Phys101 Lecture 4

Relative Motion

Key point:
Vector relationship among the absolute velocity,
relative velocity and the velocity of the moving
reference frame.

Reference: 3-9

Page 1
Displacement of the Displacement of the Displacement of the
object measured object measured in a moving reference
using a coordinate coordinate system frame measured
system fixed on the attached to a moving using a coordinate
ground. reference frame. system fixed on the
ground.
For velocity relationship,

eq (1)
, and let t  0. We get
t
  
vMG  vMT  vTG
i.e.,
absolute velocity  relative velocity  velocity of moving reference

Vector sum!

Similarly, for accelerati on,

  
aMG  aMT  aTG
 A Boat in a River

If a man is walking on the boat,

  
vMS  vMB  vBS
   
vMS  vMB  vBW  vWS


vBW is the velocity of the boat relative to water,

vBS is the velocity of the boat relative to the shore,

vWS is the velocity of water relative to the shore,

vMB is the velocity of the man relative to the boat,

vMS is the velocity of the man relative to the shore. Page 5
Example 3-14: Heading upstream. y
A boat’s speed in still water is
vBW = 1.85 m/s. If the boat is to
travel directly across a river
whose current has speed vWS
= 1.20 m/s, at what upstream
angle must the boat head?

x - component:
x
0  vBW sin   vWS
vWS
sin  
vBW
vWS The x-component of vBW
1 1.20
  sin 1
 sin  40.4 cancels vWS.
vBW 1.85
Example 3-15: Heading across the river.
y
The same boat (vBW = 1.85
m/s) now heads directly
across the river whose
current is still 1.20 m/s.
What is the velocity
(magnitude and direction) of
the boat relative to the
shore?

x
It' s a right triangle,
vBS  vBW  vWS  1.852  1.20 2  2.21m / s
2 2

vWS 1.20
  tan 1  tan 1  33.0
vBW 1.85
 Next: Dynamics
Key concept/method:
Free body diagram

Ref: Chapter 4 – the whole chapter.