TSU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
At the end of the lesson, you shall be able to:
2
KINEtICS OF PARTICLES:
NEWTONs SECOND LAW OF MOTION
!INTRODUCTION
As introduced earlier, kinetics is a branch of
dynamics that deals with the relationship between the
change in the motion of a body and the forces that
cause such change. The basis for kinetics is Newtons
second law, which can be stated as follows:
!If the resultant force acting on a particle is not zero,
the particle will have an acceleration proportional to
the magnitude of the resultant and in the direction of
this resultant force. (Beer & Johnston, 2001)
! Newtons second law can be verified
experimentally by first considering a particle that is
subjected to a force F1 of constant direction and
constant magnitude F1. By observation, the particle
will move in a straight line and in the same direction as
the force. By determining the position of the particle at
various instants, notice that the acceleration has a
constant magnitude a1. If the experimented is repeated
with forces of different magnitudes F1, F2, etc., the
particle moves along the same direction as the force
acting on it and the accelerations a1, a2, etc. are found
to be proportional to the corresponding forces. Thus,
F F
1 = 2 = = constant
! a1 a2
The constant of proportionality is known as
the mass of the particle, denoted by m. Newtons
second law may then be expressed by the relation
! F = ma (2.1)
!
which denotes that F and a are directly proportional
and that they have the same direction since m is a
positive scalar. When the particle is subjected to
several forces, equation 2-1 is modified and becomes
F = ma (2.2)
where F is the sum (or resultant) of all the forces
acting on the particle.
! to the motion caused by the forces). The equal sign in
ELSFSICANGCO
DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES
1. state and understand Newtons Second Law of
Motion;
2. analyze the accelerated motion of a particle using
equations of motion with different coordinate
systems;
3. understand the concept of dynamic equilibrium; and
4. state Newtons law of universal gravitation.
Observe that when F is zero, it follows that
the acceleration is also zero. If the particle is initially
at rest, it will remain at rest. On the other hand, if it is
moving with a constant velocity, it will maintain that
constant velocity. Recall that this is Newtons first law.
Therefore, the first law is a special case of the second
law (i.e., a = 0) and can actually be omitted from the
fundamental principles of mechanics.
! Using SI Units, the unit of force is called the
Newton (N) which is a derived unit and is defined as
the force which gives an acceleration of 1 m/s2 to a
mass of 1 kg. Thus, from Eq. 2.1,
!
!
1 N = (1 kg)(1 m/s2) = 1 kg-m/s2
Using the foot-pound-second system, force is
expressed in pound (or pound-force, lb), while mass is
expressed in slug and acceleration in ft/s2.
! The weight W of a body, which is a force of
gravity exerted on the body, is also expressed in
newtons. Since the acceleration of the body subjected
to its own weight is equal to the acceleration due to
gravity g, the weight of the body may be written, in
terms of Newtons second law, as
! W = mg (2.3)
!EQUATIONS OF MOTION !
! Consider a particle acted upon by two forces
F1 and F2 (Figure 2.1). Assuming that the resultant is
not zero, the direction of the corresponding
acceleration will be the same as the direction of the
resultant of the forces.
!The figure on the left represents the free body diagram
(FBD) of the particle, while the figure on the right is
called the kinetic diagram which graphically shows the
magnitude and direction of the vector ma (also pertains
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TSU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES

between represents the graphical equivalency of the For systems involving two or more bodies,
two diagrams. equations of motion shall be written for each of the
! bodies. Take note that all accelerations shall be
measured from the same fixed reference frame.
!!
DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM
Newtons second law may also be written
alternatively as
" ! F ma = 0 (2.9)
Figure 2.1
! !which suggests that adding a vector ma to the forces
For convenience, solving problems involving
the motion of a particle may be done by replacing Eq. acting on the particle results to a system of vectors
2.2 by equivalent equations involving scalar quantities. equivalent to zero. The vector ma, of magnitude ma
!! and direction opposite to that of the acceleration, is
called an inertia vector. Under the given set of forces
RECTANGULAR COMPONENTS and inertia vector, the particle is said to be in dynamic
equilibrium.
In terms of rectangular components, Eq. 2.2
may be written as !Inertia vectors are often called inertia forces, although
! (Fxi + Fyj + Fzk) = m(axi + ayj + azk) they are not forces like contact or gravitational forces
that were considered in statics, but they are said to
and have the same effect as gravitational forces, as in the
case of a man riding an elevator that is accelerating
upward.
Fx = max Fy = may
! Fz = maz (2.4)
!
!NEWTONS LAW OF GRAVITATION
!NORMAL AND TANGENTIAL COMPONENTS
The two scalar equations that represent the Shortly after postulating the three laws of
normal and tangential components of the forces and motion, Newton postulated the law of gravitational
acceleration are as follows: attraction (or law of universal gravitation) which states
! that two particles of masses M and m at a distance r
from each other attract each other with equal and
!Substituting theFcorresponding
= ma
n F = ma
n t (2.5)
t

expressions for a and

opposite forces F and F directed along the line joining
them. In mathematical terms, this law can be expressed
n
as
at that were obtained in the previous lesson, the
following equations are obtained: ! Mm
F = G (2.10)
v2 dv
!! 2
r
Fn = m (2.6) Ft = m
!! dt where G is called the constant of gravitation. The value
of G which was obtained experimentally is (66.73 +
!RADIAL AND TRANSVERSE COMPONENTS 0.03) x 10-12 m3/kgs2. Gravitational forces exist
between any pair of bodies, but the effect is only
Resolving the forces and the acceleration into appreciable when one body has a significantly larger
radial and transverse components, the following scalar mass.
equations are obtained: !
! F = ma F = ma (2.7)
For an object located on or near the surface of
the earth, the gravitational force that the earth exerts
!Recalling the corresponding
r r

expressions for a and a ,

on the object is equal to the weight W of the body.
!Replacing F in Eq. 2.10 with W, one obtains
r
Eq. 2.7 may be written as

!
.. .
Fr = m(r r2)
.. (2.8)
! W = mg = m GM or g = GM
.. (2.11)
F = m(r + 2r)
! ! R 2 R 2

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TSU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES

where M is the mass of the earth and R is the distance + F = 0

from the center of the earth. The value of R varies with N1 WB sin 60 = 0
the point selected on the surface, therefore, W and g N1 = 5 x 9.81 x sin 60
will also vary with the altitude and latitude of the point N1 = 42.48 N
considered.
! !+ F = mBaB
Eq. 2.10 can be simplified if the product GM WB cos 60 F1 = mBaB
in Eq. 2.11 is replaced with the product gR2, where g = (5 x 9.81 x cos 60) (0.10 x 42.48) = 5aB
9.81m/s2 and R = 6.37 x 106 m.
! !A positive value of a means that the assumed
B
aB = 4.06 m/s2

direction of motion was correct.

EXAMPLES ! Block A is also assumed to move down with
!2.1. The coefficients of friction between block B and respect to the fixed plane. Thus, the frictional force F2
between A and the plane is directed upward. Again,
motion of A will only be parallel to the plane. The
block A are s = 0.12 and k = 0.10 and the coefficients
FBD and kinetic diagrams are as follows:
of friction between block A and the incline are s =
0.24 and k = 0.20. The masses of block A and block B
!
are 10 kg and 5 kg, respectively. Knowing that the
system is released from rest in the position shown,
determine (a) the acceleration of A, (b) the velocity of
B relative to A at t = 0.5 s.
!

"

+ F = 0
!
" N2 N1 WA sin 60 = 0
! N2 = 42.48 + (10 x 9.81 x sin 60)
N2 = 127.44 N
Solution:
(a) Acceleration of A ! F = mAaA
Based on the number of unknown forces, block B +
should be analyzed first. The FBD and kinetic F1 F2 + WA cos 60 = mAaA
diagrams for block B are as follows: (0.10 x 42.48) (0.20 x 127.44) +
! !
(10 x 9.81 x cos 60) = 10aA

aA = 2.78 m/s2
!
(b) Relative velocity of B with respect to A
!At t = 0.5 s,
"
!v = a t = 4.06 x 0.5 = 2.03 m/s
Block B is assumed to move downward with respect to
A, therefore, the frictional force F is directed upward.
!v = a t = 2.78 x 0.5 = 1.39 m/s
B B

When the system starts to move,

! !v = v v = 2.03 1.39
A A

!Motion of the blockF is= parallel

1 N = 0.10N
k 1 1 !
B/A B A

to the ramp, hence, vB/A = 0.64 m/s

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TSU COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DYNAMICS OF RIGID BODIES

2-2. A 2-kg ball revolves in a horizontal circle as +F = ma

shown at a constant speed of 1.5 m/s. Knowing that L T sin = ma
= 600 mm, determine (a) the angle that the cord
forms with the vertical, (b) the tension in the cord. mg v2
!! sin = m
cos L sin

!! v2 =
tan sin =
gL
1.52 = 0.3824
9.81(0.6)
!! !By trial and error, = 34.2
!! !(b) Tension T
!! 2(9.81)
!! T = = 23.72 N
!!
cos 34.2

!! 2-3. The motion of a 4-kg block B in a horizontal plane

is defined by the relations r = 3t2 t3 and = 2t2, where
Solution: r is expressed in meters, t in seconds, and in radians.
Take note that the ball moves along a circular path of Determine the radial and transverse components of the
force exerted on the block when (a) t = 1 s.
radius
= Lsin
!
Solution:
! Use radial and transverse components of acceleration
Draw the FBD and kinetic diagram of the figure: at t = 1 s:
!! T
r = 3t2 t3 = 3(12) 13 = 2 m
.
r = 6t 3t2 = 6(1) 3(12) = 3 m/s
!T ! ..
r = 6 6t = 6 6(1) = 0
= 2t2 = 2(12) = 2 rad
!! !
!
=
ma .
= 4t = 4(1) = 4 rad/s
..
! !
= 4 rad/s2

!! !
W Therefore,
!
(a) Angle
Fr = mar = 4(32) = 128 N

Since the speed of the ball is constant, it only moves

with an acceleration that is directed towards the F = ma = 4(32) = 128 N
circular path, hence, !
v2 =
a= v2 !
References/Sources

Ferdinand Beer and Russell Johnston, Jr., Vector Mechanics for

L sin
! Engineers Dynamics, 3rd SI Metric Edition. Singapore:Mc-Graw

Solve for T: !
Hill

Russell Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics Dynamics, 12th Edition.

+F = 0
T cos W = 0 !
New Jersey:Prentice Hall

W mg
T = =
!
! cos cos !
Sum horizontal forces, replacing T and a with the
expressions obtained above, and solve for :

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