Motion Notes 1
Motion Notes 1
KEY CONCEPTS
1. Motion
2. Graphical Representation of Motion & Graphs
3. Equation of motion
4. Uniform Circular Motion
1. Motion (Uniform Motion and Non Uniform Motion, Acceleration and Velocity)
A particle is a point-like object, has mass but infinitesimal size
The object’s position is its location with respect to a chosen reference point, In the
diagram, the road sign the reference point
Motion occurs when an object changes its position.
Both Distance and Time are important in describing motion.
Sometimes you know motion has occurred even if you didn’t see it happen.
(mail truck)
Relative motion: when two objects are moving in a plane (either in same
direction or opposite) each have relative motion with respect to second. e.g. a
person sitting in a train and watching a tree, in this case tree is stable but is
assumed to be moving but with respect to train.
Speed
Speed = the distance an object travels in a given amount of time
Speed = distance/time
SI unit of speed is m/s
Types of Speed
Constant speed: speed doesn’t change (set your car on cruise control)
Changing speed: Riding a bike for 5 km. Take off and increase speed, slow
down up hill, speed up down hill, stop for stop sign. The trip took you 15 min
(.25 h)
Average speed: total distance/total time taken
Instantaneous speed: speed at any given time.
Velocity
Velocity: includes speed and DIRECTION
Storm is moving at 20km/hr.
Should you be seeking shelter?
Suppose two trains are going with the same speed in opposite direction, they are having
different velocities.
Race car going around an oval track might have constant speed, but different velocities at
each point.
Acceleration
Any change in velocity over a period of time is called acceleration.
The sign (+ or -) of indicates its direction. + sign shows the acceleration and – Sign
shows de-acceleration.
Uniform (constant) acceleration equation
a = v/t
Galileo Galilee Italian physicist and astronomer formulated laws of motion for objects in
free fall
A freely falling object is any object moving freely under the influence of gravity alone.
It does not depend upon the initial motion of the object
Dropped – released from rest
Thrown downward
Thrown upward
The acceleration of an object in free fall is directed downward, regardless of the initial
motion
The magnitude of free fall acceleration (gravitational acceleration) is g = 9.80 m/s2
g decreases with increasing altitude
g varies with latitude, height and depth from earth surface.
9.80 m/s2 is the average at the Earth’s surface
The italicized g will be used for the acceleration due to gravity
Not to be confused with g for grams
With negligible air resistance, falling objects can be considered freely falling. objects of
different shapes accelerate differently (stone vs. feather)
Speed both upward and downward
Test Yourself:
1. What is SI Unit of displacement?
2. Name the quantity which represents rate of change of velocity.
3. A particle describes a semicircle of radius l 14m. What are its distance and displacement
covered?
3. Equations of motion:
(1) When object is moving in straight line-
v = u + at
s = ut + 1/2at2
v2 = u2 + 2as
Average acceleration describes how fast the velocity is changing with respect to time.
aave = ∆v/∆t = ∆(∆x/t)/ ∆t
where:
aave = average acceleration = ∆v/∆t = ∆(∆x/t)/ ∆t
∆v = change in velocity
∆x = displacement
∆t = elapsed time
(2) When object is coming vertically downward-
v = u + gt
h = ut + ½ gt2
v2 = u2+2gh
Test Yourself:
1. Give the equation for uniform motion.
2. When a car stops after applying brakes, what is the final velocity?
Test Yourself:
1. What remains constant in uniform circular motion?
2. What changes continuously in uniform circular motion?
QUESTION BANK
One Mark questions
1. Can displacement be zero even when distance is not zero?
2. Can the distance travelled by an object be smaller than magnitude of its displacement?
3. A particle is moving with uniform velocity. What is its acceleration?
4. How can you get speed of an object from its distance – time graph?
5. How can you get distance of an object from its speed – time graph?
6. A brick & an elephant are in free fall. What is common in their motion?
7. When an object is thrown vertically upwards. What is its velocity at the highest point?
8. Can velocity & acceleration point in opposite directions?
9. Define acceleration.
10. What is non uniform motion?