Physics 170 - MechanicsLecture 9
Relative Motion
Vector Motion withConstant Acceleration
Position as a function of time:
Velocity as a function of time:
QuestionWhich of the blue position vs.time graphs goes with this greenvelocity vs. time graph? Theparticle’s position at ti = 0 s isxi = −10 m.
Relative Motion The speed of the passenger with respect to the ground depends on the relative directions of the passenger’s and train’s speeds:
vgnd = 16.2 m/s vgnd = 13.8 m/s
Relative MotionThis also works in two dimensions:
Observer on ground: sees the sum of two motions one horizontal and one vertical
Example: Galilean Relativity
Observer in the moving frame system: sees only a vertical motion
Observer on ground: sees the sum of two motions one horizontal and one vertical
N.B. Without air resistance!
Relative Motion
Definition: An Inertial Reference Frame is any coordinate system (or frame of reference) that is either at rest or moving in some direction with a constant velocity.Example: a train or airplane moving forward with a constant speed.
Relative Motion
Amy, Bill, and Carlos all measure the velocity of the runner and the acceleration of the jet plane. The green velocity vectors are shown in Amy’s reference frame. What is the runner’s velocity? It depends on the frame of the observer.Amy: vR = 5 m/sBill: vR = 0 m/sCarlos: vR =−10 m/s
What about aplane?
Relative Position The position depends on the frame. A set of position observations in one frame can be transformed to get equivalent observations in another frame.
Relative Velocity
A
z
x
y
B y’
z’
x’
vAB
vpA
The velocity also depends on the frame. A set of velocity observations in one frame can be transformed to get equivalent observations in another frame.
Example: Crossing a River You are riding in a boat with a speed relative to the water of vbw = 6.1 m/s. The boat points at an angle of θ = 25° upstream on a river flowing at vwg = 1.4 m/s.
(a) What is your speed vbg and angle θbg
relative to the ground?
An “inertial frame” is defined to be any reference frame that is at rest or moving with a constant velocity.Consider how the acceleration transforms from frame S to frame S’, an inertial frame that is moving with constant velocity V relative to S. Velocities add, so
Galilean Relativity
Galilean Relativity: While position and velocity are frame-dependent, acceleration is observed to be the same in all inertial reference frames.