MOTION IN A STRAIGHT LINE

Position
To describe the position of an object, we Reaction time
need reference point or a set of When a situation demands our
coordinate axes immediate action, it takes some time
before we really respond
Path length
It is the actual distance traversed by an t= 2s/g ½
object during its motion in a given
interval of time (scalar) and depends on Relative velocity
the actual path When two objects A and B are moving
with different velocities, then the velocity
Displacement of one object A with respect to another
The change in position is known as object B is called the relative velocity of
displacement which is a vector quantity object A with respect to B
It only depends on the end points
1. If va = vb then va-vb = 0
Average velocity and average speed 2. If va < vb then va-vb is negative
1. It is defined as the change in the 3. If va > vb then va-vb is positive
position or displacement of object
divided by the time interval in which If a particle is speeding then the
displacement occurs acceleration is in the direction of
2. It is defined as the total path length velocity
travelled divided by total interval during
which the motion takes place A particle can have a non-zero
3. Average speed is not the magnitude of acceleration even at rest or zero
average velocity velocity
4. Average velocity can be positive or
negative whereas average acceleration
is always positive
Velocity is the same as the average
velocity at all instants
speed is always greater than the
magnitude of the velocity and are only
equal when the path and
displacement value is same

Instantaneous velocity and speed

1. Instantaneous velocity gives the
velocity of object at a particular instant of
time during a given interval
2. Defined as the limit of average velocity
as the time interval becomes
infinitesimally small

Acceleration
It is defined as the rate of change of
velocity with time and the average
acceleration over a time interval is
defined as the change of velocity divided
by the time interval
Instantaneous : it is defined as the
acceleration of the object at a particular
instant of time during its motion and it is
given as the limit of the average
acceleration at the time interval goes to
zero

Kinematic equations for uniformly

accelerated motion
1. Velocity-time relation : v = u +
at
2. Displacement-time: s = ut +
1/2at2
3. Velocity-displacement: v2-u2
= 2as

Free fall
Whenever we throw an object vertically
upwards or downwards, it is accelerated
downward under the influence of gravity
and if air resistance is neglected then the
object is said to be in free fall
1. v= -gt
2. y= -1/2gt2
3. v2= -2gy