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Chapter 4
Motion in Two Dimensions
4.1 The Position, Velocity, and Acceleration Vectors
4.2 Two-Dimensional Motion with Constant Acceleration
4.3 Projectile Motion
4.4 Analysis Model: Particle in Uniform Circular Motion
4.5 Tangential and Radial Acceleration

4.1 The Position, Velocity, and Acceleration Vectors

In one dimension, a single numerical value describes a particle’s position, but in two
dimensions, we indicate its position by its position vector drawn from the origin of
some coordinate system to the location of the particle in the xy plane as in Figure 4.1.
We now define the displacement vector
for a particle such as the one in Figure 4.1 as
being the difference between its final position
vector and its initial position vector:

We define the average velocity of a particle

during the time interval as the displacement of the
particle divided by the time interval:

The instantaneous velocity is defined as the limit of the

average velocity as approaches zero:

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The average acceleration of a particle is defined as the change in its instantaneous

velocity vector divided by the time interval during which that change occurs:

The instantaneous acceleration is defined as the limiting value of the ratio

as approaches zero:

4.2 Two-Dimensional Motion with Constant Acceleration

motion in two dimensions can be modeled as two independent motions in each of the two
perpendicular directions associated with the x and y axes. That is, any influence in the y
direction does not affect the motion in the x direction and vice versa.
The position vector for a particle moving in the xy plane can be written

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Example 4.1 Motion in a Plane

Solution

Use Equation 4.8 for the velocity vector:

Substitute numerical values with the velocity in meters per second and the time in seconds:

(B) Calculate the velocity and speed of the particle at t = 5.0 s and the angle the velocity vector
makes with the x axis.
Solution
Evaluate the result from Equation (1) at t = 5.0 s:

Determine the angle that makes with the x axis at t = 5.0 s:

Evaluate the speed of the particle as the magnitude of

(C) Determine the x and y coordinates of the particle at any time t and its position vector at this
time.
Solution

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4.3 Projectile Motion

Projectile motion of an object is simple to analyze if we make two assumptions: (1) the free-
fall acceleration is constant over the range of motion and is directed downward, and (2) the
effect of air resistance is negligible. With these assumptions, we find that the path of a
projectile, which we call its trajectory, is always a parabola as shown in Figure 4.7.

Therefore, when solving projectile motion problems, use two analysis models: (1) the
particle under constant velocity in the horizontal direction (Eq. 2.7):

and (2) the particle under constant acceleration in the vertical direction (Eqs. 2.13–2.17 with
x changed to y and ay = –g):

The horizontal and vertical components of a projectile’s motion are completely independent
of each other and can be handled separately, with time t as the common variable for both
components.
Horizontal Range and Maximum Height of a Projectile

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Figure 4.10 illustrates various trajectories for a projectile having a given initial
speed but launched at different angles.

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Example 4.2 The Long Jump

A long jumper (Fig. 4.11) leaves the ground at an angle of 20.0° above the horizontal and
at a speed of 11.0 m/s.
(A) How far does he jump in the horizontal direction?
Solution
Use Equation 4.13 to find the range of the jumper:

(B) What is the maximum height reached?

Solution

Find the maximum height reached by using Equation 4.12:

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Example 4.4
A stone is thrown from the top of a building upward at an angle of 30.0° to the horizontal
with an initial speed of 20.0 m/s as shown in Figure 4.13. The height from which the stone is
thrown is 45.0 m above the ground.
(A) How long does it take the stone to reach the ground?
Solution
Find the initial x and y components of the stone’s velocity:

Express the vertical position of the stone from the particle

under constant acceleration model:
Substitute numerical
values:

Solve the quadratic equation for t:

(B) What is the speed of the stone just before it strikes the ground?
Use the velocity equation in the particle under constant acceleration model to obtain
the y component of the velocity of the stone just before it strikes the ground:

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Substitute numerical values, using t = 4.22 s:

Use this component with the horizontal component vxf = vxi = 17.3 m/s to find the
speed of the stone at t = 4.22 s:

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4.4 Analysis Model: Particle in Uniform Circular Motion

Figure 4.15a shows a car moving in a circular path; we describe this motion by calling it
circular motion. If the car is moving on this path with constant speed v, we call it uniform
circular motion. Because it occurs so often, this type of motion is recognized as an analysis
model called the particle in uniform circular motion.

It is often surprising to students to find that even though an object

moves at a constant speed in a circular path, it still has an
acceleration. To see why, consider the defining equation for
acceleration, (Eq. 4.5). Notice that the acceleration
depends on the change in the velocity. Because velocity is a vector
quantity, an acceleration can occur in two ways as mentioned in
Section 4.1: by a change in the magnitude of the velocity and by a
change in the direction of the velocity. The latter situation occurs for
an object moving with constant speed in a circular path.
The magnitude of the acceleration is:

An acceleration of this nature is called a centripetal acceleration (centripetal means center-

seeking). The subscript on the acceleration symbol reminds us that the acceleration is
centripetal.

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In many situations, it is convenient to describe the motion of a particle moving with constant
speed in a circle of radius r in terms of the period T, which is defined as the time interval
required for one complete revolution of the particle. In the time interval T, the particle moves a
distance of 2pr, which is equal to the circumference of the particle’s circular path. Therefore,
because its speed is equal to the circumference of the circular path divided by the period, or
it follows that:

The period of a particle in uniform circular motion is a measure of the number of seconds
for one revolution of the particle around the circle. The inverse of the period is the rotation
rate and is measured in revolutions per second. Because one full revolution of the particle
around the circle corresponds to an angle of 2 π radians, the product of 2π and the rotation
rate gives the angular speed ω of the particle, measured in radians/s or s-1:

Combining this equation with Equation 4.15, we find a relationship between angular speed and
the translational speed with which the particle travels in the circular path:

We can express the centripetal acceleration of a particle in uniform circular motion in terms of
angular speed by combining Equations 4.14 and 4.17:

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Example 4.6 The Centripetal Acceleration of the Earth

(A) What is the centripetal acceleration of the Earth as it moves in its orbit around the Sun?
Solution
We do not know the orbital speed of the Earth to substitute into Equation 4.14. With the help of
Equation 4.15, however, we can recast Equation 4.14 in terms of the period of the Earth’s orbit,
which we know is one year, and the radius of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, which is

Combine Equations 4.14 and 4.15:

Substitute numerical values:

(B) What is the angular speed of the Earth in its orbit around the Sun?

Substitute numerical values into Equation 4.16:

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4.5 Tangential and Radial Acceleration

Let us consider a more general motion than that presented in Section 4.4. A particle moves
to the right along a curved path, and its velocity changes both in direction and in magnitude
as described in Figure 4.16.
The total acceleration vector can be written as the vector sum of the component vectors:

The tangential acceleration component causes

a change in the speed v of the particle. This
component is parallel to the instantaneous
velocity, and its magnitude is given by

The radial acceleration component arises from

a change in direction of the velocity vector and
is given by

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Example 4.7 Over the Rise

A car leaves a stop sign and exhibits a constant acceleration of 0.300 m/s2 parallel to the
roadway. The car passes over a rise in the roadway such that the top of the rise is shaped like
an arc of a circle of radius 500 m. At the moment the car is at the top of the rise, its velocity
vector is horizontal and has a magnitude of 6.00 m/s. What are the magnitude and direction of
the total acceleration vector for the car at this instant?
Solution

The tangential acceleration vector has magnitude 0.300 m/s2 and is horizontal. The radial
acceleration is given by Equation 4.21, with v = 6.00 m/s and r = 500 m. The radial
acceleration vector is directed straight downward.
Evaluate the radial acceleration:

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1. Suppose the position vector for a particle is given as a function of time 𝑟⃗ 𝑡

= 𝑥⃗ 𝑡 +𝑦⃗ 𝑡 , with 𝑥⃗ 𝑡 = at + b and 𝑦⃗ 𝑡 = 𝑐𝑡 ! + d, where a = 1 m/s, b = 1 m, c =
0.125 𝑚/𝑠 ! , and d = 1 m. (a) Calculate the average velocity during the time interval
from t = 2 s to t = 4 s. (b) Determine the velocity and the speed at t = 2 s.

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2. The vector position of a particle varies in time according to the expression 𝑟⃗ = 3𝚤̂
+ 6𝚥,̂ where 𝑟⃗ is in meters and t is in seconds. (a) Find an expression for the velocity
of the particle as a function of time. (b) Determine the acceleration of the particle as a
function of time. (c) Calculate the particle’s position and velocity at t = 1 s.

3. An astronaut on a strange planet finds that she can jump a maximum horizontal
distance of 15.0 m if her initial speed is 3.00 m/

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4. A projectile is fired in such a way that its horizontal range is equal to three times
its maximum height. What is the angle of projection?

5. Figure represents the total acceleration of a particle moving

clockwise in a circle of radius 2.50 m at a certain instant of time.
For that instant, find (a) the radial acceleration of the particle, (b)
the speed of the particle, and (c) its tangential acceleration.

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