4.36. Motion in two dimensions, in a plane, can be studied by expressing position, velocity, and acceleration as a vector in Cartesian coordinates A=Axˆi+AyˆjA=Ax^i+Ay^j where ˆiˆi and ˆjˆj are unit vectors along x and y directions, respectively and AxAx and AyAy are corresponding components of A. Motion can also be studied by expressing vectors in circular polar coordinates as A= Arˆr + AθˆθA= Ar^r + Aθ^θ where ^r = rr = cosθˆi+sinθˆj^r = rr = cosθ^i+sinθ^j and ˆθ=−sinθˆi+cosθˆj and ^θ=−sinθ^i+cosθ^j are unit vectors along the direction in which r and θ are increasing.
a) express ˆi and ˆj^i and ^j in terms of ˆr and ˆθ.^r and ^θ.
b) show that both ˆr and ˆθ^r and ^θ are unit vectors and are perpendicular to each other
c) show that ddt(ˆr)=ωˆθ, where ω=dθdt and ddt(ˆθ)=−θˆr
d) for a particle moving along a spiral given by r=aθˆr where a = 1 find dimensions of ‘a’
e) find velocity and acceleration in polar vector representation for a particle moving along spiral described in d) above
(a)Step 1: Express ˆi and ˆj in terms of ˆr and ˆθ.
Given, unit vector
ˆr=cosθˆi+sinθˆj ...(i)ˆθ=−sinθˆi+cosθˆj ...(ii)
Multiplying Eq. (i) by sinθ and Eq. (ii) with cosθ and adding
ˆrsinθ+ˆθcosθ=sinθ⋅cosθˆi+sin2θˆj+cos2θˆj−sinθ.cosθˆi=ˆj(cos2θ+sin2θ)=ˆj
⇒ˆrsinθ+θcosθ=ˆj By Eq. (i) ×cosθ− Eq. (ii) ×sinθ(ˆrcosθ−ˆθsinθ)=ˆi
Step 2: Use dot product to find the angle between ˆr and ˆθ.
(b)
ˆr.ˆθ=(cosθˆi+sinθˆj)⋅(−sinθˆi+cosθˆj)=−cosθ⋅sinθ+sinθ⋅cosθ=0
⇒ θ=90∘ Angle between ˆr and ˆθ.
Step 3: Find velocity.
(c)
Given, ˆr=cosθˆi+sinθˆj
dˆrdt=ddt(cosθˆi+sinθˆj)=−sinθ⋅dθdtˆi+cosθ⋅dθdtˆj=ω[−sinθˆi+cosθˆj][∵θ=dθdt]
Step 4: Find the dimension of a using homogeneity principle.
(d)
Given, r=aθˆr, here, writing dimensions [r]=[a][θ][ˆr]⇒[L] = [a] ⇒[a]=[L]=[M0L1T0]
Step 5: Find velocity and acceleration on the spiral path.
(e)
Given, a= 1 unit r=θˆr=θ[cosθˆi+sinθˆj]
Velocity, v = drdt = dθdtˆr+θdˆrdt = dθdtˆr+θddt[(cosθˆi+sinθˆj)]
=dθdtˆr+θ[(−sinθˆi+cosθˆj)dθdt]=dθdtˆr+θˆθω=ωˆr+ωθˆθ
Acceleration, a=ddt[ωˆr+ωθˆθ]=ddt[dθdtˆr+dθdt(θˆθ)]
=d2θdt2ˆr+dθdt⋅dˆrdt+d2θdt2θˆθ+dθdtddt(θˆθ)=d2θdt2ˆr+ω[−sinθˆi+sinθˆj]+d2θdt2θˆθ+ωddt(θˆθ)=d2θdt2ˆr+ω2ˆθ+d2θdt2×θˆθ+ω2ˆθ+ω2θ(−ˆr)(d2θdt2−ω2θ)ˆr+(2ω2+d2θdt2)ˆθ