Q1. When is a body said to be in motion?

MOTION
Ans: A body is said to be in motion (or moving) when its position changes continuously with respect to a stationary
object taken as reference point.
Q2. How can you describe the position of an object?
Ans: To describe the position of an object we need:
a) Its distance from a reference point (origin).
b) Its direction from the origin.
Q3. Differentiate between distance and displacement.
Ans: The distance travelled by a body is the actual length of the path covered
by a moving body irrespective of the direction in which the body travels
whereas the shortest distance (straight line) between the initial and final
position of the body, along with direction is known as its displacement.
Q4. What is a scaler quantity?
Ans: A physical quantity having only magnitude (or size) is known as a scaler
quantity. A scaler quantity has no direction. Example: Distance, Speed, etc.
Q5. What is a vector quantity?
Ans: A physical quantity having both magnitude (or size) as well as direction is known as a vector quantity.
Example: Displacement, velocity, etc.
Q6. Give three points of difference between distance and displacement.
Distance Displacement
i) The distance travelled by a body is the i) The shortest distance (straight line) between
actual length of the path covered by a the initial and final position of the body, along
moving body irrespective of the direction in with direction is known as its displacement.
which the body travels.
ii) It is a scaler quantity. ii) It is a vector quantity.
iii) Distance travelled by a moving body iii) Displacement of a moving body can be
cannot be zero. zero.

iv) Distance travelled by a moving body is iv) Displacement of a moving body is always
always greater than or equal to the less than or equal to the distance travelled.
displacement.
Note: Whenever a body travels along a zig-zag path, the final displacement is obtained by joining the
starting point and the finishing point of the body by a straight line.
Q7. When is an object said to have a uniform motion?
Ans: An object is said to have a uniform motion if it covers equal distances in equal and consecutive intervals of
time.
Q8. When is an object said to have a non-uniform motion?
Ans: An object is said to have a non-uniform motion if it covers unequal distances in equal and consecutive
intervals of time.
Q9. An object covers some distance. Can it have zero displacement? If yes, support your answer with an example.
Ans: If a moving object returns back to its initial position after covering some distance, i.e., its initial and final
position coincide, then displacement of the body will be zero.
Q10. Define speed of a moving body.
Ans: Speed of a moving body is defined as the distance travelled by it per unit time.
Distance travelled
i.e., Speed=
Time Taken
Total Distance travelled
* Average speed =
Total Time Taken
S.I unit of speed is metre per second written as m/s or ms-1. Speed is a scaler quantity.
Q11. A car travels 30 km at a uniform speed of 40 km/hr and the next 30 km at a uniform speed of 20 km/hr.
Find its average speed in km/hr. [240/9 or 26.9 km/hr]
Q12. A boy while driving to his school covers at the average speed of 15km/hr. On his return trip along the same
route, covers at the average speed of 25km/hr due to less traffic. What is his average speed for the whole trip?
Q13. Define velocity of a moving body.
Ans: Velocity of a moving body is defined as the distance travelled by it per unit time in a given direction.
Distance travelled in a given direction
i.e., Velocity = ;
Time Taken
But Distance travelled in a given direction = Displacement of the body
Displacement of the body
∴ Velocity =
Time Taken
S.I unit of velocity is metre per second written as m/s or ms-1. Velocity is a vector quantity.
Note: The magnitude of speed and velocity of a moving body is equal only if the body moves in a single
straight line. If, however, a body does not move in a single straight line, then the speed and velocity of the
body are not equal.
* If the velocity changes at a uniform rate, then, average velocity is given by arithmetic mean of initial and final
u+v
velocity at the beginning and end for a given period of time i.e., Average velocity =
2
Q14. A person goes along a straight road of length 50m and covers 100m by moving from one end to the other
end and back along the same road. Find the average speed and average velocity of the person if he takes 20
minutes. [1/12 ms-1 and 0]
Q15. Define acceleration of a body.
Ans: Acceleration of a body is defined as the rate of change of its velocity with time.
Change in velocity
i.e., Acceleration =
Time taken for change
v−u
a= ; where a = acceleration of the body, v = final velocity of the body,
t
u = initial velocity of the body, t = time taken for change of velocity
S.I unit of acceleration is metres per second square written as m/s2 or ms-2. Acceleration is a vector quantity.
Q16. When is a body said to be decelerating? (Retardation/ Negative acceleration)
Ans: When the speed of the object decreases i.e., u > v, the object is said to be decelerating.
Q17. When is a motion said to be in i) uniform acceleration? ii) non-uniform acceleration?
Ans: i) When the velocity of an object travelling along a straight line increases or decreases by equal amounts in
equal intervals of time, then the acceleration of the object is said to be uniform.
ii) When the velocity of an object travelling along a straight line increases or decreases by unequal amount in
equal interval of time, then the acceleration of the body is said to be non- uniform.
Note: i) If the velocity of a body increases then acceleration is positive.
ii) If the velocity of a body decreases then acceleration is negative.
Q18. A particle is moving with a uniform velocity. What is its acceleration?
Ans: Zero.
Q19. Starting from home Mr. Tomba paddles his bicycle to attain a velocity of 10ms -1 in 40s after the start. Then
he applies brakes so that the velocity reduces to 6ms-1 in the next 10s. Calculate the acceleration in both the
cases. [0.25ms-2 and -0.4 ms-2]
Q20. A driver decreases the speed of a car from 25m/s to 10m/s in 5 s. Find the acceleration of the car. [-3ms-2]
Graphical representation of Motion
Distance-time graph
i) The distance time graph of a body moving at ii) The distance time graph of a body moving at non-uniform
uniform speed is always a straight line. Speed is non-linear (curved)
Distance

Time
iii) Distance time graph of a body at rest is a straight line parallel to the time axis.

Velocity-time graph
i) The velocity time graph for a uniformly changing ii) The velocity time graph of a body which uniformly
velocity (or uniform acceleration) is a straight line. retarding is a straight line sloping downwards.
Velocity

Time

Q21. What can you understand about the motion of an object, if the distance-time graph is a straight line parallel
to time axis?
Ans: It means that the body is at rest.
Note: The area enclosed by the velocity time graph will be equal be equal to the magnitude of
displacement.
Equations of motion from the graphical representation
i) Equation for velocity-time relation of a motion.
Let us consider the velocity time graph of an object E D
moving under uniform acceleration from an initial velocity ‘u’ at
time t = 0. It is represented by the point A on the graph. Thereafter
it increases to final velocity ‘v’ at an acceleration ‘a’. We draw
perpendicular line DC and DE from the point D on the time axis
respectively. The point E represents the final velocity on the graph.
v
Here, OA = u; DC = v and OC = t
Then, BD = DC – BC = DC – OA = v-u = Change in velocity A B
From the definition of acceleration
Change in velocity u
a=
Time taken for change
O
BD BD C
 a= ⇨ a=
AB OC
v−u
 a=
t
 at = v-u
 v= u+at
ii) Equation for position-time relation of a motion.
Let us consider the velocity time graph of an object E D
moving under uniform acceleration from an initial velocity ‘u’ at
time t = 0. It is represented by the point A on the graph. Thereafter
it increases to final velocity ‘v’ at an acceleration ‘a’. We draw
perpendicular line DC and DE from the point D on the time axis
respectively. The point E represents the final velocity on the graph. v
Let ‘s’ be the distance covered by the object in time ‘t’.
A B
Here, OA = u; DC = v and OC = t
Then, BD = DC – BC = DC – OA = v-u = Change in velocity u
Now, s = area of the trapezium AOCBD
 s = area of ∆ABD + area of the rectangle AOCB O
C
1
 s = x AB x BD + OC x OA
2
1
 s = x t x (v-u) + t x u
2
1
 s = x t x at + ut [∵ v = u+at]
2
1
 s = at2 + ut
2
1
 s = ut + at2
2
iii) Equation for position-velocity relation of a motion.
Let us consider the velocity time graph of an object E D
moving under uniform acceleration from an initial velocity ‘u’ at
time t = 0. It is represented by the point A on the graph. Thereafter
it increases to final velocity ‘v’ at an acceleration ‘a’. We draw
perpendicular line DC and DE from the point D on the time axis
respectively. The point E represents the final velocity on the graph. v
Let ‘s’ be the distance covered by the object in time ‘t’.
Here, OA = u; DC = v and OC = t A B
Now, s = area of the trapezium AOCBD u
1
 s = x (OA+DC) x OC
2 O
1 C
 s = x (u+v) x t
2
1 v−u
 s = x (v+u) x [∵ v = u+at]
2 a
(v+u)(v−u)
 s=
2a
v −u2
2
 s=
2a
 2as = v2 – u2
Note: a) If a body starts from rest, its initial velocity u = 0
b) If a body comes to rest (it stops), its final velocity v = 0
c) If a body moves with uniform velocity, its acceleration a = 0
Q22. A car starting from rest accelerates uniformly so as to attain velocity of 144kmh-1 in 20s. Find a) its
acceleration b) the distance covered by it for attaining that velocity. [2ms-2; 400 m]
Q23. A car accelerates uniformly from 36kmh-1 to 144kmh-1 in 20s. Calculate a) the acceleration of the car b)
distance covered by the car in the interval. [1.5m/s ; 500m]
Q24. The driver of a car travelling at 72km/h applies the brakes and accelerates uniformly in the opposite
direction at the rate of 5ms-2. How long the car will take to come to rest? How far will the car cover before
coming to rest. [4s; 40m]
Q25. A body starts to slide over a horizontal surface with an initial velocity of 0.5m/s. Due to friction, its velocity
decreases at the rate of 0.05m/s2. How much time will it take for the body to stop? [10s]
Q26. A moving train is brought to rest within 20s by applying brakes. Find the initial velocity if the retardation
due to brakes is 2m/s2. [40m/s]

Note: When a body moves in a circle, it is called circular motion. When a body moves along a circular
path, then its direction of motion keeps changing continuously. Since the velocity changes (due to
continuous change in direction), therefore, the motion along a circular path is said to be accelerated.
Q27. Define uniform circular motion. Give examples.
Ans: When a body moves in a circular path with uniform speed, its motion is called uniform circular motion.
Examples: The motion of the moon and the earth, a satellite in a circular orbit around the earth, a cyclist on a
circular track, etc.