Chapter 2: Motion in One Dimension

Discussed by Dr Mukesh Kumar [mukesh.kumar@wits.ac.za]

Phys1000/32

2.1 From reality to model

2.2 Position and displacement
2.3 Representing motion
2.4 Average speed and average velocity

2.5 Scalars and vectors

2.6 Position and displacement vectors
2.7 Velocity as a vector
2.8 Motion at constant velocity
2.9 Instantaneous velocity
Let’s describe the motion along a straight line.

O = origin [right to O as positive (+); left to O as negative (-)]

Position coordinate of point P and Q are +360 m and +240 m respectively.

Position coordinate of point R is -120 m.

Let’s define some terminologies associated with motion:

Path length: is a scalar quantity – a quantity that has a magnitude and no direction.
Displacement: change in position. Displacement has both magnitude and direction. Such
quantities are represented by vectors.

Let 𝑥𝑖 and 𝑥𝑓 be the positions of an object at time 𝑡𝑖 and 𝑡𝑓 .

Then its displacement, denoted by Δ𝑥, in time Δ𝑡 = (𝑡𝑓 − 𝑡𝑖 ), is given by the difference
between the final and initial positions:

Δ𝑥 = 𝑥𝑓 − 𝑥𝑖

If 𝑥𝑓 > 𝑥𝑖 , Δ𝑥 is positive; and

If 𝑥𝑓 < 𝑥𝑖 , Δ𝑥 is negative.

o The magnitude of displacement may or may not be equal to the path length traverse
by an object.

o The magnitude of the displacement for a course of motion may be zero but the
corresponding path length is not zero.