in seconds
and the coefficients have the proper units for r to be in metres. (a) Find v(t)
and a(t) of the particle.
(b) Find the magnitude and direction of v(t) at t = 1.0 s.

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Example 4.5
A particle starts from origin at t = 0 with a velocity 5.0 î m/s and moves in x-y
plane under action of a force which produces a constant acceleration of (3 0
2 0 . i + . j) $ m/s 2 . (a) What is the y-coordinate of the particle at the instant
its x-coordinate is 84 m ? (b) What is the speed of the particle at this time?

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PROJECTILE MOTION
An object that is in flight after being thrown or projected is called a projectile.
The path followed by a projectile is called its trajectory.

After the object has been projected, the acceleration acting on it is that
due to gravity which is directed vertically downward.

Q. Prove that the path followed by a projectile is parabolic in nature.

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This shows that the path of a projectile with some initial velocity u
making an angle θ is parabolic

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Time of flight

Maximum height of a projectile

Horizontal range of a projectile

UNIFORM CIRCULAR MOTION: When an object follows a circular path at

a constant speed, the motion of the object is called uniform circular motion.
Suppose an object is moving with uniform speed v in a circle of radius R.
Since the velocity of the object is changing continuously in direction, the
object undergoes acceleration.
Let r and r′ be the position vectors and v and v′ the velocities of the object
when it is at point P and P ′ as shown in Figure.

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Let the angle between position vector r and r’ be ∆θ.
Since the velocity vector is always perpendicular to position vector, angle
between them is also ∆θ.
So ∆ CPP’ formed by the position vectors and ∆GHI formed by the velocity
vectors are v,v’ and ∆v similar .

Since v and R, are constant, the magnitude of the centripetal acceleration is

also constant. However, the direction changes: pointing always towards the
centre. Therefore, a centripetal acceleration is not a constant vector.

Define the following terms related to uniform circular motion:

1. Angular displacement (θ) =arc length/ radius = s/R
SI unit is radian(rad)
No Dimensions
2. Angular velocity (ω) = ∆θ/ ∆t
SI unit: rad/s

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Dimensions: [T-1]
3. Obtain the relation between linear
velocity and angular velocity (v and
ω) .
If the distance travelled by the object during time ∆t is ∆s

4. Time period and Frequency

The time taken by the object to make one
revolution is known as its time period. SI unit is
second.
Dimension: [T]
5. Frequency
The number of revolutions made in one second.
Frequency= 1/T
SI unit: hertz
Dimension: [T-1]
6. Angular frequency, ω=2π/T or 2πγ
SI unit: rad/s
Dimensions: [T-1]
7. Centripetal acceleration, ac=v2/r
But, v=rω
Therefore, ac=(rω)2/r= rω2

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