Chapter 8 Motion (Continued)

So far we have studied…..

•Reference point.
•Motion(definition)
•Distance (total path travelled by an object)
•Displacement (shortest distance between initial and the
final position)
Today we will study…..
•Scalar and vector quantities
•Difference between distance and displacement.
•When is the displacement same as the distance….
•Uniform and Non- uniform motion.
•Speed and average speed
•Velocity and average velocity
 Scalars & Vectors
PHYSICAL QUANTITIES are those quantities which can be measured. For example length,
speed, pressure, temperature, area, volume, time, energy, velocity, momentum,
force, current, charge, mass, light intensity, etc.

SCALAR QUANTITY VECTOR QUANTITY

Scalars are the physical Vectors are the physical
quantities that are fully quantities that are fully
described by a magnitude (or described by both a magnitude
numerical value) alone. and a direction.
For example time, length, mass, For example force, displacement,
temperature, etc. velocity, acceleration, etc.
•Mass =10 kg {10 is the magnitude and kg is the unit}
•Force = 50 N {50 is the magnitude and newton is the
unit}……Force in which direction??
Scalar = Magnitude+ Unit
Vector = [Magnitude+ Unit]+ Direction
Why is the displacement a vector quantity?
Displacement is the SHORTEST distance between initial and
final position.

When we talk about

SHORTEST distance,
the direction gets
automatically
defined. There can
be only a unique
direction for the
shortest path.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DISTANCE AND DISPLACEMENT
DISTANCE DISPLACEMENT
Path travelled by an object or length The shortest distance between initial
covered by a moving object. and the final position.
Does not require direction for description It is direction oriented and thus, it is a
and thus, it is a scalar quantity. vector quantity.

NOTE: The SI unit of both the quantities, distance and

displacement is metre (m).
When is the displacement same as distance….?

A B Object does not return back

to its starting point pt. A

When the motion of a body is along a straight line, the distance and displacement are the
same. Since the magnitude of the shortest length in a straight path is same as the length of
actual path covered therefore, distance and displacement are same in this case.
 Uniform and Non Uniform Motion
Uniform Motion Non- Uniform Motion
When an object covers equal distance When an object covers unequal distance in
in equal interval of time, it is said to be equal interval of time, it is said to be in
in uniform motion. non- uniform motion.
That is, distance covered per unit time That is, distance covered per unit time
remains fixed or constant. keeps changing or varies.
Eg. 1- A boy moves 20 m in 2 minutes, Eg. 1- A boy walking in a market place.
then again covers 20 m in next two Eg. 2- A car coming to halt.
minutes. And so on…..
Eg. 2- Hands of a clock covers a fixed
distance on circular track.
 Distance – time graph
A distance-time graph shows how far an object has travelled in a
given time.
It is a simple line graph that denotes distance versus time findings on
the graph.
• Distance time graph is also known as position time graph.
• Distance is plotted on the Y-axis.
• Time is plotted on the X-axis.
• A line parallel to time axis implies that an object is at rest.
• The slope of the distance – time graph gives the speed of the moving
object.
• Greater is the slope, more is the speed.
Slope of the distance – time graph
 Activity- Do it yourself
NCERT Science textbook Activity 8.5 (Pg. 100): Read the activity 8.5, plot the
graph corresponding to table 8.1 and compare the nature of the graph.
 DISTANCE TRAVELLED PER UNIT TIME
The distance travelled by the object per unit time is defined
as SPEED of the object. The SI unit of speed is m/s or ms-1 .

Note1: Sometimes distance travelled is given in kilometer and time

taken is in hours, so speed is expressed in km/h.
Note2: 1 km/ hr = 5/18 ms-1

Average Speed  Total distance tavelled

Total time taken

Ques: An object travels 16 m in 4 s and then another 16 m in 2 s.

What is the average speed of the object?
Solution: Total distance = 16 m + 16 m = 32 m
Total time taken = 4 s + 2 s = 6 s
Average speed = [Total distance travelled]/ [total time taken]
= (32 m/ 6 s)
= 5.33 m/s
 SPEED WITH DIRECTION….
VELOCITY is the speed of an object moving in a definite direction.

Velocity = Speed + Direction

Note1: SI unit is same as that of speed, i.e. m/s.
Note2: Change in either speed or direction or both changes the
velocity.

Average velocity 
Displacement
Total time taken

In case the velocity of an object is changing at a uniform rate then

the average velocity is given by arithmetic mean of initial and final
velocity.
initial velocity(u) final velocity(v)
Average velocity  2
 Let’s solve……
Ques: Usha swims in a 90 m long pool. She covers 180 m in one
minute by swimming from one end to the other and back
along the same straight path. Find the average speed and
average velocity of Usha.

Solution: Total distance covered by Usha in 1 min =180 m

Displacement of Usha in 1 min = 0 m (because she returns
back to the starting point)
Total time taken = 1 minute = 60 sec.

Average speed = [Total distance travelled]/ [total time taken]

= (180m/ 60 s) = 3 ms-1
Average velocity = [Displacement]/ [total time taken]
= (0 m/ 60 s) = 0 ms-1
The average speed of Usha is 3 m/s and her average velocity is 0 m/s.
 km 1km
1 
hr 1hr
1000m

60  60 sec
1000m 5m 5m
  
3600 sec 18 sec 18 s
 Change in Velocity
Magnitude (Speed)
and
Velocity
Direction

Change in Magnitude (Speed)

Change in Velocity and/ or

Change in direction
If ‘u’ is the initial velocity, ‘v’ is the final velocity and ‘t’ is the time
taken to change the velocity. Then rate of change of velocity is given
as another physical quantity, called acceleration.
 Rate of change of velocity….
If ‘u’ is the initial velocity, ‘v’ is the final velocity and ‘t’ is the time
taken to change the velocity (which means velocity is not constant
and hence NON-UNIFORM MOTION). Then, the rate of change of
velocity is given as ,
final velocity (v) - initial velocity (u)
Rate of change of velocity 
time taken to change (t)

A physical quantity that measures this rate of change is called

acceleration, denoted by ‘a’. Hence,
v-u
a
t
This kind of motion is called accelerated motion.
Note: The SI unit of acceleration is m/ s2. [a = (m/s) /s]
 ACCELERATION
If v > u then (v – u) is positive and hence ‘a’ is positive [acceleration]
If v < u then (v – u) is negative and hence ‘a’ is negative [retardation]
If v = u then (v – u) is zero and hence ‘a’ is zero [velocity is constant
uniform motion]
 Your Homework….
• Page No. 100 NCERT Science textbook- Do
activity 8.5 in your notebook/ pin pages.
• Page No. 102 NCERT Science textbook- Do
intext questions (Q.1 – Q.5).
• Assignment No. 1
THANK
YOU!