EUROSCHOOL WHITEFIELD PHYSICS NOTE CLASS -09

Chapter-07

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.
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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

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 travelled / 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 travelling with a speed of 60 Example: A car travelling at a certain speed at
kmph. Thus, the average speed of the car is 60 an instant of time can be given by a
km an hour. speedometer.

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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 fan’s blades.

• Motion of Earth around the sun
• 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 horse
• Moving train

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Velocity

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

Instantaneous velocity is the rate of change of position for a time interval which is very small,
i.e. almost zero. In more simple words, the velocity of an object at a given instant of time is
known as instantaneous velocity.

Average velocity is defined as the displacement (∆x) divided by the time intervals (∆t) in
which the displacement occurs.

Average Velocity Instantaneous Velocity

Average velocity is defined as the Instantaneous velocity is the rate of change of position for a
displacement (∆x) divided by the time interval which is very small, i.e. almost zero.
time intervals (∆t) in which the
displacement occurs.

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

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

If Jack took a total of 1 hour to In Jack’s case, on his way to school, while he is sitting and
travel 10 km from his house to waiting for the train to pass, his instantaneous velocity will
school, then his average velocity be zero. Though the instantaneous velocity was zero for a
will be 10 km/hr. 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

Where t (time taken), v (final velocity) and u (initial velocity).

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Motion Visualised

1. 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

Distance – Time Graph

• OA implies uniform motion with constant speed as the slope is constant

• AB implies the body is at rest as the slope is zero
• B to C is a non-uniform motion

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2. Velocity-Time Graph

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

• Slope gives acceleration
• The area under the curve gives 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.

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Uniform Circular Motion

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.
• The uniform circular velocity is given by the following formula:

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 blades of the windmills.
• The tip of the second hand of a watch with a circular dial shows uniform circular
motion.

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