Linear Motion

• Motion in one dimension(in straight line path) is called linear/rectilinear

Motion
• Methods of analyzing linear motion:
• Displacement-time graph
• Velocity-time graph
• Acceleration-time graph
 Slope

• Slope of a line=tan θ=

• Positive slope=The two quantities are directly proportional to each other

• Negative slope=The two quantities are inversely proportional to each other
 Velocity

• Rate of change of displacement with time

• Vector quantity
• Taken as negative if the direction is opposite to the direction of positive velocity
• Velocity × time=total displacement
• Uniform velocity: When body travels at constant velocity in the same direction
• Displacement α time for body in uniform velocity
 Acceleration

• Rate of change of velocity with time

• It is a vector quantity denoted by a
• Deceleration: Acceleration in opposite direction of velocity leading to reduce in
magnitude of velocity
• Negative acceleration: Acceleration in direction opposite to the direction of
positive acceleration. It increases the magnitude of negative velocity
Positive velocity-Negative acceleration Negative velocity-Negative acceleration

Deceleration

Positive velocity-Positive acceleration Negative velocity-Positive acceleration

 Displacement-time graph

• Time-x axis Displacement-y axis

• Slope of the graph gives you the velocity
• Positive slope=increasing displacement, positive acceleration
• Negative slope=decreasing displacement, deceleration of velocity first(above x axis)
and then negative velocity, negative acceleration below x axis
• Triangle refers to a body which has returned to its origin
• 3 types:
▪ Stationary body
▪ Body moving in uniform velocity
▪ Body moving in non uniform velocity
 Stationary body

• Graph is a line parallel to the x axis

or coinciding with it
• Slope=0
• Velocity=0
 Body in uniform velocity

• Graph is a straight line inclined to x axis

• Slope gives us velocity
 Body moving in non uniform velocity

• Graph is a curved line

• Slope of the tangent drawn at any instant
gives us the instantaneous velocity

Velocity
 Body returning to its original position

• Average velocity=0
 Velocity-time graph

• Time-x axis Velocity-y axis

• Slope of the graph gives you the acceleration
• Positive slope=increasing displacement, positive acceleration
• Negative slope=decreasing displacement, deceleration of velocity first(above x axis) and then negative
velocity, negative acceleration below x axis
• Triangle refers to a body with Average velocity=0
• Velocity-time graph can never be a straight line parallel to y axis because infinite acceleration is impossible
• 4 types:
▪ Stationary body
▪ Uniform velocity
▪ Body moving in uniform acceleration
▪ Body moving in non uniform acceleration(curved line)
 Stationary body

• Graph is a line coinciding with the x axis

• Slope=0
• Velocity=0, acceleration=0
 Uniform velocity

• Graph is a line parallel to x axis

• acceleration=0
 Body in uniform acceleration

• Graph is a straight line inclined to x axis

 Body moving in non-uniform acceleration

• Graph is a curved line

• Slope of the tangent drawn at any instant
gives us the acceleration at that point
 Body moving in uniform/non-uniform
deceleration

• Slope of the tangent drawn at any instant

gives us the acceleration at that point
• Curved line indicates non uniform deceleration
 Displacement from velocity-time graph

• Area enclosed between x axis and graph=displacement of the body=total

displacement
• In the adjoining figure:
Area of triangle OAB:
4×6×1/2=12m displacement in positive direction
=+12m
Area of trapezium BCDE:
1/2×(10+4)×(-4)=28m displacement in negative
Direction=-28m
Total displacement = 12-28=16m in negative direction
 Velocity time graph of a free-falling object

Lets consider a body falling from a height (origin) and then reaching its origin when it
bounces back from the ground:
• Since g=9.8ms⁻²:
▪ Velocity increases by 9.8ms⁻¹ every second
▪ Velocity increases until the body reaches
the ground.
▪ It experiences retardation of T
9.8ms⁻² once it bounces back from ground
 Acceleration-time graph

• Time-x axis Acceleration-y axis

• Slope of the line gives us the rate of change of acceleration
• Positive slope=positive slope
• Negative slope= deceleration of velocity first(above x axis) and then negative velocity,
negative acceleration below x axis
• 4 types:
▪ Stationary body, Uniform velocity
▪ Body moving in uniform acceleration
▪ Body moving in non uniform acceleration
▪ Body moving with negative acceleration
 Stationary body and Uniform velocity

• Graph coincides with x axis.

 Uniform acceleration

• Graph is parallel to x axis

 Non uniform acceleration

• Graph is a straight/curved line inclined to x axis

Acceleration
 Deceleration/Negative acceleration

• Graph is a straight/curved line below x axis

 Motion under gravity

• g=9.8ms⁻²
• Acceleration towards ground and retardation away from ground
• Displacement α t² for uniform acceleration or motion under gravity