Motion In A Straight Line - Definition, Formulas, Examples, FAQs
Linear motion is the displacement in one direction, for instance, the up-and-down movement of a lift or a person walking along a straight path. The line is explained as an element of Mechanics that generally studies the motion of anything. This explains why something will move along a straight path and how it does so. The topic of motion in a straight line helps students in their studies, especially those with further intentions in areas such as engineering or architecture. It helps solve some real-life problems in life to do with movements. We learn basic but crucial concepts in this topic: displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration, which describe the rate of movement and in which direction.
This Story also Contains
- What is Motion?
- Types of Motion
- Define Linear Motion
Also read :
What is Motion?
Before we begin Motion in a Straight Line motion, let's first introduce 'what is motion'?. In our daily life, we are surrounded by moving objects. For example: Walking on the streets, a running boy, etc. The above movements of the objects are examples of motion.
Motion: The change in the position of any object with respect to time is called motion.
Kinematics: The study of the motion of an object without knowing its cause is called kinematics.
Types of Motion
- Linear Motion: Object moves in a straight or curved line.
Example: Car moving on a road. - Circular Motion: Object moves in a circular path around a fixed point.
Example: Fan blades. - Rotational Motion: Object spins about its own axis.
Example: Earth rotating on its axis. - Oscillatory Motion: Object moves back and forth around a mean position.
Example: Pendulum. - Periodic Motion: Motion repeats after equal intervals of time.
Example: Motion of planets.
What is Straight-Line Motion?
Movement is a phenomenon in which an object over time changes position. In terms of movement, distance, speed, acceleration along with time, motion is described quantitatively. In the field of physics that describes the motion of objects but does not refer to the source of objects is called kinematics.
Motion in Straight Line Formulas
1. Basic Quantities
- Distance (s): Total path covered
- Displacement (x): Change in position
$x=x_2-x_1$ - Average Speed:
$\text { Average speed }=\frac{\text { Total distance }}{\text { Total time }}$ - Average Velocity:
$\text { Average velocity }=\frac{\text { Total displacement }}{\text { Total time }}$ - Instantaneous Velocity: $v=\frac{d x}{d t_0}$
- Acceleration: $a=\frac{d v}{d t}$
2. Equations of Motion (Uniform Acceleration)
1. $v=u+a t$
2. $s=u t+\frac{1}{2} a t^2$
3. $v^2=u^2+2 a s$
4. $s=\frac{(u+v)}{2} t$
3. Special Cases
- For free fall: Replace $a$ with $g$
$v=u+g t, \quad h=u t+\frac{1}{2} g t^2, \quad v^2=u^2+2 g h$
Define Linear Motion
Linear motion is the motion that is natural to an object: moving in a straight line. According to Newton's First Law of Motion, an object not affected by any force will continue indefinitely in a straight line. The position x, which varies with t, can be used to explain the motion of a particle (a point-like object) down a line (time). An athlete running 100 metres on a straight track is an example of linear motion. Motion along a straight line is called linear motion.
Types of Linear Motion
Linear motion, also called Rectilinear Motion can be of two types:
1. Uniform linear motion with constant velocity or zero acceleration
2. Non-uniform linear motion with variable velocity or non-zero acceleration
Movement in a straight line is literally one-dimensional and is simplest. Based on the first law of Newton, this says that an object will remain at rest or continue in straight motion at a uniform speed until an external force does not act upon it.
Do not confuse linear motion with general motion, because as we've mentioned, linear motion is one-dimensional. But in general, it has both a magnitude and direction, such that we describe an object's position and velocity in vector quantities.
Uniform Motion in a Straight Line
if a body moves along a straight path and at regular intervals of time it travels equal distances, it is said to have uniform motion. Simply put, uniform acceleration in the body means that the rate of change of velocity is constant.
Example:
If a car travels at a speed of $60 \mathrm{~km} / \mathrm{hour}$, it will cover a $1 \mathrm{~km} /$ minute. In this sense, the motion of car acceleration is uniform.
Non-uniform Motion in a Straight Line
In contrast to uniform acceleration, a body is said to exhibit non-uniform motion when it has unequal changes in velocity over equal intervals of time - that is, the rate of change of velocity differs at different time points during its motion.
Example:
A boy is kicking a football. It might cover 4 meters in the first attempt, 6 meters in the second change, 9 meters in the third attempt and so on as per the velocity exerted by the boy.
Related Topics
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Linear motion is a one-dimensional motion along a straight line. When an object travels in a straight line, its position changes with the passage of time. A stone falling from a set height, an athlete running 200 metres on a straight track, a train travelling on a straight track, along with an automobile going at a consistent speed are all examples of linear motion.
The movement of any object from one position to another position with respect to the observer is called Motion and when an object moves along a straight line, the motion of the object is called rectilinear motion.
Positive acceleration occurs when an object's speed rises over time. Acceleration is measured in the direction of motion, and it is negative if the speed of an item decreases over time. The direction of motion is reversed with acceleration.
A particle is considered to be travelling in one dimension if it moves in only one direction throughout its journey.