Handout: linear motion. Moyin Sir.

Part-1
Linear Motion

Distance: The length of the route between two points. It is a scalar quantity. Unit is
m/s.
In the diagram, we want to go from
A A to B. there can be different routes
between A to B. All the routes
moyin sir B between A to B is the distance
between A to B. Thus there can be
many different distances between
two points.

Displacement: The between two points in a straight line is called displacement. It is

the shortest distance between two points. There can only be one displacement
between two points. It is a vector quantity. Unit m/s.

A In the diagram, the straight line

between A and B is the displacement
B between A and B. there may not be
any road between A and B in that
straight line, but it is the displacement.
After a complete lap the displacement
is ‘ZERO’.

Speed: The distance travelled in one second (Unit time) is called ‘Speed’. It is a
‘Scalar’ quantity. Unit is ‘m/s’.
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒅
Constant speed or Average speed is: 𝑺𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒅 = or 𝑺 =
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕

Velocity: The displacement travelled in one second (Unit time) is called ‘Velocity’. It
is a ‘Vector’ quantity. Unit is ‘m/s’
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑫𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒅
Constant velocity or average velocity is: 𝑽𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 = or 𝑽 =
𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑻𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒕

Q-1: A car completes this circular track 12 times in 6 min. Calculate: Start

i) The speed of the car. ii) The Velocity of the car. (r = 100m)

moyin sir r =100m

Moyin Sir
 Moyin Sir.
Acceleration: The velocity change in one second (Unit time) is called acceleration. It
is a Vector quantity. Unit is m/s2.

Velocity change = (𝒗 − 𝒖) m/s

u v
Time needed = t (seconds), thus:
t
(𝒗−𝒖)
Acceleration: 𝒂 =
𝒕

(𝒗+𝒖)
If a car has constant acceleration then its ‘average velocity’ is 𝑨𝒗 𝑽 = and the
𝟐
𝒅 𝒅 (𝒗+𝒖)
average velocity is also 𝑽 = . Thus =
𝒕 𝒕 𝟐 (𝒗 + 𝒖)
𝒅= 𝒕
𝟐

This equation is used to find the distance when the object is accelerating or
decelerating.

Equations of Motion:
With constant Acceleration:
With constant Velocity
(𝒗−𝒖) (𝒗+𝒖)
𝒅 𝒊) 𝒂 = ii) 𝒅= 𝒕
1. 𝑽 = 𝒕 𝟐
𝒕
2. 𝒅 = 𝑽. 𝒕 iii) v = u + at iv) 𝒅 = 𝒖𝒕 +
𝟏
𝒂𝒕𝟐
𝒅 𝟐
3. 𝒕 = v) 𝒗𝟐 = 𝒖𝟐 + 𝟐𝒂𝒅
𝑽

Motion Graphs: d/m At rest d/m Constant speed

1. Distance – time graph:

Properties:
moyin sir
i) Gradient = Speed.

ii) Area under the graph =No physical t/s t/s

significance. d/m Constant speed Acceleration
d/m

iii) y- intercept = initial distance.

iv) x-intercept = time needed or time delay.

t/s t/s
Moyin Sir
 Moyin Sir.
d/m Deceleration d/m d/m

At rest At rest
Constant speed Constant speed

t/s t/s t/s

Time delay

2. Displacement- Time graph:

Properties:
moyin sir d/m
i) Gradient = Velocity. At rest

ii) Area under the graph =No physical

significance.

iii) y- intercept = initial displacement. t/s

iv) x-intercept = time needed or time delay.

d/m Constant velocity Constant velocity Acceleration

d/m d/m

t/s t/s t/s

d/m Deceleration
moyin sir

t/s

Moyin Sir
 Moyin Sir.
Constant speed
3. Speed-time graph: Shaded Area = distance

Properties:

moyin sir

S/ms-1
i) Gradient = Acceleration.

ii) Area under the graph =distance travelled.

iii) y- intercept = initial speed (u).

t/s
iv) x-intercept = time needed or time delay.

Deceleration Increasing acceleration

Acceleration
S/ms-1

S/ms-1
S/ms-1

t/s t/s t/s

Decreasing acceleration Decreasing deceleration

Increasing deceleration
S/ms-1
S/ms-1

S/ms-1

t/s t/s
t/s

4. Velocity Time graph: moyin sir

Properties:
Constant velocity
i) Gradient = Acceleration.
v/ms-1

ii) Area under the graph =displacement

iii) y- intercept = initial velocity (u).

t/s
iv) x-intercept = time needed or time delay.

Shaded Area = displacement

Moyin Sir
 Moyin Sir.
Deceleration Increasing acceleration
Acceleration

v/ms-1

v/ms-1
v/ms-1

t/s t/s t/s

Decreasing acceleration Decreasing deceleration

Increasing deceleration

v/ms-1
v/ms-1

v/ms-1
t/s t/s
t/s

Note: Decreasing acceleration is not deceleration. In decreasing acceleration, the

final velocity becomes constant, but in deceleration the final velocity becomes
‘zero’.

Comparing graphs: moyin sir

d/m
S/ms-1

V/ms-1

t/s t/s t/s

d/m
S/ms-1

a/ms-2

t/s t/s t/s

Moyin Sir
 Moyin Sir.
Motion under Gravity: When an object falls to the earth it accelerates and when it
moves upward it decelerates and magnitude of acceleration or deceleration is same
(10m/s2). When falling g = +10m/s2 and when moving upward g = -10m/s2.

Moving on the Falling ( g = +10 m/s2) Moving upward ( g = - 10m/s2)

surface
𝒅 Constant velocity is not Constant velocity is not
𝑽=
𝒕 possible. possible.

(𝒗 − 𝒖) (𝒗 − 𝒖) (𝒗 − 𝒖)
𝒂= 𝒈= −𝒈 =
𝒕 𝒕 𝒕

𝒗 = 𝒖 ± 𝒂𝒕 𝒗 = 𝒖 + 𝒈𝒕 𝒗 = 𝒖 − 𝒈𝒕

𝟏 𝟏 𝟏
𝒅 = 𝒖𝒕 ± 𝒂𝒕𝟐 𝒉 = 𝒖𝒕 + 𝒈𝒕𝟐 𝒉 = 𝒖𝒕 − 𝒂𝒕𝟐
𝟐 𝟐 𝟐

𝒗𝟐 = 𝒖𝟐 ± 𝟐𝒂𝒅 𝒗𝟐 = 𝒖𝟐 + 𝟐𝒈𝒉 𝒗𝟐 = 𝒖𝟐 − 𝟐𝒈𝒉

± is used, + for acceleration and – for deceleration.

When an object is dropped from a height then the initial velocity u is zero, and the
object will always fall so the g is positive, thus:

𝟏 𝟐𝒉
1. 𝒗 = 𝒈𝒕 2. 𝒉= 𝒈 𝒕𝟐 So dropping time 𝒕= √
𝟐 𝒈

3. 𝒗𝟐 = 𝟐𝒈𝒉
Throwing upward the final velocity is zero. Thus the maximum height is
𝒖𝟐
𝟎 = 𝒖𝟐 − 𝟐𝒈𝒉 And 4. 𝒉𝒎𝒂𝒙 = 𝟐𝒈
moyin sir
When an object falls freely, it accelerates and the air drag on it also increases. In
one point the weight and the drag becomes equal and opposite. Then the net force
on the object is zero and the object falls with a constant velocity.

Terminal velocity: The maximum velocity gained by an object while moving through
a fluid is called ‘Terminal Velocity’.
V/ms-1

T.V

t/s
Moyin Sir