Properties of Motion

Study Notes

Motion

Motion is the change in position of an object with respect to time. It can be described by various physical properties such as velocity, displacement, distance, and speed. Here we will explore these properties of motion in more detail.

Velocity in Motion

Velocity, represented by V, is given by the formula: velocity = final velocity - initial velocity. It measures the rate of change of displacement with respect to time. For example, if an object moves from point A to point B in one minute, its velocity would be the distance between points A and B divided by one minute. Velocity has both magnitude and direction associated with it. In uniform circular motion, the velocity changes constantly while the speed remains constant.

Displacement in Motion

Displacement, denoted as s, is the change in position of an object. If a car initially parked at a location X travels some distance d to reach another location Y, the displacement of the car is X-Y. Displacement is a vector quantity as it has both magnitude and direction attached to it. If an object returns to its original position after moving away, there is no net displacement.

Graphs of Motion

Graphs of motion are used to represent the relationship between the position of an object and the time taken for it to move from one place to another. These graphs help us understand how an object's position changes over time. They have a similar shape to that of the velocity vs. time graph, which is always increasing. By observing the curve of the graph, you can determine how far apart two objects were at different times.

Distance in Motion

Distance is the length of the path covered by an object during motion. It is calculated by measuring the total length moved along a straight line between two points. Distance is a scalar quantity because it only has magnitude and does not have any directional information. One unit of measurement for distance is a mile, although other units like kilometers and miles per hour are also commonly used.

Speed in Motion

Speed is the rate of motion of an object, often expressed as the distance traveled per unit time. It is measured in terms of meters per second (mps) or kilometers per hour (kmph). Speed is a scalar quantity as it does not have any directional property. The average speed of an object during uneven motion is found by dividing the total distance travelled by the total time taken.

Description

Explore the fundamental properties of motion including velocity, displacement, distance, and speed. Learn about the formulas and concepts that define these aspects of motion, and how they are represented in graphs of motion.