Motion

Rest and Motion

We use the word ‘rest’ very often. For example, when someone is doing no work or lying
on the bed, we often say that the person is resting. This means that the person is not
moving. Scientifically as well, the word ‘rest’ has a similar meaning.

Scientifically, we say an object is at rest when the position of the object does
not change with time, with respect to its surroundings.

Similarly, motion is defined as the change of position of an object with time, with
respect to its surroundings.

What do we mean by with respect to the surroundings?

We know that a moving train is in motion because its position changes with time. Now,
consider a person sitting in the train. For someone standing on the platform, the person
sitting in the train is in motion. But for the co-passengers, the person is at rest as the
position of the person does not change with time.

Therefore, we need to consider the surroundings or the point of observation while

describing the state of motion of an object. The surroundings is called reference frame.

What the above discussion shows us is that rest and motion are relative. They can be
different for different observers. If someone views the Earth from the universe, then all
the things on the Earth (such as houses, trees, a moving train, etc.) are in motion for that
person.

But for a person on the Earth’s surface, things such as houses, trees, etc., are at rest. So,
when we say that an object is at rest, what we really mean is that the object is at rest
with respect to its surroundings.

Types of Motion
So, you have already learned that all the objects around us can be classified as
either moving or stationary. This classification of object is based on whether they
change their position with time or not. If an object changes its position with time, then it
is called moving object.

Here, we will discuss different types of motion of moving objects and the basis of their
classification.
Classification of motion:

The motion of objects can be classified depending on the way they move. Let us learn
more about the aspects of these types of motion.

i) Translatory motion:

In this motion, the object moves in a line such that each point of the object covers equal
distance in equal time. It is further classified into two types:

a) Rectilinear motion:

Let us first look at examples of some moving objects.

Now, we can define rectilinear motion.

An object is said to have rectilinear motion if it moves from one point to another in a
straight line.

Another very common example of rectilinear motion is the motion of a moving car on a
straight road.

Try to find more examples of rectilinear motion.

Can you compare the different motion given in the figure?

The motion of a convoy is uniform as the speed of all the vehicles is same throughout.
This type of motion in which no change in speed of the object is observed is known
as uniform rectilinear motion.

While the motion of launching rocket is not uniform as the speed of rocket goes on
increasing as it goes higher. This type of motion in which the change in speed with
which the object moves is observed is known as non-uniform rectilinear motion.

b) Curvilinear motion:

An object moving in a curve path is said to posses curvilinear motion.

ii)

Circular motion:

An object is said to possess circular motion if it moves from one point to another in
such a way that its distance from a fixed point always remains constant.

You have already seen an example of circular motion in the animation. Another simple
example of this type of motion is the movement of the blades of a fan. During their
motion, the blades move from one point to another, but the distance between them and
the head of the fan remains the same.

List some objects in your house that possess circular motion.

iii)

Periodic motion:
An object is said to possess periodic motion if it moves in such a way that it repeats its
motion after a certain interval of time.

Other examples of periodic motion are the motion of a swing, the motion of a guitar
string, the motion of the head of a drum, etc.

List these objects in a table along with their types of motion. Does any visible part of the
sewing machine have a periodic motion?

All oscillatory motions can be termed as periodic motions but all periodic motion can
not be termed as oscillatory motion.

For example movement of the pendulum is an oscillatory motion as well as periodic,

while rotation of the earth is a periodic motion but not oscillatory.

Therefore, the type of motion in which the object moves to and fro repeatedly about a
mean or a fixed position is known as oscillatory motion.

Vibratory motion is a kind of oscillatory motion in which a part of body always remains
fixed and the rest part moves to and fro about the fixed position. Also, in vibratory
motion, the shape and size of the body changes.

The motion which does not repeat itself after regular interval of time is called non-
periodic motion.

iv) Rotational motion:

An object is said to possess rotational motion if it whirls around a fixed axis that
passes through it.

Do not get confused with a circular motion. For better understanding, let us see an
example.
 The hands of a wall clock move about the fixed center. Hence, a clock’s hands have
rotational motion. But remember, the tips of the hands of the clock have circular
motion.

viii) Random Motion

If the object changes its direction and speed continuously without following a particular
pattern then it is said to possess random motion.

For example, movements of fish, butterfly etc. shows random motion as they do not
follow a particular direction.

Some moving objects have more than one type of motion. Let us see.

Combination of different types of motion

• Rolling coin

A coin rolling on a floor moves forward by rotating about an axis perpendicular to the
surface of the coin. It shows the properties of both linear and rotational motion.
• Screw motion

When you tighten or loosen a screw with the help of a screwdriver, you
rotate it clockwise or anticlockwise. As a result, the screw moves
straight inwards or outwards, respectively. Hence, you can easily say
that screw motion is linear as well as rotational.

Which type of motion does a moving top have?

Do you want one more example of the combination of motion?

Here it is.

Speed

Sourabh and Apurva go to school on their bicycles. Sourabh covers 200 m in 4 minutes
and Apurva covers the same distance in 5 minutes. Who cycles faster?

In this section, we will discuss the concept of speed and how it is used in solving
various problems in our daily life.

Speed

The slowness or fastness of an object can be related with the help of their
speeds. The speed of a moving object is defined as the distance covered by it in unit
time. For example, if a car covers a distance of 25 km in one hour, then it is said that the
car is moving with a speed of 25 km per hour. The speed of a vehicle can be measured
by dividing the total distance covered by it by the total time it takes to cover that
distance.

You may have observed many times that the speed of your school bus keeps changing
its motion along a straight path because of heavy traffic, traffic signals, etc. This is an
example of non-uniform motion. In this type of motion, a vehicle’s speed keeps
 changing with time. In this case, the speed can be determined in terms of its “average”
speed. Average speed is determined by dividing the total distance covered by the total
time taken.

In the case of uniform motion, a vehicle moves with constant speed along a straight
path. Hence, its average speed is the same as its actual speed.

• An object that takes the minimum amount of time to cover a given distance is the one
moving with the highest speed, whereas an object that takes the maximum amount of
time to cover the same distance is the one moving with the slowest speed.
The times taken by each cyclist to complete one round of a racing circuit are given in the
table.
Who is the fastest cyclist?
Participant Time taken (in seconds)
Rajesh 12
Manish 22
Sujoy 12
Anuj 10
Pawan 8
Gaurav 9
Samik 17
Biswas 16

Do You Know:

Maglev trains are one of the fastest trains in the world. They can move at an average
speed of 450 km/h i.e., they can cover a distance of 450 km in just an hour!

Modern vehicles use speedometers that measure speed in units of km/h. They also
include odometers that record the total distance travelled by vehicles in units of
kilometre (km). A simple speedometer with an odometer is shown in the given figure.
Calculation of Speed

Atul takes 3 minutes to travel a distance of 300 m to reach his school. Can you
determine his speed?

In this section, we will learn to solve problems related to speed.

We know that the speed of a body in motion is represented by the given relation.

In the question given above, we have

Distance covered = 300 m

Time taken = 3 minutes = 180 s

Speed =

In the same way, the speed of a moving body can also be expressed in km/hr. However,
that depends on the requirement of the situation.

The unit of speed is metre per second (m/s) or kilometre per hour (km/h).

Example: A school bus covers a distance of 5 km between a student’s house and the
school in 30 minutes. What is the speed of the bus?

Solution:

The speed of the bus between the student’s house and the school can be determined by
dividing the total distance covered by the total time taken by the bus.
 Since the total distance between the student’s house and the school is 5 km and the
time taken by the bus is 30 minutes,

Hence, the speed of the bus between the student’s house and the school is 10 km/h.

A train crosses a tunnel of length 100 m in 9 seconds. What is its speed in km/h?

To solve such a problem, one should know the concept of conversion between m/s and
km/hr.

• To convert km/hr into m/sec, we multiply the quantity with 5/18.

• To convert m/sec into km/hr, we multiply the quantity with 18/5.

Hence,

Distance = 100 m

Time = 9 s

Speed =

In terms of kilometre per hour, this speed can be written as

Speed =

= 40 km/h

Now, try to do this yourself.

A car travels a distance of 105 km in 3 hours. Calculate its speed in m/s.

Mass and Weight
Mass and Weight: An Overview

Do you know that the mass of a body remains constant? And that the weight of the
same body can vary from zero to any finite value, depending upon the celestial body on
which it is kept? Have you heard about weightlessness? A body has weight because of
gravity; the same body can experience weightlessness under the same gravity. Strange,
isn’t it?

Suppose a body of mass 1000 kg is placed on Earth’s surface and then on the surface
of the moon. The mass of the body will remain the same at both places, but it will have
different weights (9800 N on Earth and 1600 N on the moon).

The mass of an object is defined as the amount of matter present in it.

It is the measure of the inertia possessed by an object. It is one of the three

fundamental physical quantities, the other two being length and time. The mass of an
object is usually represented by the small letter ‘m’. Its SI unit is kilogram (kg).

The mass of an object is a conserved quantity. It can be neither created nor destroyed
during physical or chemical changes. During a physical or chemical process, the total
mass of the objects involved remains constant.

Did You Know?

You might know the famous mass−energy equation given by Albert Einstein.
E = mc2

This equation expresses the amount of energy created when mass (m) is lost in a
process. The letter ‘c’ represents the speed of light in vacuum and is numerically equal
to 3 × 108 m/s. Let us consider that somehow we are able to completely convert 1 g (=
0.001 kg) of mass into energy. The resultant energy is given as:

E = 0.001 × (3 × 108)2

⇒ E = 10−3 × 9 × 1016

⇒ E = 9 × 1013 J

This energy is enough to meet the electricity needs of India for more than a year!!

A body contains the same quantity of matter whether it is on Earth, on Mars or in outer
space. So, if the mass of an object is 10 kg on Earth, then it will have the same mass on
Mars, on the moon and even in outer space. The mass of an object can never be zero.
Weight

The weight of an object is the force of gravity on the object and may be defined as the
product of its mass and acceleration due to gravity.

We know that:

Force = Mass × Acceleration

The acceleration produced by Earth’s force of attraction is known as acceleration due to

gravity and is denoted by the letter ‘g’. Thus, the downward force acting on a body is
given by:

Force = m × g

Where, m is the mass of the body

By definition, Earth’s force of attraction on a body is known as the weight of the body.
Hence, on writing ‘Weight’ (W) in place of ‘Force’ in the above equation, we get:

Weight, W = m × g

Where, m = Mass of the body

g = Acceleration due to gravity

Weight has the same SI unit as force, i.e., newton (N).

Now, let us calculate the weight of an object having a mass of 1 kg on Earth’s surface.

We know that acceleration due to gravity on Earth’s surface is 9.8 m/s2.

Therefore, weight of the object = m × g = 1 kg × 9.8 m/s2 = 9.8 N

Know More

Weight has magnitude as well as direction. The weight of a body acts in vertically
downward direction and is given by mg. Since the value of 'g' (acceleration due to
gravity) changes from place to place, the weight of a body also changes from place to
place, i.e., the weight of a body is not constant. In interplanetary space, acceleration due
to gravity is negligible. Thus, the weight of a body is zero in interplanetary space, and
because of this, one experiences weightlessness.

Acceleration due to gravity increases at the poles. As a result, the weight of an object
increases at the poles. Acceleration due to gravity decreases at higher altitudes. As a
result, the weight of an object decreases at higher altitudes. Acceleration due to gravity
decreases under Earth’s surface. As a result, the weight of an object decreases under
Earth’s surface and becomes zero at Earth’s centre.

The weight of an object on Earth is the force with which Earth attracts the object toward
itself. Similarly, the weight of an object on the moon is the force with which the moon
attracts the object toward itself.
Differences Between Mass and Weight

S. No. Mass Weight

Weight is the force exerted on a body

Mass is the amount of due to the gravitational pull of another
1.
matter contained in a body. body such as Earth, the sun and the
moon.

Mass is an intrinsic Weight is an extrinsic property of a

2.
property of a body. body.

Mass is the measure of

3. Weight is the measure of force.
inertia.

The mass of a body The weight of a body depends on the

4. remains the same local acceleration due to gravity where
everywhere in the universe. it is placed.
 The mass of a body cannot
5. The weight of a body can be zero.
be zero.

The SI unit of mass is Since weight is a force, its SI unit is

6.
kilogram (kg). newton (N).

The mass of a body can be The weight of a body can be measured

7. measured using a beam using a spring balance and a weighing
balance and a pan balance. machine.

Differences Between Mass and Weight

Spring Balance and Beam Balance

While commonly used for measuring the mass of a body, what a spring balance actually
measures is the weight of the body (or the force acting in the downward direction).

It can be used locally to measure mass when calibrated correctly according to the value
of acceleration due to gravity at the given place.

A spring balance shows different readings on different planets because of the differing
values of acceleration due to gravity.

In a spring balance,

mg = kx

Where, x is the extension produced in the spring and k is the spring constant.
∴ x = mg/k

So, for differing values of g, x also has different values.

A beam balance is also used for measuring the mass of a body. It does so by
comparing the mass of the body with a given standard mass.

Weight of an Object on the Moon

Suppose an object having a mass m and weight We on Earth, is brought to the surface of
the moon.

So, we have:

Mass of the object = m

Weight of the object on Earth = We

Let us take:

Mass of Earth = Me

Radius of Earth = Re
Weight of the object on the moon = Wm

Mass of the moon = Mm

Radius of the moon = Rm

Since the mass of the object remains the same everywhere in the universe, it will be the
same on both Earth and the moon.

Newton’s law of gravitation gives the weight of the object on the moon as:

The values of the mass and radius of Earth and the moon are given in the following
table.
Mass Radius

Earth 5.98 × 1024 kg 6.37 × 106 m

Moon 7.36 × 1022 kg 1.74 × 106 m

Hence, equation (ii) gives the weight of the object on Earth as:

We = G ×

We = 1.4737 × 1011 m G… (iii)

Equation (i) gives its weight on the moon as:

Wm =

Wm = 2.4309 × 1010 m G… (iv)

 On dividing equation (iv) by equation (iii), we obtain:

From the above result, we can infer that:

• The weight of an object on the moon is one-sixth of its weight on Earth.

• The acceleration due to gravity on the moon is one-sixth of the acceleration due to
gravity on Earth.

Solved Examples

Easy

Example 1:

A toy has a mass of 1 kg. Its weight is measured at the equator and at the North Pole
using a spring balance. Where do you think the toy would weigh more?

Solution:

Acceleration due to gravity is more at the North Pole than at the equator. Thus, an
object weighs more at the North Pole than at the equator. Hence, the toy will weigh
more at the North Pole.

Example 2:

A block of mass 10 kg is taken to the moon. If the acceleration due to gravity on the
moon is 1.63 m/s2, then what is the weight of the block on the moon?

Solution:

Weight, W = mg

Where, m = Mass of the block = 10 kg

g = Acceleration due to gravity on the moon = 1.63 m/s2

Example 3:

A horizontal force of 10 N acts on a block weighing 9.8 N. What is the acceleration

produced in the block? (Take g = 9.8 m/s2)

Solution:

Weight of the block = Mass of the block × Acceleration due to gravity

Let the mass of the block be m.

⇒ 9.8 = m × 9.8
∴ m =1 kg

Accerleration produced in the block =

Medium

Example 4:

Why does the weight of an object change when we move from the poles to the
equator?

Solution:

Earth’s radius increases when we move from the poles to the equator. The value of
acceleration due to gravity is inversely proportional to Earth’s radius (R). So, as we
move from the poles to the equator, the gravitational force decreases.

The equation makes it clear that as R increases, the value of g decreases.

Now, the weight of an object is the product of its mass and the gravitational force. So,
the weight of the object will decrease as we move from the poles to the equator.
Hard

Example 5:

If a man’s weight is 80 N on Earth’s surface, then how far must he go from Earth’s
centre so as to weigh 40 N? (Take Earth’s radius = 6400 km)

Solution:

Weight (W) of the man on Earth’s surface = 80 N

The acceleration due to gravity g at height h above Earth’s surface is given as:
Therefore, the man must go (R+h) = (6.4× 106+ 2.65 × 106 = 9.05 × 106) m far from
Earth’s centre so as to weigh 40 N.
Weightlessness

Weightlessness describes the situation wherein the weight of a body becomes zero.

The effective weight of the body at a place (or in a situation) is zero when the effective
acceleration due to gravity at that point is zero.

Let us read about the situations wherein the weight of a body becomes zero.

Case I: When the body is taken to Earth’s centre

The effective value of acceleration due to gravity at Earth’s centre is zero.

Therefore, weight of the body at Earth’s centre = mg' = m × 0 = 0

Case II: When the body is revolving around Earth under the influence of the
gravitational force

Earth’s gravitational pull on the body (acting towards Earth’s centre) is balanced by the
centrifugal force on the body (acting away from Earth’s centre). In consequence, the
effective weight of the body becomes zero.

Case III: When the body is inside a lift falling freely under Earth’s gravitational force

Acceleration of the lift, a = g

Effective acceleration due to gravity = g' = g − a = g − g = 0

Hence, effective weight of the body = 0

Solved Examples

Easy

Example:

What is the weight of a body of mass m near Earth’s surface during its free fall?

Solution:

Weight is a physical quantity that can be experienced only when the body opposes the
force of gravity. During free fall, the body does not oppose Earth’s gravitational force;
hence, its weight is zero.
Did You Know?

The motion of a satellite around Earth is an example of free fall. The satellite, at every
point, is falling freely toward Earth.

A black hole is formed when a star completely collapses on its gravitational force. A
black hole has an intense gravitational field around itself. Nothing can escape from this
gravitational field, not even light!