Motion Notes

1. Motion:
An object is said to be in motion, when its position changes in
respect to its surroundings.
2. Rest:
An object is said to be in rest if its position doesn’t change in
respect to its surroundings.
3. Motion and rest are relative. For example, a person sitting in
a moving vehicle is in motion with respect to a person
standing on the road. But that same person in at rest with
respect to another passenger on said vehicle.
4. There is nothing in this universe which is at absolute rest.
5. Point Object:
When an object covers a distance more than its size, it is called
the point object.
6. Scalar Quantity:
A scalar quantity is a quantity in which there is only magnitude.
7. Vector Quantity:
These quantities have both magnitude as well as direction.
 8. Uniform Motion
An object is said to be in uniform motion if it moves equal
distances in an equal interval of time (e.g. motion in a straight
line).
9. Non-Uniform Motion
An object is said to be in non-uniform motion if it moves an
unequal amount of distance in an equal interval of time.
10. Periodic Motion
An object is said to be in periodic motion if it repeats its position
in a fixed interval of time.
11. Distance
 The total path length covered by an object is called
distance.
 The SI unit for distance is the metre.
 Distance can’t be negative or zero.
 Distance is a scalar quantity because it only has
magnitude.
12. Displacement
 The shortest distance between the initial and final
position is referred to as displacement.
 The SI unit for displacement is the metre.
 It is a vector quantity as it has both direction and
magnitude.
 It can be zero, positive or negative.

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13. Average Speed
It is defined as the total distance covered by the object per
unit of total time taken.
14. Velocity
 Speed with direction or displacement per unit time is known
as velocity
 Velocity = displacement/time
 SI unit = m/s
 It is a vector quantity and can be negative.
15. Average Velocity
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
 It can be found by using the formula
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

16. Acceleration
 The time rate of change in velocity is called acceleration.
𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦
 Acceleration =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
𝑣−𝑢
 a= 𝑡
where u is the initial velocity, v is the final velocity and

t is the time taken to change the velocity from u to v.

 The unit for acceleration is m/s/s or ms-2.
 It is a vector quantity.
 It can be positive, negative or zero.
 Negative acceleration is referred to as retardation or
deceleration.

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17. Uniform Acceleration:
Acceleration is said to be uniform when the object’s velocity
changes at a uniform rate.
18. Non-Uniform Acceleration:
Acceleration is said to be non-uniform when the object’s
velocity changes at an irregular rate.
19. Equations of Motion:
These are equations which define the motion of an object.
i. v = v0 + a.t
ii. s = v0.t + ½ a.t2 or s = (v0+v/2)* t
iii. v2 – v02 = 2 a. s
20. Circular Motion:
Circular motion can be defined as the movement of an
object along the circumference of a circle or rotation along
a circular path.
i. Uniform Circular Motion:
The motion of an object is said to be uniform
circular motion if it moves along a circular path
at a constant speed.
ii. In uniform circular motion, velocity changes but
the speed remains constant. It is an example of
accelerated motion.
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 2.𝜋.𝑟
iii. Speed = 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒
or 𝑡

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21. Summary of Velocity/Time Graph
𝛥𝑣
I. Slope of the graph is acceleration a= 𝛥𝑡
where delta v

is the change in velocity, divided by delta t, the overall

change in time.
II. Area under velocity/time graph is displacement.
22. Newton’s First Law
Newton’s first law states that an object in motion (constant
velocity) or at rest, will remain in this state until acted upon
by an external force. From our first law, we see that bodies
that move with uniform motion, or are at rest, do not have
any net external force. This doesn’t mean that bodies in rest
have no external force. It means that all forces acting upon
the body are equal.
23. Inertia
An object’s tendency to resist a change in its current state
of motion is called inertia. For example if a passenger is in a
car without a seatbelt and the car crashes, they will resist the
change in motion and continue at constant velocity
through the windscreen.
24. Friction
i. Friction is proportional to weight.

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 ii. Friction depends on the materials used.

25. Equilibrium
It is a condition in which the sum of the forces is zero.
26. Newton’s Second Law
The boy’s first law is about motion without forces so his
second law is about motion of objects with net force innit?
F=m.awoo
F= m.g which is the downward force due to gravity.
27. Free falling objects
V= v0 + awoo.t a = g if v0 = 0 m/s
V= v0 + g.t
V = g.t
For small bodies, excluding drag or spin, the velocity is given
below. The force g is equal to 9.8 m/s2 (10 ms-2 rounded off)

t v (m/s)

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