06 Relative Motion

▶️Free video tutorial

Tutorial content:

• Introduction to relative motion with translating axes.
• Complete five example problems.

Are you interested in learning about the complex motion of particles? Our tutorial on relative motion analysis is here to help!

In the previous five tutorials, we have described particle motion using fixed reference axes. The resulting displacements, velocities, and accelerations are known as absolute, as they are not determined relative to anything else. However, there are many cases where the particle’s path of motion is complicated, making it difficult or inconvenient to use a fixed set of axes to measure the motion.

That’s where relative motion analysis comes in. This approach involves using two or more frames of reference, at least one of which is moving, to make the analysis of motion simpler. For example, the motion of a particle on the rim of a motorcycle wheel is easier to describe by observing the motion of the motorcycle from a fixed reference frame and then adding the circular motion of the particle as seen from a frame of reference attached to and moving along with the motorcycle.

If you want to gain a better understanding of relative motion analysis and its applications in engineering, don’t miss out on this tutorial. Enroll now!

Practice Questions

Formula sheet available on Engineering dynamics homepage