VELOCITY AND ACCELERATION USING CARTESIAN COORDINATES

Suppose at time t a particle is at the point P  x, y  x  sin t  t , y  1  cos t  0  y  2

where dy dy / dt sin t
 
x  f  t  and y  g t  dx dx / dt cos t  1
These are the parametric equations of the path or curve dy
along which it is moving. When y  0,  0, tangent horizontal and t  2 n , n 
Position vector: r  xi  yj dx
dy
Distance from origin: OP  r When y  2,  , tangent vertical and t   2 n  1  , n 
dx
y
dr dx dy
Velocity: v   i j 2
dt dt dt
 v  r  xi  yj
Speed: v  v 1

Where x and y are velocity components in the x- and y-

directions. x

The velocity direction makes an angle,  with the x- π 2π 3π 4π 5π

direction where
y dy
tan   
x dx MOTION WITH POLAR COORDINATES
Direction of motion is that of the velocity and it is
tangential to the curve. Consider a particle at a point with polar coordinates
dv d 2 r d 2 x d 2 y 𝑃(𝑟, 𝜃)
Acceleration: a    i 2 j
dt dt 2 dt 2 dt
 a  r  xi  yj
Distance Travelled, S  Arc length of curve
2
 dy 
In Cartesian Form: S   1    dx
 dx 
2 2
 dx   dy 
In Parametric Form: S        dt
 dt   dt 
Example
A particle moves in the xy-plane so that its acceleration is
given by a    sin ti  cos tj ms 2 . Initially, the particle
is at the origin and moving with velocity  2i  ms1 .
a) Find the parametric equations of the path of the
particle. Hence, sketch the path for 0  t  6 .
b) Find the distance of the particle from the origin at the
end of the first 2 seconds.
c) Show that the distance of the particle from the origin
at the end of the first 2 seconds is  4sin1 m
Solution
v   adt  cos ti  sin tj  c
When t  0, v  2i  c  i
v   cos t  1 i  sin tj
r   vdt  (sin t  t )i  cos tj  c
When t  0, r  0  c  j
r  (sin t  t )i  1  cos t  j