Revision Notes for Class 12 Physics

Chapter 2 – Motion in a Straight Line

1. Mechanics: kvn5invininn4fjrf i4 f4f

Mechanics refers to the branch of Physics, which involves the study of the movement of
physical objects.

It may be broadly categorized into the following branches:

1.1 Statics: It is the branch of mechanics, which involves the study of physical objects

at rest.

1.2 Kinematics:

It is the branch of mechanics, which involves the study of the movement of physical objects
without considering the factors that cause movement.

1.3 Dynamics:

It is the branch of mechanics, which involves the study of movement of physical objects
considering the factors that cause movement.

2. Rest And Motion

2.1 Rest:

• An object is said to be at rest when it does not change its position with respect to its
surroundings.

www.vedantu.com 1
 • For example, the white board in a classroom is at rest with respect to the classroom.

2.2 Motion:

• An object is said to be in motion when it changes its position with respect to its
surroundings.

• For instance, when we walk, run or ride a bike, we are said to be in motion with
respect to the ground.

2.3 Rest and Motion are Relative:

• Rest and motion are dependent on the observer. The object in one situation may be at
rest while the same object in another situation may be in motion.

• For example, the driver of a moving car is in motion with respect to an observer
standing on the ground whereas, the same driver is at rest with respect to the
man(observer) in the passenger’s seat.

3. While Studying This Chapter:

• We would consider the objects as point mass objects.

• An object can be taken as a point mass object if during the course of motion, it covers
distances much greater than its own size.

• We may confine ourselves to the study of rectilinear motion, which is the study of
motion of objects along a straight line.

4. Position, Distance, Displacement:

www.vedantu.com 2
 4.1 Position:

• Position of an object is always expressed with respect to some reference point which
we generally account to as origin.

• To express the change in position, we consider two physical quantities.

4.2 Distance:

• It refers to the actual path traversed by the object during the course of motion.

• Its S.I. unit is ‘metres’ and its dimensions are [M LT0 1 0].

4.3 Displacement:

• It refers to the difference between the final and initial positions of the object during
the course of motion.

• Its S.I unit is 'm' and its dimensions are M0L1T0.

Differences Between Distance and Displacement:

Distance Displacement

It refers to the actual path traversed by the It refers to the difference between the
object during the course of motion. initial and the final positions  = −x x2
x1, where, x2and x1are final and initial
position respectively.

It is a scalar quantity. It is a vector quantity.

www.vedantu.com 3
 The distance covered by an object during The displacement of an object can be
the course of motion can never be negative positive, negative or zero during the course
or zero. It is always positive. of motion.

The distance travelled is either equal to or The magnitude of displacement is less than
greater than displacement and is never less or equal to the distance travelled during
than magnitude of displacement. the course of motion.

The distance is dependent upon the path The magnitude of displacement is not
travelled by the object. dependent on the path taken by an object
during the course of motion.

Difference Between Speed and Velocity:

Speed Velocity

It refers to the total path length It refers to the change in position or

travelled divided by the total time displacement divided by the time
interval during which the motion intervals, in which this displacement
has taken place. occurs.

It is a scalar quantity. It is a vector quantity.

It is always positive during the It may be positive, negative or zero

course of the motion. during the course of the motion.

www.vedantu.com 4
 It is greater than or equal to the It is less than or equal to the speed..
magnitude of velocity.

Note:

When the motion of an object is along a straight line and in the same direction, the
magnitude of displacement is the same as the total path length.

In this case, the magnitude of average velocity is equal to the average speed. However, this is
not always the case. The average velocity gives an idea on how fast an object has been
moving over a given interval but does give an idea on how fast it moves at different instants
of time during that interval.

5. Scalar and Vector Quantities:

5.1 Scalar quantities:

• The physical quantities that have only magnitude but no direction, are termed scalar
quantities.

• Some examples of scalars are mass, length, time, distance, speed, work and
temperature.

5.2 Vector quantities:

• The physical quantities that have magnitude as well as direction are termed vector
quantities.

• Some examples of vectors are displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum,

torque.

www.vedantu.com 5
6. Average Velocity and Average Speed:

6.1 Average velocity:

• It refers to the change in position or displacement divided by the time interval, in

which the displacement occurs.

• The S.I. unit of velocity is ‘metre/second’ or ‘m/s’ even though ‘km/h’ is used in
many daily life applications and its dimensions are [M LT0 1 −1].

6.2 Average speed:

• It refers to the total path length travelled divided by the total time interval during
which the motion has taken place.

• Its S.I. unit is m/s and its dimensions are [M LT0 1 −1].

7. Instantaneous Velocity and Instantaneous Speed:

7.1 Instantaneous velocity:

• It refers to the velocity at an instant t. Instantaneous velocity can further be expressed

as the limit of the average velocity during which the time interval t becomes
infinitesimally small.

• Mathematically, instantaneous velocity = Lt( x/ t) = dx dt/

• The quantity on the right-hand side of the above expression is the differential
coefficient of x with respect to t and is represented by dx dt/ .

www.vedantu.com 6
 • Clearly, it refers to the rate of change of position with respect to time at that particular
instant.

• Its S.I. unit is m s/ and its dimensions are [M LT0 1 −1].

7.2 Instantaneous Speed:

• Instantaneous speed or simply speed refers to the magnitude of velocity.

• Its S.I. unit is m s/ and its dimensions are [M LT0 1 −1].

8. Acceleration:

8.1 Average Acceleration:

• The average acceleration over a time interval refers to the change of velocity divided
by the time interval.

• Mathematically, it is given by a = −(v2 v1)/ (t2 −t1), where v2 and v1are velocities at time
t2 and t1 respectively.

• Average acceleration can thus be defined as the average change of velocity per unit
time.

• Its S.I. unit is m s/ 2 and its dimensions are [M LT0 1 −2].

8.2 Instantaneous Acceleration:

• Mathematically, instantaneous acceleration can be expressed in the same way as the

instantaneous velocity as follows:

a = lim(  =v/ t)dv dt/

→t 0

www.vedantu.com 7
 • Its S.I. unit is m s/ 2 and its dimensions are [M LT0 1 −2].

• When there is uniform acceleration, obviously, instantaneous acceleration is the same

as the average acceleration over that period of time.

• As velocity is a quantity involving both magnitude and direction, a change in the

velocity may also involve either or both of these factors.

• Thus, acceleration may result from a change in the speed(magnitude), a change in

direction or changes in both.

• Similar to velocity, acceleration can also be positive, negative or zero.

Note:

• We would restrict ourselves to the study of constant acceleration in this chapter. In

this case, average acceleration is the same as the constant value of acceleration during
a particular time interval.

−v0
• When the velocity of an object is v0 at t =0 and v at time t, we have a = v =
+v v0 at . This is nothing but the first equation of motion.
t −0

• Other equations of motion are:

1 2
S = +v to at
2 v2 − =v02
2aS
a
S = +v0 2(2n−1)

In all these equations, acceleration is considered to be constant.

www.vedantu.com 8
9. Graphs:

9.1 Uniform motion:

• If a body is said to be in uniform motion, the body completes equal distances in equal
intervals of time.

• Here, velocity is constant during the course of motion.

• Also, acceleration is zero during the course of motion.

When we demonstrate this on the number line with x, v, a on the Y-axis and t on the X-axis,
then we would have -

www.vedantu.com 9
Displacement-time Velocity-time graph Acceleration-time graph
graph Velocity = slope of x-t
graph acc = slope of n v−t graph

(i)

Nature of slope: positive

Nature of slope: zero
Nature of slope of
Magnitude of slope:
Magnitude of slope:
constant a−t
constant

www.vedantu.com 10
 (ii)

Nature of slope:
negative
Nature of slope: zero Nature of slope of
Magnitude of slope:
constant Magnitude of slope: a−t
constant

9.2 Non-Uniform motion:

• If a body undergoes non-uniform motion, the body is said to be in uniformly

accelerated motion.

• Here, the magnitude of velocity increases or decreases with the passage of time.

• Also, acceleration would not be zero as it undergoes accelerated motion.

When we demonstrate this on the number line with x, v, a on the Y-axis and t on the X-
axis, then we would have –

www.vedantu.com 11
Displacement-time graph Velocity-time graph Acceleration-time graph
Velocity = slope of x-t acc = slope of v−t graph
n

graph

(i)

www.vedantu.com 12
(ii)

www.vedantu.com 13
(iii)

Nature of slope: positive

Nature of slope: positive
Magnitude of slope:
Increasing Magnitude of slope:
constant

www.vedantu.com 14
(iv)

Nature of slope: negative

Nature of slope: positive
Magnitude of slope:
Magnitude of slope: constant
decreasing

(v)

Nature of slope: negative

Nature of slope: negative
Magnitude of slope:
Magnitude of slope: constant
increasing

www.vedantu.com 15
(vi)

Nature of slope: positive

Nature of slope: negative
Magnitude of slope:
Magnitude of slope:
constant
decreasing

www.vedantu.com 16