Tangential and normal components of acceleration - suggested problems -

solutions

P1: The position of an object is given by r(t) =< et, t4, t3 + 2 > m. Find the velocity and acceleration
functions, evaluate at t = 0, and use them to compute the tangential and normal components of
acceleration, aT and aN at t = 0.

Then, go into MVT’s “Vector valued function” application (the TNB frames app). Plot r(t), and
show the tangent, normal, and binormal vectors on the plot. Print, and indicate on the plot how
the vectors fit. This problem at t = 0 shows something of a special case.

Do it again at t = .5. For this one, I used SciLab to do the calculations - you might want to give
it a try (I’ll attach it with the solutions). Indicate how aT and aN relate to the vectors on the graph.

r(t) =< et, t4, t3 + 2 > at t = 0

Get all the pieces...

v(t) =< et , 4t3, 3t2 >
a(t) =< et , 12t2 , 6t >

At this point, you’ve done differentiations, and you can evaluate:

r(0) =< 1, 0, 2 >

v(0) =< 1, 0, 0 >

a(0) =< 1, 0, 0 >

Note, you can predict where this one’s going without calculations!

We know v is tangential and a = v

So all the acceleration should be tangential, with aT = 1, an = 0.

Let’s see why it works out...

a(0) · v(0)√= 1 + 0 + 0 = 1
||v(0)|| = 1 + 0 + 0 = 1
and
aT = a · v = 11 = 1
||v||
 
i j k 


a(0) × v(0) = 1 0 0  = < 0, 0, 0 >
 

1 0 0 
 

 ||a(0) × v(0)|| = 0

||a(0) × v(0)||
aN = =0
||v(0)||

(graph attached)

P2: The position of an object is given by r(t) =< 2 cos t, 3 sin t > m

(a) Find r(0), v(0), a(0), and compute aT from aT = a · v .

||v||
(b) Go back to your expression for v(t) (not v(0)) and compute the speed function, ||v(t)||. Obtain
aT as a function of t; by definition, aT = d [ ||v(t)|| ]. Evaluate the function at t = 0 (your
dt
answer should match what you got in part (a)).
q
(c) Solve for aN at t = 0, using aN = ||a||2 − (aT )2 .
(d) Now, try this. I’ve said that while it’s simple to compute the components, computing the
direction vectors is a pain; in particular, there’s no “nice” way to get N. Here is a slightly
“nicer” way to get N(0) for this problem, without going through all the differentiating and
normalizing algebra:
∗ You have the vector a(0).
∗ You can quickly get the vector T(0), since you have v(0) and ||v(0)||.
∗ You have aT and aN .
∗ You know that a = aT T + aN N. What’s the only unknown in that equation? Why, the
vector N! Solve for it using basic vector algebra.
∗ And express a as the linear combination a = aT T + aNN.
This will work both for N-at-a-point, and N-as-a-function-of-t; although doing the calculations
with functions of t does involve some algebraic mess, it’s still usually an improvement over
getting T0 (t) and normalizing.
(e) Finally, plot in MVT as in problem 1.

r(t) =< 2 cos t, 3 sin t > t = 0 v(t) =< −2 sin t, 3 cos t >
a(t) =< −2 cos t, −3 sin t >

a) At t = 0
r(0) =< 2, 0 >
v(0) =< 0, 3 >
a(0) =< −2, 0 >

a(0) · v(0) = 0
||v(0)|| = 3

aT = a · v = 03 = 0
||v||
 √
b) ||v(t)|| = 4 sin2 t + 9 cos2 t (note, you can’t do much with this- coefficients aren’t equal)

d ||v(t)|| = d (4(sin t)2 + 9(cos t)2 ) 12

dt dt
1 2 1
= 2 (4 sin t + 9 cos2 t)− 2 (8(sin t)(cos t) + 18(cos t)(− sin t))
= √−10 2cos t sin t 2
2 4 sin t + 9 cos t

evaluated at t = 0, 
d √−10 cos 0 sin 0
dt ||v(t)|| t=0 = 2 4 sin2 0 + 9 cos2 0 = 0

c) aT at t = 0 = 0
and ||a(0)||q= || < −2, 0 > || = 2
so aN = ||a||2 − (aT )2 gives
√
aN = 4 − 0 = 2

(this is saying that all acceleration at this moment in time is centripetal)

d) since a = aTT + aNN

we have < −2, 0 >= 0T + 2N

this tells us < −2, 0 >=< 0, 0 > +2 < n1, n2 >

2 < n1 , n2 >= 2 < −1, 0 >
and N must be < −1, 0 >
(we can get T from v = 13 < 0, 3 >=< 0, 1 >)
||v||

so, expressed as a = aT T + aNN, we have

a(0) = 0 < 0, 1 > +2 < −1, 0 >

* This can, in general, be used as a way to get N without the hassle of differentiating-
• compute a(t) and ||a(t)|| (and evealuate)
• compute aT from the dot product formula
• compute aN from the Pythagorean theorem
• compute T from v
||v||
• you now have a, aT , T, aN. The only thing missing is N.
Set up a = aT T + aNN and solve for N.

So this would be the ”easy” way-

It’s still pretty involved, but it dodges the worst of the algebra.

e) Plot attached.