Motion in a plane
Important formulas and concepts directly from the NCERT-
➢ A vector quantity has both a magnitude and a direction and obeys the triangle
law of addition or parallelogram law of addition.
➢ The magnitude of displacement is either less or equal to the path length of an
object b/w two points.
➢ For motion in two or three dimensions, velocity and acceleration vectors may
have any angle b/w 0 o to 180 o.
➢ Motion in a plane (two dimensions) can be treated as two separate simultaneous
one-dimensional motions with constant acceleration along two perpendicular
directions.
❖ Projectile motion-
➢ An object that is in flight after being thrown or projected is called a projectile.
➢ This motion is a result of two separate components of motion.
➢ One component is along a horizontal direction without any acceleration and the
other along the vertical direction with constant acceleration due to the force of
gravity.
➢ The components of initial velocity,
Horizontal, vx = vcosθ
Vertical, vy = vsinθ
➢ The components of velocity at time t,
Horizontal, vx = vcosθ
Vertical, vy = vsinθ – gt
➢ Positions at time t,
Horizontal, x = (vx)t = (vcosθ)t
Vertical, y = (v y)t = (vsinθ )t – 1/2gt2
o Equation of path of projectile-
➢ y = xtanθ (1-x/R)
or y = xtanθ – gx2/2(vcosθ)2
➢ the eqn is in the form of ax+bx 2, this is the eq n of parabola so, the path of projectile is
parabola.
➢ Path of one projectile w.r.t. other projectile,
1) If relative acceleration is zero, path is straight line.
2) If horizontal component same , path is vertically straight.
3) If vertical component same, path is horizontally straight.
o time of maxium height-
➢ time to reach maximum height,
t = vsinθ/g
➢ total time of projectile,
t = 2vsinθ/g
this is k/as ‘time of flight’.
o Maximum height of a projectile-
➢ Hmax = (usinθ)2 /2g
o Horizontal range of a projectile-
➢ The horizontal distance travelled by a projectile is k/as ‘horizontal range’.
➢ R = v2 sin2θ/g
➢ R is maximum when θ= 45o which is,
Rmax = v2/g
➢ For two projectiles, if speed of projection is same and angle of projection are θ
and (90-θ) then, range is same.
❖ River boat problems-
➢ Case 1 – cross river along shortest possible path or reach just opposite end
(velocity of boat makes an angle with displacement{width of river})
• vR = speed of river
vb = speed of boat
vR = vbcosθ (θ = angle made by boat from horizontal )
• time of crossing, t = displacement / vb sinθ
➢ Case 2 – to cross the river in minimum time (velocity of boat is is the direction of
displacement)
• In this case we observe a drift D,
D = v R (displacement/ vb)
• Time of crossing, t = displacement/v b
❖ Rain man problems-
➢ Case 1 – already raining in vertical downward direction and observation in
oblique direction.
• Velocity of rain w.r.t man,
Mv R = vR - vM
• Man has to hold umbrella at,
tanθ = vM/vR
➢ Case 2 – already raining in oblique direction and observation in vertical
downward direction.
• vM = vRsinθ (θ = angle made by rain with vertical)
• velocity of rain w.r.t. man,
Mv R = vRcosθ
❖ Uniform circular motion(UCM)-
➢ Angular velocity, ω = dθ/dt (θ = angular displacement)
➢ Angular acceleration, α = dω/dt
➢ Linear velocity, v= Rω
Tangential acceleration, at = Rα
➢ Centripetal acceleration, a c = v2/R = ω2R = vω
➢ In UCM, speed is constant.
➢ Angular speed is also constant.
➢ But velocity not constant (direction is changing continuously)
➢ Angular acceleration is zero(angular velocity is constant).
➢ Tangential acceleration is also constant ( speed is constant and tangential
acceleration is responsible for changing magnitude (speed) only).
➢ Centripetal acceleration is present.(direction towards centre always)
