Describing

motion
To locate the position of object we require a
reference point (origin) and a set of axes.

The coordinates (x,y,z) describe the position of

object.

The coordinate system along with the clock is

known as the frame of reference.
Distance
:The actual path length travelled by the object is
known as distance.
It is Scalar quantity.

Displacement
:
The change in position is known as displacement.
Displacement = Final position –Initial position

Δx = x2 – x1 x2 > x1, Δx– is positive

x2 < x1, Δx– is negative

Position –time Graph:(x-t
The motion of the object can be represented by
graph)
position –time graph.

6
40
4

X (m)
30
(m)

20
2
x

10
0 10 20 30 40 0 1 2 3 4
t (S) t (S)

Object is at rest Object in uniform motion

 8

6
Position(m)
4

0 1 2 3 4
Time (S)

Object in non-uniform motion

i.e. accelerated motion
Average
velocity:
Average velocity is defined as displacement (Δx)
divided by time interval (Δt)

It is measured in ms-1
 Average
Speed:
Average speed is defined as the total path
length travelled by the object divided by time
interval.

It is measured in ms-1
 Q X-t graph for two children A and
B returning from their school O
P to their houses P and Q resp.
Choose the correct entries in the
bracket
X (m)

A 1.(A/B) lives closer to the school than(B/A)

B 2.(A/B) stars from the school earlier than(B/A)

0
t (S) 3.(A/B) walks faster than(B/A)

4. A and B reach home at the (same/different) time.

5.(A/B) overtakes(B/A) on the road (once/twice)

Instantaneous
Velocity:
The velocity at an instant is defined as the limit of
average velocity as the time interval becomes
infinitesimally small(Δt tends to zero)

The instantaneous velocity is

also defined as the rate of
change of position at that
instant.

The instantaneous velocity is

the time derivative of
position.
Instantaneous
Speed:
The magnitude of an instantaneous velocity is called as
instantaneous speed.

Speed associated with both the velocities will 25 ms-1

Average
Acceleration:
Average acceleration is defined as change in velocity
(Δv) divided by time interval (Δt)

It is measured in ms-2
Instantaneous
acceleration:
The acceleration at an instant is defined as the limit of
average acceleration as the time interval becomes
infinitesimally small (Δt tends to zero)

The instantaneous
acceleration is also defined
as the rate of change of
velocity at that instant.
The instantaneous
acceleration is the time
derivative of velocity.
 The Position –time graph

x
x x

O t O O
t t

Positive Negative Zero

Acceleration Acceleration Acceleration
 The velocity time graph

v v

v0
v0
O t O t

Object is moving in Object is moving in

positive direction positive direction
with positive with negative
acceleration acceleration
 v0

t t1 t2
O O
-v0
-v
-v

Object is moving in Object is moving with

negative direction with negative acceleration
negative acceleration through out. Between 0 to
t1 it moves + x-direction and
between t1 to t2 it moves in
opposite direction.
Area under Velocity-time Graph. A B
40 v
Velocity -Time Graph for object 30

Velocity(km)/h
moving with constant velocity. 20

10 t
Area under Area of
o
0 1 2 3 4 c
Velocity-Time = Rectangle Time (h)
graph OABC
= OA x OC
=vxt
Product of velocity and time is equal to
displacement.
Area under Velocity –Time graph is always equal
to the distance travelled by an object.
Kinematic equations of
E B
uniformly accelerated motion v

If the object is moving with constant v-v0

acceleration then inst,acceleration is v0 C
A
equal to av.acceleration
1.velocity-time relation
0 t t D

v = v0 +at

This is velocity-time relation

2. Position -time relation
E B
v
Area under v-t graph.
v-v0
v0 C
A = Ar.of Rec.OACD +Ar of Tri. ACB A

A = (AO x OD)+ ½ (Ac x BC)

0 t t D
A = (v0 x t)+ ½ (v-v0) x t

A = v0t + ½ (v0 +at-v0) x t x = v 0t + ½ a t 2

A = v 0t + ½ a t 2 x –x0= v0t + ½ a t2
3. Position –velocity relation
E B
v
Area under v-t graph.
v-v0
Area of trapezium OABD v0 C
A
A = ½ x OD (OA +BD)
0 t t D
A = ½ x t (v0 +v)

x = (v2-v02)/2a
A = ½ x (v-v0)/a x (v0 +v)
x-x0 = (v2-v02)/2a
A = (v-v0)x (v + v0)/2a
2a(x-x0 )= v2-v02
A = (v2-v02)/2a
 Home work
• 1.A ball thrown vertically upwards with a
speed of 19.6 m/s from the top of the tower
returns to the earth in 6 seconds. Find the
height of the tower.
• 2.A car moving along the straight highway
with a speed of 126 km/h ,is brought to a
stop within a distance of 200 m. What is the
retardation of the car and how long does it
take for the car to stop?
Equations of motion by Calculus
method
1. velocity-time relation.
Acceleration

Integrating on both sides

This is velocity-time
relation.
2. Position-time relation.
velocity

Integrating on both sides

This is Position-time
relation.
3.Velocity-Position relation.

Integrating on both sides

This is velocity-Position
relation.
Relative velocity
Consider two objects A and B moving
uniformly with average velocities vA and vB along x-axis. If
xA (0) and xB (0) are positions of objects A and
B,respectively at time t = 0, their positions xA (t) and xB (t)
at time t are given by:
xA (t ) = xA (0) + vA t --------1

xB (t) = xB (0) + vB t --------2

displacement of object B w.r.t. object A is
xBA(t) = xB (t) – xA (t)
xBA(t) = [ xB (0) – xA (0) ] + (vB – vA) t. ----3
Object B has a velocity vB – vA w.r.t. A
 The velocity of object B relative to object
A is vB – vA

vBA = vB – vA
The velocity of object A relative to object
B is vA – vB

vAB = vA – vB
 B
140
140 A
120
120
100 A
100
80 80 B
X(m)
60 X(m) 60

40 40
20 20
O
1 2 3 4 5 6 O
1 2 3 4 5 6
t(s)
t(s)

vA = v B vA – v B = 0 vB - v A = 0 vA > v B
The two objects stay at vB - vA is negative
a constant distance
Objects meet at a
common point
 140
120
A
100
80
X(m)60

40
B
20

O
1 2 3 4 5 6
t(s)
vA and vB are of opposite signs.

In this case, the magnitude of vBA or vAB is

greater than the magnitude of velocity of A or
that of B