CHAPTER 7

MOTION

Understanding Motion

Reference Point and Reference Frame

• To describe the position of an object, we need a reference point or origin. An object may
seem to be moving to one observer and stationary to another.
• Example: A passenger inside a bus sees the other passengers to be at rest, whereas an
observer outside the bus sees the passengers to be in motion.
• In order to make observations easy, a convention or a common reference point or frame is
needed. All objects must be in the same reference frame.

Distance and Displacement

The magnitude of the length covered by a moving object is called distance. It has no direction.

Displacement is the shortest distance between two points or the distance between the starting and
final positions with respect to time. It has magnitude as well as direction.

Displacement can be zero, but distance cannot.

Distance VS Displacement

Magnitude

Magnitude is the size or extent of a physical quantity. In physics, we have scalar and vector
quantities.

Scalar quantities are only expressed as magnitude. E.g.: time, distance, mass, temperature, area,
volume

Vector quantities are expressed in magnitude as well as the direction of the object. E.g.:
Velocity, displacement, weight, momentum, force, acceleration, etc.
Time, Average Speed, and Velocity

Time and speed

Time is the duration of an event that is expressed in seconds. Most physical phenomena occur
with respect to time. It is a scalar quantity.

Speed is the rate of change in distance. If a body covers a certain distance in a certain amount of
time, its speed is given by
Speed=Distance Time
The instantaneous speed is the speed of an object at a particular moment in time.

Average speed is stated as the distance covered by the object within a period of time.

Average speed = Total distance traveled / Total time taken

The below table lists the difference between Average Speed and Instantaneous Speed.
Average Speed Instantaneous Speed

It is defined as the total distance travelled It is defined as the speed at a particular instant
divided by the total time elapsed. of time.

It is constant. It is not constant.

Measured by calculating the speed for an entire It is measured by a speedometer.

journey.

Example: A car traveling with a speed of 45 Example: A car traveling at a certain speed at
km/h. Thus, the average speed of the car is 45 an instant of time can be given by a
km per hour. speedometer.

Uniform motion and non-uniform motion

When an object covers equal distances in equal intervals of time, it is in uniform motion.

Examples of Uniform Motion

• Movement of the ceiling/table/standing fan’s blades.

• Motion of planets around the sun
• Clock Pendulum with equivalent amplitude on either side
When an object covers unequal distances in equal intervals of time, it is said to be in non-
uniform motion.

• Bouncing ball
• Running dog
• Moving car

Velocity

The Rate of change of displacement is velocity. It is a vector quantity. Here the direction of
motion is specified.
Velocity=Displacement Time

Average Velocity Instantaneous Velocity

Average velocity is defined as the Instantaneous velocity is the rate of change of

displacement (∆x) divided by the time position for a time interval that is very small, i.e.
intervals (∆t) in which the displacement almost zero.
occurs.

Average velocity is calculated by dividing Instantaneous velocity is calculated by dividing

the rate of displacement by the time elapsed. displacement by time at that instant.

If Jack took a total of 1 hour to travel 10 km In Jack’s case, on his way to school, while he is
from his house to school, then his average sitting and waiting for the train to pass, his
velocity will be 10 km/hr. instantaneous velocity will be zero. Though the
instantaneous velocity was zero for a small part
of the journey, the average velocity will not be
zero.

Acceleration

The rate of change of velocity is called acceleration. It is a vector quantity. In non-uniform

motion, velocity varies with time, i.e., the change in velocity is not 0. It is denoted by “a”

Acceleration = Change in Velocity / Time

(OR)
a=v−u/t
Where t (time taken), v (final velocity) and u (initial velocity).
Distance-Time Graph for Uniform Motion

Let us now consider a distance-time graph in which the body

is moving with uniform motion. A body is said to be in
uniform motion when the body covers an equal distance in
equal time intervals. Let’s consider a time interval of 1
second, If a body covers 10 meters in the first 1-second then
it should cover 10 meters in every second from there on, this
will indicate that the body is in uniform motion. Let’s draw a
graph for uniform motion.
As in uniform motion, the distance-time graph would be a
straight line, because the equal distance is covered in equal units of time.
You can see that there are three bodies A, B, and C, all of them are in uniform motion then why
do they have different slopes?
It is because the slope of a distance-time graph determines the speed of that body, so the steeper
the slope greater will be the speed of the body. From the above graph, we can come to the
conclusion that body A has the highest speed and body C has the least speed.

Velocity-Time Graph

It is the graph of velocity against time; it shows us how the

velocity changes with respect to time. The slope of a velocity-
time graph determines its acceleration.

Above is the velocity-time graph for three objects A, B, and C. A

flat horizontal line in a velocity-time graph states that the body is
moving at a constant velocity. If the straight line has a slope, then
that indicates the body is changing its velocity at a constant rate, or it means that the body has
constant acceleration.

Distance-Time Graph for Uniformly Accelerated Motion

The distance-time graph for a uniformly accelerated motion

looks as shown in the graph above, consider how the distance is
changing exponentially indicating that the velocity is changing
at a constant rate or there is constant acceleration. But in the
velocity-time graph, as velocity changes at a constant rate
with respect to time in uniformly accelerating motion, the
graph would be a straight line with its slope indicating the
amount of acceleration.

Distance-Time Graph

• Distance-Time graphs show the change in the

position of an object with respect to time.
• Linear variation = uniform motion and non-linear variations
imply non-uniform motion
• The slope gives us speed

OA implies uniform motion with constant speed as the slope

is constant
AB implies the body is at rest as the slope is zero
Distance – Time Graph

• B to C is a non-uniform motion
Velocity-Time Graph

• Velocity-Time graphs show the change in velocity with respect to time.

• Slope gives acceleration
• The area under the curve gives the displacement
• Line parallel to x-axis implies constant velocity-

Velocity – Time Graph

OA = constant acceleration, AB = constant velocity, BC = constant retardation
Equations of Motion

The motion of an object moving at uniform acceleration

can be described with the help of three equations,
namely

(i) v = u + at

(ii) v2 – u2 = 2as

(iii) s = ut + (1/2)at2

where u is the initial velocity, v is the final velocity, t is the time, a is the acceleration and s is the
displacement.

Derivation of Velocity-Time Relation by Graphical Method

Velocity – Time Graph
A body starts with some initial non-zero velocity at A and goes to B with constant acceleration
a.

From the graph BD = v (final velocity) – DC = u (initial velocity)…………..(eq 1).

BD = BC – DC……………..(eq 2).
We know acceleration a=slope=BD/AD or AD=OC=t(time taken to reach point B)
.
Therefore BD = at………………….(eq 3).

Substitute everything, we get: at = v – u.

Rearrange to get v = u + at.

Derivation of Position-Time Relation by

Graphical Method
Velocity – Time Graph
A body starts with some initial non-zero velocity
at A and goes to B with constant acceleration a

The area under the graph gives Displacement as

follows:

Ar(ΔABD)+Ar(OADC)=1/2(AD×BD)+(OA×OC)….(1)
OA = u , OC = t and BD = at
Substituting in (eqn 1) we get s= ut +𝟏⁄𝟐a𝒕𝟐

Derivation of Position-Velocity Relation by Graphical Method

Velocity – Time Graph
A body starts with some initial non-zero velocity at A and goes to
B with constant acceleration a

The displacement covered will be the area under the curve which is
the trapezium OABC.

We know the area of the trapezium is

s=(OA+BC)/2∗OC
OA = u and BC = v and OC = t
Therefore, s=(v+u)/2∗t……………………(1)
We also know that t=(v−u)/a……………..(2)
Substitute (eq 2) in (eq 1) and arrange to get v2−u2=2as

Uniform Circular Motion

• If an object moves in a circular path with uniform speed, its motion is called uniform
circular motion.
• Velocity changes as direction keeps changing.
• Acceleration is constant.

Uniform Circular Motion Examples

• The motion of artificial satellites around the Earth is an example of uniform circular
motion.
• The motion of electrons around its nucleus.
• The motion of the blades of the windmills.
• The tip of the second hand of a watch with a circular dial
shows uniform circular motion.
QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS
Question 1. The phenomenon of motion was placed on a sound scientific footing by two
scientists. Write their names.
Answer: Galileo Galilei and Isaac Newton.
Question 2. Are rest and motion absolute or relative terms?
Answer: They are relative terms.
Question 3. Suppose a ball is thrown vertically upwards from a position P above the ground. It
rises to the highest point Q and returns to the same point P. What is the net displacement and
distance traveled by the ball?
Answer: Displacement is zero. Distance is twice the distance between positions P and Q.
Question 4. Which speed is greater: 54 m/s or 54 km/h?
Answer: 30 m/s
Question 5. What do you mean by 2 m/s2?
Answer: The velocity of the body increases by 2 m/s after every second.
Question 6. Can uniform linear motion be accelerated?
Answer: No
Question 7. Define one radian.
Answer: It is the angle that is subtended at the center by an arc having a length equal to the
radius of the circle.
Question 8. What is the relation between linear velocity and angular velocity?
Answer: Linear velocity = Angular velocity × Radius of the circular path.
Question 9. Give an example when we infer the motion indirectly.
Answer: We infer the motion of air by observing the movement of dust particles or leaves and
branches of trees, or simply by feeling the blowing air on our faces.
Question 10. What is essential to describe the position of an object?
Answer: We need to specify a reference point called the origin.
Question 11. What is the simplest type of motion?
Answer: Motion in a straight line.
Question 12. What indicates the motion of the earth?
Answer: The phenomenon like day and night indicates the motion of the earth.
Question 13. If the displacement of a body is zero, is it necessary that the distance covered by it
is also zero?
Answer: No. When the body comes back to the same position after travelling a distance, its
displacement is zero though it has travelled some distance.
Question 14. Can the displacement be greater than the distance travelled by an object?
Answer: No, it is always either equal to or less than the distance travelled by the object.
Question 15. When do the distance and displacement of a moving object have the same
magnitude?
Answer: The magnitude of distance and displacement of a moving object are same when the
object moves along the same straight line in the same fixed direction.
Question 16. Does the speedometer of a car measure its average speed?
Answer: No. It measures its instantaneous speed.
Question 17. A body is moving with a velocity of 16 m/s. If the motion is uniform, what will be
the velocity after 20 s?
Answer: As the motion is uniform, the velocity remains 16 m/s after 20 s.
Question 18. Can a body have constant speed but variable velocity?
Answer: Yes, e.g. a body in uniform circular motion has constant speed but due to the change in
the direction of motion, its velocity changes at every point.
Question 19. When is the acceleration taken as negative?
Answer: Acceleration is taken as negative if it is in the direction opposite to the direction of
velocity.
Question 20. What is uniform acceleration?
Answer: The acceleration of an object is said to be uniform if it travels in a straight line and its
velocity increases or decreases by equal amounts in equal intervals of time.For example, the
motion of a freely falling body.
Question 21.
Give an example of a body which may appear to be moving for one person and stationary for the
other.
Answer: The passengers in a moving bus observe that the trees, buildings as well as the people
on the roadside appear to be moving backwards. Similarly, a person standing on the roadside
observes that the bus (along with its passengers) is moving in forward direction. But, at the same
time, each passenger in a moving bus or train observes, his fellow passengers sitting and not
moving. Thus, we can tell that motion is relative.
Question 22. How can we describe the location of an object?
Answer: To describe the position of an object we need to specify a reference point called the
origin.
For example, suppose that a cafe in a city is 4 km south of the hospital. We have specified the
position of the cafe with respect to the hospital i.e., in this case, the hospital acts as the reference
point.
Question 3. What do you mean by average speed? What are its units?
Answer: Average speed is defined as the average distance travelled per unit time and is obtained
by dividing the total distance travelled by the total time taken.
The unit of average speed is the same as that of the speed, that is, ms-1.
Question 4. What is the difference between uniform velocity and non-uniform velocity?
Answer: Uniform velocity: An object with uniform velocity covers equal distances in equal
intervals of time in a specified direction, e.g., an object moving with the speed of 40
km/h towards west has uniform velocity.
Non-uniform velocity: When an object covers unequal distances in equal intervals of time in a
specified direction, or if the direction of motion changes, it is said to be moving with a non-
uniform or variable velocity, e.g., revolving fan at a constant speed has variable velocity.
Question 5. What do you understand by instantaneous velocity?
Answer: Instantaneous velocity is the velocity of a body at any particular instant during its
motion. For example, the instantaneous velocity of a motorcycle at a particular instant is 40 kmh-
1
if it is moving at 40 kmh-1 at that particular instant. It is measured by the speedometers on the
vehicles.

NUMERICAL FOR PRACTICE

Question 1
An airplane accelerates down a runway at 3.20 m/s2 for 32.8 s until is finally lifts off the ground.
Determine the distance travelled before taking off.
Question 2
A Jeep starts from rest and accelerates uniformly over a time of 5.21 seconds for a distance of
110 m. Determine the acceleration of the Jeep.
Question 3
John is riding the Giant Drop at Canada. If John free falls for 2.6 seconds, what will be his final
velocity and how far will he fall?
Question 4
A racing car accelerates uniformly from 18.5 m/s to 46.1 m/s in 2.47 seconds. Determine the
acceleration of the car and the distance travelled.
Question 5
A feather is dropped on a planet other than Earth which has very low acceleration due to gravity
from a height of 1.40 meters. The acceleration of gravity on the other planet is 1.67 m/s2.
Determine the time of feather to fall to the surface of the other planet
Question 6
Rocket-powered sleds are used to test the human response to acceleration. If a rocket-powered
sled is accelerated to a speed of 444 m/s in 1.8 seconds, then what is the acceleration and what is
the distance that the sled travels?
Question 7
Motorbike accelerates uniformly from rest to a speed of 7.10 m/s over a distance of 35.4 m.
Determine the acceleration of the bike.
Question 8
A Civil engineer is designing the runway for an airport. Of the planes that will use the airport, the
lowest acceleration rate is likely to be 3 m/s2. The take-off speed for this plane will be 65 m/s.
Assuming this minimum acceleration, what is the minimum allowed length for the runway?
Question 9
A car traveling at 22.4 m/s skids to a stop in 2.55 s. Determine the skidding distance of the car
(assume uniform acceleration)
Question 11
If Rahul has a vertical leap of 1.29 m, then what is his take-off speed and his hang time (the total
time to move upwards to the peak and then return to the ground)?
Question 12
A bullet leaves a rifle with a muzzle velocity of 521 m/s. While accelerating through the barrel of
the riffle, the bullet moves a distance of 0.840 m. Determine the acceleration of the bullet (a
uniform acceleration).
Question 13
A baseball is popped straight up into the air and has a hang-time of 6.25 s. Determine the height
to which the ball rises before it reaches its peak. (Hint: the time to rise to the peak is one-half the
total hang time.)
Question 14
The observation deck of the tall skyscraper 370 m above the street. Determine the time required
for a penny to free fall from the deck to the street below.
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