
1.3 Material Objectivity and Convective Derivatives      19 
inertial frame. Thus, taking the time derivative to Eq. (1.2.10), as we have 
similarly done to Eq. (1.2.3), we can obtain the acceleration of the fluid 
particle relative to the inertial frame as 
rr
r
dt
d
Dt
D
xu
uu
a uuu   2
0
0
 
(1.2.11) 
which is exactly the same form as Eq. (1.2.6). The relation given by Eq. 
(1.2.11) can again be written, using the potential 
 
ේ2
0
u 
rr
uaa  
(1.2.12) 
where 
2
22
r 
I
. 
1.3 Material Objectivity and Convective Derivatives 
On the microstructure level material elements may be affected by strong 
electromagnetic field or strong inertial forces; however, on the continuum 
level the physical characteristic of a material, such as demonstrated by the 
Hooke’s law (the relationship between the extension and the force can be 
regarded as a physical property of spring itself), is independent of the mo-
tion of the observer. This concept is called “the material objectivity” or 
“the principle of frame invariance”. Particularly in dealing with the rela-
tionship between a deformation and a stress in continuum, so-called consti-
tutive equation, this concept is of some importance. 
In order to satisfy the principle of frame invariance, the following lin-
ear transformation by 
E (see 
Q
and  E  in Eqs. (1.2.1) and (1.3.4) for 
equivalence) must be satisfied for any arbitrary vectors (say a velocity vec-
tor ),( t
xu ) and second order tensor (say a stress tensor  )( t,T x ) in the 
Cartesian reference frame.  This can be set in the inertial reference frame 
in such a way that 
0
uu   Q
r
  to   E uu    
(1.3.1) 
T
r
QTQT  
0
 to 
T
ETET
   
(1.3.2) 
where the suffix 
 denotes the rotating reference frame. Note that scalar 
properties (such temperature, density, etc.) are always frame invariant. 
Now we will direct our attention to how the time derivative of vectors 
and tensors are affected in order for the principle of frame invariance to be 
satisfied. We will consider this problem with respect to the transformation 
:
'
'