MOTION IN A STRAIGHT LINE

Distance and Displacement

For a moving particle;

i) Displacement can be +ve, -ve or zero, but distance would be always positive.

ii) Distance ≥ Magnitude of displacement. Or 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 ≥ |𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡|

iii) Distance is equal to magnitude of displacement only when the particle is

moving along a straight line without any change in direction.

Speed and Velocity

𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛
S.I unit of speed is ms-1. It is a scalar quantity.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛

S.I unit of velocity is ms-1. It is a vector quantity.

Average Speed and Average Velocity

𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 ∆𝑥
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 = ⇒ 𝑣 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 ∆𝑡

𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 ====⃗

𝑥⃗$ − 𝑥⃗% ∆𝑥
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = ⇒ 𝑣⃗!"# = =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑡$ − 𝑡% ∆𝑡

Note:

i) Consider an object which travels with speeds v1, v2, v3,……..vn during time intervals

"! &! '"" &" '⋯…."# &#

t1, t2, t3, ……….tn respectively, then , 𝑣̅ = &! '&" '⋯'&#

"! '"" '⋯"#

If t1 = t2=……….tn = t, then, 𝑣̅ = +

Here average speed is the arithmetic mean of individual speeds.

ii) Consider an object with covers distances 𝑥% , 𝑥$ , 𝑥, , … … … . 𝑥+ with velocities

𝑣% , 𝑣$ , 𝑣, , … … 𝑣+ respectively.

𝑥% + 𝑥$ + ⋯ 𝑥+
𝑣̅ = 𝑥 𝑥$ 𝑥+
%
𝑣% + 𝑣$ + ⋯ + 𝑣+
 +
If 𝑥% = 𝑥$ = ⋯ 𝑥+ = 𝑥, then, 𝑣̅ = ! ! !
' '⋯'
$! $" $#

Here average speed is the harmonic mean of individual speeds.

$ $"! ""
If n = 2, then, 𝑣̅ = ! ! ⇒ 𝑣̅ = "
' ! '""
$! $"

,"! "" "%

If n = 3, then, 𝑣̅ = "
! "" '"! "% '"" "%

iii) Average speed and magnitude of average velocity become equal when a body travels
along a straight line without changing its direction.

Note:
1. Magnitude of instantaneous velocity is always equals to instantaneous speed.
2. Speedometer of a vehicle measures instantaneous speed.Acceleration

The motion of an object is said to be accelerated if its velocity changes with time (when
either the speed or direction of motion changes). Acceleration is the rate of change of
velocity w.r.t time.

====⃗
𝑣⃗$ − 𝑣⃗% ∆𝑣
𝑎⃗ = =
𝑡$ − 𝑡% ∆𝑡

It is a vector quantity and its direction is along the direction of change in velocity.

When a body moves with uniform velocity, the acceleration is zero. If the speed of the
body decreases, then the body is said to be in accelerated motion.

When speed of a body decreases, the body is said to be in retarded motion or

decelerated motion.

Note:

1. If a particle is speeding up, acceleration is in the direction of velocity; if its

speed is decreasing, acceleration is in the direction opposite to that of the
velocity. This statement is independent of the choice of the origin and the axis.

2. The sign of acceleration does not tell us whether the particle’s speed is
increasing or decreasing. The sign of acceleration depends on the choice of the
positive direction of the axis.
For example, if the vertically upward direction is chosen to be the positive direction of
the axis, the acceleration due to gravity is negative. If a particle is falling under
gravity, this acceleration, though negative, results in increase in speed. For a particle
thrown upward, the same negative acceleration (of gravity) results in decrease in speed.

Uniform Acceleration

If equal change in velocity occurs in equal intervals of time, then acceleration is

uniform.

Eg: - Acceleration of a body under free fall.

Instantaneous Acceleration

It is the acceleration at any instant, ie., average acceleration during infinitesimally

small-time interval.

∆𝑣⃗ 𝑑𝑣⃗ 𝑑𝑣⃗ 𝑑 𝑑𝑥⃗ 𝑑$

𝑎⃗ = lim = , 𝑂𝑟 𝑎⃗ = = H I = $ 𝑥⃗
∆&→/ ∆𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡 𝑑𝑡

Instantaneous acceleration is the first derivative of velocity or second derivative of

position.

Graphical Representations Of Motion

The following points are important related with the theory of graphs.
i) A linear equation between x and y represents a straight line. Equation of a straight
line is 𝑦 = 𝑚𝑥 + 𝑐
m : slope and c : y – intercept
Eg: 𝑦 = 6𝑥 – 3, 𝑦 = 2𝑥 + 5, 7𝑥 = 𝑦 – 2 equations represent straight line on x-y
graph.

ii) 𝑥 ∝ 𝑦 𝑜𝑟 𝑦 = 𝑘𝑥 represents a straight line passing through origin.

 %
iii) 𝑥 ∝ represents a rectangular hyperbola in 𝑥 − 𝑦 graph. Shape of
0

rectangular hyperbola is as shown.

iv) A quadratic equation in x and y (y = ax2 + bx + c) represents a parabola in x-y

graph,
Eg: y = 4x2 + 3, y2 = 7x, x2 = y – 2 equations represent parabola in x-y graph.

Position- time graph(x – t graph)

a) Stationary object

It is a straight line parallel with time axis.

b) Uniform motion

c) Accelerated motion

Velocity from x- t graph

Thus slope of x- t graph gives velocity.

Average velocity from x- t graph

Slope of the chord joining two points on the x- t graph gives average velocity of the
particle between those two points.

Instantaneous velocity from x-t graph

Figure shows the x-t graph of a particle moving with variable velocity

Slope of the tangent at any point gives the instantaneous

speed at that instant.

Velocity – time ( v – t) graph

a) Uniform motion b) Uniform acceleration

Acceleration from v- t graph

Slope of v-t graph gives acceleration of the body.

Displacement from v-t graph

Area under v-t graph gives displacement

Acceleration – time ( a- t) graph

Area under a – t graph gives change in velocity.

Kinematic Equations for Uniformly Accelerated Motion

%
𝑣 = 𝑢 + 𝑎𝑡 , 𝑠 = 𝑢𝑡 + $ 𝑎𝑡 $ , 𝑣 $ = 𝑢$ + 2𝑎𝑠

Note:

Average velocity of a body moving with uniform acceleration is given by

𝑢+𝑣
𝑣=
2
Displacement in nth second

1
𝑠+ = 𝑢 + 𝑎(2𝑛 − 1)
2
Motion Under Gravity
An object is said to be under free fall when it is released near the surface of the earth
and if air resistance is neglected.
It is the case of one dimensional motion with uniform acceleration. During motion
under gravity, the acceleration due to gravity is regarded as constant equal to 9.8 m/s2.
Acceleration due to gravity g is always directed vertically downward.
Taking vertical upward direction as positive and vertical downward direction as
negative, we get the equations of motion in the case of upward and downward motion
separately
Vertical upward motion

1 1
𝑣 = 𝑢 − 𝑔𝑡 , ℎ = 𝑢𝑡 − 𝑔𝑡 $ , 𝑣 $ = 𝑢$ − 2𝑔ℎ, ℎ+ = 𝑢 − 𝑔(2𝑛 − 1)
2 2

Vertical downward motion

% %
𝑣 = 𝑢 + 𝑔𝑡 , ℎ = 𝑢𝑡 + $ 𝑔𝑡 $ , 𝑣 $ = 𝑢$ + 2𝑔ℎ, ℎ+ = 𝑢 + $ 𝑔(2𝑛 − 1)
Note:

i) The zero velocity of a particle at any instant does not necessarily imply zero acceleration
at that instant. A particle may be momentarily at rest and yet have non-zero acceleration.
For example, a particle thrown up has zero velocity at its uppermost point but the
acceleration at that instant continues to be the acceleration due to gravity.

ii) Consider a body falling freely from rest through height h. Let the body acquire a
velocity v after falling through height h. Let t be the time taken to fall through height
h.

" $2
Then 𝑎) 𝑡 = 1 𝑏) 𝑡 = W 1 𝑐) 𝑣 = X2𝑔ℎ

iii) Let a body be projected vertically upward with velocity u. Let h be the maximum
height attained by the body. Let t be the time taken
3 $2
Then 𝑎) 𝑡 = 1 𝑏) 𝑡 = W 1 𝑐) 𝑣 = X2𝑔ℎ

iv) The speed with which a body is projected is equal to the speed with which it returns
to the point of projection. It is based on the assumption that the motion takes place in
vacuum.

v) Time taken by a body to go up is equal to the time taken by the body to fall through
the same height.

vi) Consider a body falling freely from rest. Height covered during nth second is given by

1
ℎ+ = (2𝑛 − 1) $

1
Since $
is constant, ∴ ℎ+ ∝ (2𝑛 − 1)

So, the heights through which a body falls in 1st , 2nd , 3rd second etc. are in the ratio 1
: 3 : 5 etc. ie, in the ratio of odd integers. This is called Galileo’s law of odd numbers.

%
vii) Consider a body falling freely from rest, ℎ = $ 𝑔𝑡 $

%
Since g is constant, ∴ ℎ ∝ 𝑡$
$
So, the heights through which a body falls in times t, 2t, 3t etc. are in the ratio of 12 :
22 : 32 etc. i.e., 1 : 4 : 9 etc.

viii) Acceleration – time, velocity – time and position – time graphs of an object under
free fall are shown below.

Stopping Distance

When brakes are applied to a moving vehicle, the distance it travels before coming to rest
is called stopping distance.

𝑢$
𝑑4 =
2𝑎
Relative velocity

It is the velocity of a body w.r.t any other body. Relative velocity of A w.r.t B is the
velocity of A as seen by B. Let vA and vB represent the velocities w.r.t of ground two
objects A and B.

In one dimensional motion, relative speed of A w.r.t B;

𝑣56 = 𝑣5 − 𝑣6 , when A and B are moving along the same direction.

𝑣56 = 𝑣5 + 𝑣6 , when A and B are moving along opposite direction.

Ø If a body starting from rest accelerates at constant rate 𝛼 for certain time and then
retards at constant rate 𝛽 and comes to rest after t seconds from the starting point,
then
7 9
• The maximum velocity of the body = j7'9k 𝑡
7 9
• Distance travelled by the body = j$7'$9k 𝑡 $

Ø Acceleration is vector quantity and is directed along the direction of change in velocity,
not of velocity.
Ø If a particle is accelerated for a time t1 with acceleration a1 and for time t2 with
!! &! ' !" &"
acceleration a2 then average acceleration is 𝑎!" =
&! ' &"

Ø A particle moving with uniform acceleration from A to B along a straight line has
velocities v1 and v2 at A and B respectively. If C is the mid-point between A and B then

"!" ' """

velocity of the particle at C is equal to 𝑣=W
$

Ø The body returns to its point of projection with the same magnitude of the velocity
with which it was thrown vertically upward, provided air resistance is neglected.
Ø If two bodies are dropped from the same height, they reach the ground in the same
time and with the same velocity.
Ø If a body is thrown upwards with velocity u from the top of a tower and another body
is thrown downwards from the same point and with the same velocity, then both reach
the ground with the same speed.
Ø Suppose a body is projected upwards from the ground and with the velocity u. It is
assumed that the friction of the air is negligible. The characteristics of motion of such
a body are as follows.
3"
• The maximum height attained, 𝐻 = $1
3
• Time taken to go up (ascent) = Time taken to come down (descent), 𝑡 = 1
$3
• Time of flight, 𝑇 = 2𝑡 = 1

• The speed of the body on return to the ground = speed with which it was thrown
upwards.

If friction of air be taken into account, then the motion of the object thrown upwards
will have the following properties
§ Time of ascent < time of descent
§ The speed of the object on return to the ground is less than the initial speed.
Same is true for velocity (magnitude), momentum (magnitude) and kinetic energy.
3"
§ Maximum height attained is less than $1
.

Ø A ball is dropped from a building of height h and it reaches after t seconds on earth.
From the same building if two balls are thrown (one upwards and other downwards)
 with the same velocity u and they reach the earth surface after t1 and t2 seconds
respectively then 𝑡 = √𝑡% 𝑡$
Ø A particle is dropped vertically from rest from a height. The time taken by it to fall
through successive distance of 1m each will then be in the ratio of the difference in
the square roots of the integers i.e.

√1, w√2 − √1x, w√3 − √2x … w√4 − √3x …