Motion

Scalar Quantities : Scalar quantities are those physical quantities which have only magnitude and
no direction.
Examples: The mass of a man, express by a number, say 60 kg. We cannot say that the mass of a
man is 60 kg either towards north direction or South.
Vector Quantities: Vector quantities are those physical quantities which have magnitude as well as
direction.
Examples: The weight of a body is always directed vertically downwards. Weight has direction along
with its magnitude.
Vector quantities may be positive, negative or zero.

Motion : An object is said to be in motion if its position changes continuously with respect to its
surroundings or reference point.

Rest : An object is said to be at rest if its position does not change with respect to the surroundings
or reference point.

UNIFORM AND NON-UNIFORM MOTION

Uniform Motion: When a body covers equal displacement in equal intervals of time, then the motion
of the body is said to be uniform motion.
Example:- If a school bus in uniform motion covers 100 m in 30s, then it is found that the School bus
should cover another 100 m in 30s and so on.

The displacement of the body depends linearly on time.

The displacement-time graph for a body in uniform motion is a straight line as shown in Fig.

Examples of uniform motion:- (i) Rotation of the earth (ii) Movement of the hands of watch

Non-uniform Motion
When a body covers unequal displacement in equal intervals of time then the motion of the body is
said to be non-uniform motion.

Speed of moving body in this case is not constant. The displacement of the body does not depend
linearly on time.
The displacement-time graph for a body in non-uniform motion is a curved line as shown in Fig.

Examples of non-uniform motion:- A bus moving on a crowded road or in hilly areas.

Distance: Distance covered by a body is the total length of the path followed by the body during its
motion between the initial and final positions.

Example: Suppose a body is moving from A to C through B, as shown in Fig.

Then, distance = AB + BC.
D = 4m+3m = 7m
Distance has only magnitude not direction. So, distance is a Scalar quantity. It cannot be negative.
SI unit of distance is meter(m) and CGS unit of distance is centimeter(cm).

Displacement : Displacement of a moving body is the shortest path (straight line) between initial and
final positions.

In the example given above, when object is moving from A to C through B, then the value of
displacement between initial position A and final position C is AC.
AC = 5m (using Pythagoras theorem)

Displacement has both magnitude as well as direction. So, displacement is a vector quantity.
Displacement can be positive, negative or even zero.
SI unit of displacement is meter(m) and CGS unit of displacement is centimeter(cm).

Distance Displacement

Distance is the actual length covered by the Displacement is the shortest path between the
body. initial and final positions of the body.

Distance is a scalar quantity. Displacement is a vector quantity.

Distance of a moving body can never be Displacement of a moving body can be

negative or zero. negative or zero also.

Distance can be equal to or greater than the Displacement can be equal to or less than the
displacement but can never be less than the distance but can never be greater than the
displacement. distance.

Distance can have any value between two Displacement has only one value between two
given points depending on the path followed by given points.
the body.

Distance never decreases with time for a Displacement is a unique path between two
moving body. points and it may decrease with time for a
moving body.

Speed and velocity

Speed:- Speed of a body may be defined as 'the distance covered by the body per unit time'. In other
words, the rate of distance covered by a body is called speed of the body.
Speed = Distance/Time taken
v = s/t
where, v is the speed, s is the distance and t is the time taken

The speed of the body gives an idea as to how fast the body is moving.Speed does not give any idea
about the direction of motion of the body. Hence, speed is a scalar quantity. Speed has only
magnitude and no direction.
SI unit of speed is metre or m/s or ms-1.

Types of Speed
(i) Uniform speed or constant speed: When a body covers equal distances in equal intervals of
time, then its speed is said to be uniform or constant.
Example, if a biker covers 50 m every 5 seconds then its speed is 50m/5s = 10m/s.

(ii) Non-uniform speed or variable speed: When a body covers unequal distances in equal
intervals of time or equal distances in unequal intervals of time, then the speed of the body is said to
be non-uniform or variable speed.

For example, if a car travels 50m in first 5 seconds, then the speed of the car is 50m/5s = 10 m/s. But
if the car travels 40m in the next 5 seconds, then its speed is 40m/5s = 8ms.
Hence, the speed is not constant, although the time interval is same.

(iii) Average speed: Average speed is defined as, the total distance covered by the body divided by
the total time taken to cover that distance.

Average speed = Total distance covered/Total time taken

Example:-If a car travels 50m in first 5 seconds, then 40m in the next 4 seconds, then its average
speed is 50m+40m/5s+4s.

Speed of a vehicle can never be negative because distance can never be negative.

Velocity:- Velocity is defined as the displacement of the body per unit time.
Velocity = Displacement/Time taken
V = s/t
where, v is velocity, s is displacement and t is time taken.
Velocity also includes direction. Thus, velocity is a vector quantity.SI unit of velocity is m/s. Other
units are km/hr and cm/s.

(Speed of a body gives very small information about its motion. Detailed information (direction) about
the motion is provided by velocity.)

Types of Velocity
(i) Uniform velocity or constant velocity: A body is said to have uniform velocity, when it covers
equal distances in a straight line without changing direction in equal intervals of time.
Uniform velocity may also be defined as the velocity possessed by the body when it covers equal
displacements in equal intervals of time.

(ii) Non-uniform velocity or variable velocity: A body is said to have non-uniform velocity when it
covers equal displacements in unequal intervals of time or unequal displacements in equal intervals
of time.

It should be noted that if a body covers equal distances in equal intervals of time but in different
directions, then the speed is constant but velocity is variable or non-uniform.

The velocity of a body can be changed by changing

(a) the direction of motion of the body.
(b) the speed of the body.
(c) both direction as well as the speed of the body.
(iii) Average velocity: When a body moves with variable velocity then we express average velocity
as the total displacement covered by the body divided by the total time taken to cover that
displacement.

Total displacement
Average velocity =
Total time taken

If the velocity changes at uniform rate, then average velocity is taken as the mean of the initial
velocity and final velocity.
Initial velocity+Final velocity
Average velocity =
2
u+ v
vavg. =
2

Differences between speed and velocity:-

Speed Velocity

Speed is a scalar quantity. Velocity is a vector quantity.

Speed is defined as the rate of change of Velocity is defined as the rate of change of
distance. displacement.

Speed of a moving body can never be Velocity of a moving body can be negative or
negative or zero. zero.

It is not possible to have variable speed for It is possible to have variable velocity for
constant velocity. constant speed.