Relative Motion (frame of reference)

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Student work sheet

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An object may appear to have one motion to one observer

and a different motion to a second observer,

depending on how the two observers are moving with respect to one another.

Imaging there is a river in the center of the screen (yelow dots are moving with water)

a red boat is also moving with respect to the river,

You can easily change frame of reference by moving your mouse to different regions.

e.g. If you move your mouse within the river,
YOU will becomes an observer moving with water.

If you move your mouse into the boat region,

You becomes on the boat watching other objects moving.

You can walk along with that person, or just standing there on the ground.

Try to move the mouse at different regions!
We will do something more complicate later!

frame of reference	Ground	Person	River	Boat
color code	Gray	Blue	dark Green	Red

will be shown with numbers. Its color is determined by the above color codes.

If you press with left mouse button, animation will resume when yopu release it.

If you press with right mouse button, you need to click it again.

How to change the velocity vectors?

Just click near the tip of the arrow, and drag it left and right.
Please try it first! Then, we will do something more interesting!

Those are vertical and horizontal speed of that person at your frame of reference.

While the animation is suspended :

Click near the left leg of that person and drag the mouse up and down,

you are changing her (his) vertical speed.
Click with right mouse button to resume the animation,
That person will move toward the river, then, swim across the river.

(The horizontal speed with respect to ground will increase due to river current)

Now, try it! And watch (her)him at different frame of references.

Suggestion from Surendranath Reddy.B.:

add a square powered moving object,
and a smll ball(yellow) moving between object's two ends.
You can click show checkbox for more information (velocity and position),
click and drag the tip of velocity vector (while animation is suspended)
to change it.

Click the 2D checkbox and a ball will be thrown upward from the above moving object.

The trajectory of the ball(blue) will be shown for you.

I am now studying the Relative Motion applet, it is most interesting to see clearly the things we notice in everyday life.I have had some holidays boating on rivers and I can picture the effects clearly as I use the applet.While driving a boat it's speed relative to the current is most apparent, particulaly when trying to moor.

Thanks again for such an interesting web site

Best Wishes  Ray Holloway  ray@middx.screaming.net

I hope you enjoy playing with it.

Those numbers at the left side are object's horizontal coordinates,

and you also know the timing.

Are you going to do it?

Your suggestions are highly appreciated! Please click hwang@phy03.phy.ntnu.edu.tw

Author¡GFu-Kwun Hwang, Dept. of physics, National Taiwan Normal University

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