Space curvilinear motion

Hiroki Okubo

3 Cylindrical coordinates (r-

R

-z)
e
z
eR The cylindrical coordinates add the z-coordinate to
e
P the polar-coordinate description of plane motion.
The unit vectors, er and e , are expressed as

R z
er = cos i + sin j (4)
k
k y e = sin i + cos j (5)
j
e We differentiate the expressions of the unit vectors.
r
O er
er = ( sin i + cos j)
= e (6)
i
x e = (cos i + sin j)
= er (7)
Figure 1: Three coordinates
The position vector R to the particle for cylindrical
coordinates is
1 Introduction R = rer + zk (8)

Three coordinate systems, rectangular (x-y-z), We can write the velocity as

cylindrical (r--z), and spherical (R--), are com-
monly used to describe three-dimensional motion v = rer + rer + zk
of a particle as shown in Fig. 1. These systems = rer + re + zk (9)
have unit vectors for the three coordinate system.
where

2 Rectangular coordinates (x- vr = r (10)

v = r (11)
y-z)
vz = z (12)
q
In Fig. 1, the position vector R , the velocity v, v = vr2 + v2 + vz2 (13)
and the acceleration a are
The acceleration can be described as
R = xi + yj + zk (1)
v = R = xi + yj + zk (2) a = rer + rer + re + re + re + zk
a = v = R = xi + yj + zk (3) = (r r2 )er + (r + 2r)e + zk (14)

1
where where
ar = r r2 (15) vR = R (32)
1 d 2 v = R cos (33)
a = r + 2r = (r ) (16)
r dt
v = R (34)
az = z (17)
q
a = a2r + a2 + a2z (18)
a = ReR + ReR + R cos e + R cos e
R sin e + R cos e + Re
4 Spherical coordinates (R-- +Re + Re
) = (R R2 R2 cos2 )eR
Spherical coordinates R, , are useful when a ra- +(R cos + 2R cos 2R sin )e
dial distance and two angles are utilized to specify +(R + 2R + R2 cos sin )e (35)
the position of a particle. We designate unit vectors
eR , e , e as shown in Fig. 1. The unit vectors where
can be expressed as
aR = R R2 R2 cos2 (36)
eR = cos er + sin k (19) a = R cos + 2R cos 2R sin
= cos cos i + sin cos j + sin k (20) cos d 2
= (R ) 2R sin (37)
e = sin i + cos j (21) R dt
e = sin er + cos k (22) a = R + 2R + R2 cos sin
= cos sin i sin sin j + cos k 1 d 2
= (R ) + R2 cos sin (38)
(23) R dt

We differentiate the unit vectors. References

eR = ( sin cos cos sin )i
[1] J. L. Meriam and L. G. Kraige, (2001), Engi-
+( cos cos sin sin )j neering Mechanics, Volume 2, Dynamics, 5th
+ cos k (24) edition, Wiley
= cos e + e (25)

e = (cos i + sin j) (26)

= (cos eR sin e ) (27)

e = ( cos cos cos cos )i

+( cos sin sin cos )j
sin k (28)
= eR sin e (29)
The position vector R is
R = ReR (30)
The expressions for v and a are
v = ReR + ReR
= ReR + R cos e + Re (31)