CHAPTER-3 MOTION IN A STRAIGHT LINE

Mechanics: Mechanics is the oldest and fundamental branch of physics and it is the study of the
state of rest as well as the state of motion of object under the action of force.
The study of mechanics is broadly classified in to (i) Statics and (iü) Dynamics
Statics: It deals with bodies at rest under the action of system of force.

Dynamics: It deals with motion of a body under the action of force.

Dynamics is again divided into (a) Kinematics and (b) Kinetics
Kinematics: It deals with the description of motion without reference to the cause of motion.

Kinetics: It deals with what moves and what causes motion.

Some of the terms usedin deseribing motion are given below.

Particle: A particle is ideally just a piece or quantity of matter, having no linear dimensions but
only position and mass.

Event: An event is a physical process that occurs at a point in space and at an instant of time.

Observer: A person or equipment which can locate, record, measure and interpret an event is
called an observer.

Frame of reference: It is the reference in which an observer sits and makes the observations.
In order to specify the position, we need to use a reference point and set of axes. The choice of set
of axes in a frame of reference depends on the situation.
Motion: Motion is change in position of an object with time.
Rectilinear motion: Motion of objects along a straight line.
Ex: Acar moving along a straight road, A freely falling body.

Rest: A body is said to be at rest when it does not changes its position with time.

Path length: It is the actual distance covered by a body in time t.

It is also called as distance travelled.
. Path length is a scalar quantity.
. SI unit of path length is "metre" (m). Dimensions are M°LTO
Path length depends on the actual path.
Path length is always positive.

Displacement: It is the shortest distance between the initial point and final point.
* It is vector quantity.
" Sl unit of displacement is "metre" (m). Dimensions are M°LTO
Displacement may be positive, negative and zero.
Magnitude of the displacement can never be greater than path length.
When a body moves in straight line displacement is equal to path length.
It is independent of the actual path travelled and it denoted by Ax
 Difference between path length and displacement
Path length Displacement
It is the actual distance covered by a body in It is the shortest distance between the initial point
timet. It is also called as distance travelled and final point
Path length is a scalar quantity It is vector quantity
Path length is always positive Displacement may be positive, negative and zero
Path length is always greater than or equal to Displacement is always less than or equal to path
displacement length

Speed: Speed is defined as rate of change of position of a particle.

Speed =
path length x
time taken t

Speed is a scalar quantity.

Its S( unit is metre per second (ms1). Dimensions are M°LT-1
It is always positive.
Speed gives no indication about the direction of motion of the particle.

Average speed: The average speed of a particle in motion is defined as the ratio of the total path
length to the total time taken.
total path length
Average speed = total time taken

Instantaneous speed (speed): It is defined as the limit of average speed as the time interval is
infinitesimally small.

Velocity: Velocity is defined as the rate of change of displacement of a body.

Velocity displacement
time taken

Velocity is a vector quantity.

SIunit is per second (ms-'). Dimensions are M°LT-1
Velocity may be positive, negative or zero.

Average velocity: The average velocity of a particle in motion is defined as the ratio of total
displacement to the total time taken.
total displacement
Average velocity = total time taken

Ax

Instantaneous velocity: Velocity is defined as the limit of average velocity as the time interval At
becomes infinitesimally small.
da
V= Ar-0
lim At dt
Instantaneous velocity is also called velocity.
 In position-time graph, instantaneous velocity at a point is the slope to the tangent drawn to
the curve at that point.
Instantaneous speed or speed is the magnitude of velocity.

Uniform velocity: If equal changes of displacement take place in equal intervals of time is called
uniform velocity.
Note: When a body moves with uniform velocity, neither the magnitude nor the direction of the
velocity changes.
Difference between speed and velocity
Speed Velocity
It is defined as the ratio of the path length It is defined as the ratio of displacement to
to the time taken. the time taken.
Speed is a scalar quantity. Velocity is a vector quantity.
It is always positive Velocity may be positive, negative or zero.

Acceleration: It is defined as rate change of velocity of a particle.

Acceleration =
change in velocity
time taken
V- Vo
a

Acceleration is a vector quantity.

SI unit is metre per square of second (ms) and dimensions are M°LT-2
Since velocity is a quantity having both magnitude and direction, Acceleration may result
from a change in magnitude or a change in direction or changes in both.
Acceleration can be positive, negative or zero.
The negative acceleration is called retardation or deceleration.

Average acceleration: It is defined as the total change in velocity divided by the total ime taken.
Av
=

Instantaneous acceleration: It is defined as the limit of the average acceleration as the time interval
At becomes infinitesimally smal.
Av dv
limAt dt

Uniform acceleration: If the velocity of a body changes by equal amount in equal intervals of time,
however small these time intervals may be, is called uniform acceleration.

Graphical representation of motion:

Graph: A diagrammatical representation of variation of one quantity with respect to another
quantity is called a graph.

Position-time graph: It is a graph obtained by plotting instantaneous positions of a particle versus

time.

" The slope of the position time graph gives the velocity of the particle.
Position-time graphs:
Slno Type of motion Position-time graph

40
1 Object at rest
20

2 Uniform motion along a straight line

Positive a

3 Motion with positive acceleration

Negative a

4 Motion with negative acceleration

a-0

5 Motion with zero acceleration

Velocity time-graph: A graph of velocity versus time is called velocity-time graph.

The area under v-t graph with time axis gives the value of displacement covered in given time.
The slope of tangent drawn on graph gives instantaneous acceleration.

Uses of velocity-time (vt) graph/ Significance of velocity-time (v-t) graph:

It is used to study the nature of the motion.
It is used to find the velocity of the particle at any instant of time.
It is used to derive the equations of motion.
It is used to find displacement and acceleration.
Velocity time-graphs
SIno Type of motion v-t graph

Motion in positive direction with

positive acceleration or uniform
1
acceleration having some initial
velocity.

Motion in positive direction with

negative acceleration having some
initial velocity.

Motion in negative direction with

3 negative acceleration having some
-
initial velocity.

Motion of an object with negative

4
acceleration that changes direction
at time tË having some initial
velocity.

Kinematic equation for uniformly accelerated motion: For uniformly accelerated motion, we can
derive some simple equations that relate displacement (0), time taken (0), initial velocity (vo), final
velocity (), and acceleration (a). These equations are called Kinematic equations for uniformly
accelerated motion.
The Equations are, ) v=o + at
(i) x= vgt +at?
(ii) v² = v,² + Zax
B

Derivation of equation of motion by graphical method

(i) v= Vo t at
Consider a particle in motion with initial velocity vÍ and constant TA C
acceleration a.
Let v be the final velocity of the body at time t. t’ D
From graph,
BC BD - CD
Slope =AC AC
But, CD = 0A and AC = 0D
BD OA
Slope = OD
But, slope of v-t graph gives the acceleration.
a =
t
at = v- Vo
V-Vo = at
V= Vo t at

(i) x=vgt +;at?

Considera particle in motion with initial velocity v, and constant acceleration a.
Let v be the final velocity of the body at time t.
From graph,
Displacement = Area under v - t graph B
x= Area of trapezium 0ABD
1
*-(04 +BD)AC
1
x=5(vo +)t
But, v= Vo + at TA C

x=(u +vo +at)t t’ D

x=2t a)e
1 1
x=$x2v xt +xat xt
1
x= Vgt +5at
(ii) v² = v + 2ax
Considera particle in motion with initial velocity v, and constant acceleration a.
Let v be the final velocity of the body at time t.
From graph,
Displacement = Area underv -tgraph B
x= Area of trapezium 0ABD
1
x=(0A +BD)AC 12
1

But, V= Vo+ at and t= D-Vo ofVoTA C

t’ D

1(u2 - v)
a

Zax = y2- v
y²-v = 2ax
y²= v + 2ax
Note: The set above equations were obtained by assuming that at t = 0, the position of the Particle
x is 0 (zero).
When at t= 0, If the position of the particle is at x, (non zero), then the equations are,
1
(i) v= v% +at (ii) x X = vt +at² (i) v² = v² + 2a(x-x0)

Free fall: An object released near the surface of the earth is accelerated downward under the
influence of the force of gravity. If the air resistance is neglected, then the motion of the body is
known as free fall.

Acceleration due to gravity: The acceleration produced in object due to gravity is called
acceleration due to gravity, denoted by g.
Free fall is an example for motion along a straight line under constant acceleration.
* Acceleration due to gravity is always a downward vector directed towards the centre of the
earth.
The magnitude of g is approximately 9 8ms² near the surface of the earth.
Acceleration due to gravity is the same for all freely falling bodies irrespective of their size,
shape and mass.
* The distance traversed by a body falling freely from rest during equal intervals of time are in
the ratio 1:3:5:7: ......this is known as Galileo's law of ODD numbers.

Equations of motion under gravity: The motion of a freely falling body is in Y-direction. If we
take vertically upward as positive Y-axis, acceleration is along the negative Y-axis, therefore
a=-g.Then, () v = Vo - 9t
() y= vt -;gt²
(ii) v² = v,-2gy
For freely falling body the initial velocity, v, = 0. Then,
() v=-gt
() y=-zgt
(ii) v² = -2gy
The a -t graph, v-t graph and y - t graph to a body released from rest at y = 0 are as shown.

2 t(s)

s
-10
-9.8 m/s

(m/s) (m)

a-t graph V-tgraph y- t graph

Note: (i) Stopping distance: When breaks are applies to a moving vehicle, the distance travelled
before stopping is called stopping distance.
d, = 20
It is an important factor for road safety and it depends on initial velocity and deceleration (-a).

(ii) Reaction time: When a situation demands our immediate action, it takes some time before we
really respond this time is called reaction time.

Relative velocity: The relative velocity of body A with respect to body B is defined as the time
rate of change of displacement of Awith respect to B.

Explanation: Consider two bodies A and Bmoving with constant velocity v, and vg respectively,
along positive X-axis.
Let xa(t) and x(t) be the position of Aand Bat any given instant of time t, then
x(t) = x (0) + vat
Xg (t) = xg (0) + vgt

Separation between Aand B at time t is, xs (t) - x(t) = xp (0) - X (0) + (Up - V)t
Here, xg (0) - xA(0) is the separation between Aand Bat t = 0 and (v -VA) is the time rate of
change of relative velocity of B with respect to A, denoted by vsA.
Hence, VBA = VB - VA
Similarly velocity ofA with respect to Bis VAB = VA- VB
and it can be shown that VAB =-VBA
x(m)
40
Case(1): When two bodies move with the same velocity in
same direction, then v = V and v-Vg = 0 and 20
VAB = VBA =0,
Then two bodies appear at rest with respect to each other.
In this case relative velocity is minimum.

140

120

Case(2): When two bodies move in the same direction 80

with different velocities, 60

If va > Vs then Vga = negative and v B = positive. 40

20

2 4 5
(S)

Case(3): When two bodies move in different velocities or 100

A

same veloities in opposite direction. x(m)

The magnitude of the relative velocity of either of them with
respect to the other is equal to the sum of the magnitude of
their velocities.
VBA = VAB = VA + VB
In this case relative velocity is maximum.