Dynamics - Motion in a Straight Line

What Is Motion in a Straight Line?

If an object changes its position with respect to its surroundings with time, then it is called in
motion. It is a change in the position of an object over time. Motion in a straight line is
nothing but linear motion. As the name suggests, it’s in a particular straight line, thus it can be
said that it uses only one dimension.

Types of Linear Motion

The linear motion, also called the Rectilinear Motion can be of two types:

1. Uniform linear motion with constant velocity or zero acceleration

2. Non-Uniform linear motion with variable velocity or non-zero acceleration

Linear motion is the most straightforward kind of one-dimensional motion. As Newton’s first
law of motion suggests, an object will either be at rest or continue to move in a straight line
with a uniform velocity unless and until an external force is applied to it.

You are suggested not to confuse linear motion with general motion. As we discussed, linear
motion is a one-dimensional motion. Still, in general, the motion has magnitude and direction
both, i.e. an object’s position and velocity are described in vector quantities.

Uniform Motion in a Straight Line

If a body travels in a straight line and covers an equal amount of distance in an equal interval
of time, it is said to have uniform motion. In simple words, a body is said to have uniform
acceleration if the rate of change of its velocity remains constant.

The ball covers equal distance in equal intervals of time

Example:
If a car travels at a speed of 60 km/hour, it will cover a 1 km/minute. In this sense, the motion
of car acceleration is uniform.

Non-uniform Motion in a Straight Line

Unlike the uniform acceleration, the body is said to have a non-uniform motion when the
velocity of a body changes by unequal amounts in equal intervals of time—the rate of change
of its velocity changes at different points of time during its movement.

Example:

A boy is kicking a football. It might cover 4 meters in the first attempt, 6 meters in the second
change, 9 meters in the third attempt and so on as per the velocity exerted by the boy.

First Law of Motion: Inertia

The inertia is the resistance that an object has to being moved. The first law of motion is the
law of inertia, which describes the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest and an
object in motion to remain in motion. The first law of motion states that an object will remain
in the state of motion and position it was in when it started unless an outside force is applied
to it. This means that an aeroplane will continue to travel in the direction it is moving in
unless a force is applied that causes it to change direction.

Equations of motion in a straight line:

When a moving object moves in a straight line, its trajectory is described by a set of simple
mathematical equations. These equations can be used to predict the future position of an
object, given its current position and speed. In other words, they describe the position of an
object at a given time, when its current speed and direction are mentioned. Sometimes, the
equations are simplified to just the two variables, speed and direction. These equations are:

1. v = u + at
2. s = ut + ½ at²
3. v²= u² + 2as

u = initial velocity,

v = final velocity,

a = acceleration,

s = displacement,

t = time taken to travel a distance s.

Conclusion:
Linear motion is motion in a straight line. It can be described as movement along a single axis.
The two most common types of linear motion are Uniform Linear Motion and Non-uniform
Linear Motion. Linear motions are easy to understand, because they move objects in direct
proportion to the direction of the force that is acting on them. They are also relatively easy to
describe in terms of other movements. Uniform Linear Motions have constant velocity and
hence, zero acceleration whereas NULMs have variable velocity and hence, non-zero
acceleration.

Key Terms
Distance - The total length of the path an object travels from its starting point to its
ending point.
Displacement - The shortest distance between an object's starting point and its ending
point.Displacement is a vector quantity, which means it has both magnitude and
direction.
Speed - The rate at which an object travels along a given path. Speed is a scalar quantity,
which means it only has magnitude and no direction.
Velocity - The rate at which an object changes its displacement over time. Velocity is a
vector quantity.
Acceleration - The rate at which an object's velocity changes over time. Acceleration is a
vector quantity. Acceleration is also the second derivative of displacement and the first
derivative of velocity.

Before we discuss the dynamics of motion, there are a few terms that you must understand:

Distance, s (a scalar quantity) is the total length of space between two points.
Displacement, s (a vector quantity) is the distance moved in a specific direction, or an
object's overall change in position.

Speed, v (a scalar quantity) is the distance moved per unit time.

 Velocity, v (a vector quantity) is the rate at which an object moves in a certain direction,
or the displacement per unit time.

v= s/t

Acceleration, a (a vector quantity) is rate at which velocity changes, or the change in

velocity per unit time.

a= (v-u)/t

where v = final velocity;

u = initial velocity

t = time taken

Motion Graphs

We can plot a graph that describes the motion of an object:

Displacement-Time Graphs

These graphs have displacement on the y axis and time on the x axis. Hence, the gradient of a
displacement-time graph gives the velocity of the object.
Velocity-Time Graphs

These graphs have velocity on the y axis and time on the x axis. Hence, the gradient of a
velocity-time graph gives the acceleration of the object.

Therefore the gradient, m:

Graph 1
Graph 2

Graph 3

Graph 4
Graph 5

Knowing all of this, you should be able to describe and object's motion based on its motion
graph or vice versa:
If the graph above describes the motion of a truck, then:

OA- the truck is accelerating uniformly from rest for t1 seconds until it reaches a velocity of
v1.

AB- the truck's acceleration decreases slightly in t2-t1 seconds from v1 to v2.

BC- the truck moves with a constant/uniform velocity of v2 for t3-t2 seconds. The truck does
not accelerate.

CD- the truck decelerates uniformly from v2 to rest in t4-t3 seconds.

Trolleys on Inclined Planes

A "trolley on an inclined plane" refers to a small wheeled platform (trolley) that is placed on a
slanted surface (inclined plane), allowing it to move down the slope due to gravity, often used
in physics experiments to study the principles of motion, acceleration, and forces acting on
an object on an incline; the angle of the plane determines the force of gravity pulling the
trolley down the slope.

Key points about trolleys on inclined planes:

Force analysis: When a trolley is on an inclined plane, its weight (mg) acts vertically
downwards, but the component of this force that acts along the plane is "mg sin(theta),"
where theta is the angle of the incline.
 Acceleration: The trolley accelerates down the plane with an acceleration of "g
sin(theta)" if friction is negligible.
Factors affecting motion:
Angle of incline: A steeper incline results in a greater acceleration.
Friction: Friction between the trolley wheels and the plane opposes the motion,
reducing the acceleration.
Mass of the trolley: A heavier trolley will have a greater force pulling it down the
plane, but its acceleration will be the same as a lighter trolley on the same incline due
to the same "g sin(theta)" factor.

Applications in physics:

Demonstrating Newton's laws: Studying how the net force acting on the trolley (mg
sin(theta)) relates to its acceleration.
Investigating energy conservation: Analyzing how potential energy at the top of the
incline is converted to kinetic energy as the trolley moves down.
Measuring acceleration: Using a timer and ruler to calculate the acceleration of the
trolley down the plane.

Gradients of straight-line graphs - Intermediate and Higher tier

Finding the gradient

The gradient of a straight line describes the slope or steepness of the line.

To determine the gradient of a line:

choose any two points on the line

draw a right-angled triangle from one to the other, using the line as the hypotenuse
determine the height and width of the triangle
gradient = height ÷ width

Example
The triangle goes from 2 to 8 on the y-axis, so has a height of 6. It goes from 1 to 3 on the x-
axis, so has a width of 2.

Gradient = 6/2 =3

Positive and negative gradients

Gradients can be positive or negative, depending on the slant of the line.

This line has a positive gradient, because going from the left to right in the direction of the -
axis, the values increase.

This line has a negative gradient, because going from the left to right in the direction of the -
axis, the values decrease.

Example
We use the formula:

The triangle goes from 8 to 4 on the -axis, so the change in is y-4. It goes from 1 to 3 on the x -
axis so the change is 2.
Gradient = - 4/2 = -2

A ticker tape timer can be used to measure the speed and acceleration of a car in a race:

How it works - A ticker tape timer uses a vibrating striker to print dots on a tape at regular
intervals.The tape is threaded through the device and secured to the car. The number of
dots in a measured length of tape can be counted to calculate the transit time.
What the dots show - The spacing between the dots on the tape shows the acceleration
caused by gravity.For example, if the car is on an inclined ramp, the spacing between the
dots will show how the acceleration changes.
What the tape looks like - The length of the tape depends on the speed of the car. A fast-
moving car will have more space between the dots than a slow-moving car. A stationary
car will only have one dot on the tape.
Making a chart - The length of the tape in each "ten-tick" of time can be plotted on a
chart with a vertical axis for speed. If the speed increases steadily, the upper edge of the
chart should form a straight line that slants upwards.
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