MOTION

Q.1. Is it possible that a body has zero velocity and is still accelerating?
Ans. Yes, it is possible that a body has zero velocity and is still accelerating. When
a body is thrown vertically upward, at the highest point of its path, the
velocity of the body is zero and its acceleration is equal to acceleration due to
gravity acting downward.
Q.2. Can displacement be greater than distance travelled by a body?
Ans. No, displacement cannot be greater than distance travelled by a body. It can
be either equal to or less than the distance travelled by the body. When the
body is moving along a straight line, the displacement will be equal to the
distance travelled by the body. But when the body is moving along any
curved path, the displacement will be less than the distance travelled by the
body.
Q.3. The position-time graph of a body is parallel to time axis. What can you say
about the motion of the body by observing the graph?

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Ans. From the graph, it is clear that there is no change in position of the body with
the change in time. Position-time graph gives the speed of the body. Hence,
the body is stationary, i.e. the body is not in motion.
Q.4. Ashima plotted a graph of time versus position as shown in the figure. Is such
time variation of position observed in nature? Give a reason for your answer.

Ans. No, such a time variation of position as plotted by Ashima is not observed in
nature. This is because :
(i) In the graph time increases first and then decreases. But backward flow
of time is not possible.
(ii) An object cannot be present at two different positions, at a particular
instant of time.
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Q.5. A body moves along a circle of radius R. What is the (i) displacement (ii) total
distance travelled by the body in one complete revolution?
Ans. (i) The displacement of a body is the shortest distance
between the initial and final position of the body,
alongwith direction.
In one complete revolution of the body final
position coincides with the initial position.
Therefore, displacement of the body = zero.
(ii) Total distance travelled in one complete revolution. i.e. from X to X
= circumference = 2R
Q.6. A car travels a distance P to Q at a speed of 80 km/h and returns to P at a
speed of 60 km/h.
(i) What is the average velocity?
(ii) What is the average speed for the complete journey?
Ans. (i) As the car returns to the original position,
Total displacement = 0

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Total displacement
=0
Total time taken
(ii) Let, the distance from P to Q = x km.
Therefore, average velocity =

Time, taken to go from P to Q (t1) =

x
h
80

and the time taken to go from Q to P (t2) =

x
h
60

Total time taken during the whole journey

x
x
3x + 4 x 7 x
=
+
=
80
60
240
240
Total distance travelled = x km + x km = 2x km
Average speed for the complete journey =
(t) = t1 + t2 =

Total distance travelled 2 x

=
7x
Total time taken
240

2x
480
240 =
= 68.57 km/h
7x
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Q.7. Two straight lines P and Q, drawn on the same

displacement-time graph, make angles 30 and 45
with time axis respectively. Which line represents
greater velocity? What is the ratio of their
velocities?
Ans. The slope of the displacement-time graph
represents the velocity of the body. The line Q is
showing greater slope in graph hence line Q has greater velocity.
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Ratio of their velocities

or

vP tan 30
1
=
=
vQ tan 45
3
1

vP
1
=
vQ
3

Q.8. Is it possible that a body is moving with a constant speed and is still
accelerating?
Ans. Yes, it is possible. When the body moves along a circular path with uniform
speed, it possesses acceleration.
Q.9. Can the speed of a body be negative?
Ans. No, the speed of a body cannot be negative. As the speed of a body is the ratio
of the distance travelled and the time, and distance travelled is never
negative.
Q.10. When do you say that a body is in uniform motion? Give an example of a
body in uniform motion.
Ans. A body is said to be in uniform motion when it travels equal distances in
equal intervals of time.
Example of uniform motion :
(i) The movement of watch hands
(ii) The movement of planets around their axes.

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Q.11. Is it possible that a body moves horizontally with an acceleration in vertical

direction?
Ans. Yes, it is possible. For a body in uniform circular motion, the velocity of the
body and the acceleration are always at right angles to each other. When a
stone tied to a string is swirled horizontally, the gravitational acceleration acts
vertically downwards.
Q.12. The velocity-time graph of a car travelling along a road is shown in the figure
below.

What is the acceleration of the car

(a) during the first two seconds
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Ans.

(b) during the second and sixth seconds?

(a) From the graph during the first two seconds, the velocity of the car
changes from 0 to 40 m/s.
Therefore, acceleration during the first two seconds

v u 40 0
=
= 20 m/s2
t
2
(b) During second and sixth seconds, acceleration of the car is zero as there
is no change in velocity of the car.
Q.13. A train is travelling at a speed of 72 km/h. Brakes are applied so as to
produce a uniform retardation of 0.4 m/s2. How far does the train go before
it stops?
Ans. According to the question,
a=

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Initial speed of the train (u) = 72 km/h = 72

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= 20 m/s
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Final speed (v) = 0 m/s

Retardation = 0.4 m/s2
Distance before the train stop (S) = ?
Applying the equation,
v2 u2 = 2aS

2
v 2 u2 0 ( 20 )
400
=
=
S=
= 500 m
2a
2 ( 0.4 ) 0.8
2

or

Therefore, the train goes 500 m before it stops.

Q.14. Draw the velocity-time graph for a
(a) uniformly accelerated motion
(b) uniformly retarded motion.
Ans. (a) The velocity-time graph for a uniformly accelerated motion is a straight
line inclined to the time axis.

(b) The velocity-time graph for a uniformly retarded motion is a straight

line and is inclined towards the velocity axis.

Q.15. Is it correct that a particle moving along a straight line with constant speed
must have zero acceleration?
Ans. Yes, it is correct. When a particle is moving along a straight line with constant
speed, its velocity remains constant with time. Therefore, acceleration i.e., the
rate of change of velocity, is zero.
Q.16. What does the slope of velocity versus time graph of a particle in a uniformly
accelerated motion at an instant, represent?
Ans. The slope of a uniformly accelerated motion at any instant represent the
acceleration of the body.

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Acceleration (a) = slope of PR =

PQ v
=
QR t

Q.17. What will be the velocity of a particle if the displacement time-graph of a

particle is :
(i) Parallel to the time axis and
(ii) Parallel to the displacement axis?
Ans. (i) When the displacement-time graph of a particle is parallel to the
time axis, the velocity of the particle will be zero.

(ii) The velocity of the particle will be infinity if the displacement-time

graph of the particle is parallel to the displacement axis. It is not possible
in nature.
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Q.18. Is it true that the distance-time graph of a body cannot be below the time axis?
Justify.
Ans. Yes, it is true that the distance-time graph cannot be below the time axis. This
is because distance travelled by a body cannot be negative.
Q.19. What is meant by uniform circular motion? Is uniform circular motion an
accelerated motion?
Ans. When a body moves along a circular path with a constant speed, its motion
is called uniform circular motion. In uniform circular motion direction of
motion changes continuously. So even when the body moves at constant
speed, its velocity changes. And the change in velocity gives rise to an
acceleration in the moving body. Therefore, the uniform circular motion is an
accelerated motion.
Q.20. A ball is thrown vertically upward in air. What is the velocity and the
acceleration at the instant it reaches its highest point?
Ans. At the instant, when the ball reaches at its maximum height, the velocity of
the body (v) = zero.
And the acceleration is equal to the acceleration due to gravity (g)
i.e. 9.8 m/s2 vertically downward.
Q.21. Raveena running a race accelerates at 2 m/s2 for the first 6 s of the race. How
far does she travel in this time?
Ans. From question,
initial velocity (u) = 0 m/s
acceleration (a) = 2 m/s2
time (t) = 6 s
distance travelled (S) = ?
Using equation,

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S = ut +

1 2
at
2

= 06+

1
2 6 6 = 36 m.
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