Before heading into space, astronauts

6
Chapter

used aeroplanes to achieve the effect of

Linear motion weightlessness on the Earth. How does the
plane produce the weightless effect?
Chapter6: Motions
 Galileo pioneered a new way of conducting experiments. This method
is now known as the scientific method.

The scientific method consists of a few main steps:

• First, a question is asked (arises from observations).
• Then, a tentative answer to the question is formulated
hypothesis.
• After which, experiments are conducted to test the hypothesis.

The hypothesis becomes a law or a principle if

repeated tests do not contradict it.
A hypothesis is rejected if it is found to be false
even once.

Chapter6: Motions
Chapter6: Motions
 Distance and Displacement
Distance is a scalar quantity.
The distance between two points
X and Y refers to the total length
travelled by the object in moving
from point X to Y.
It depends on the path taken.
Chapter6: Motions
Displacement is a vector quantity.
The magnitude of the displacement
between point X and Y is the shortest
length between X and Y. The direction
of the displacement vector is the
direction between X and Y.
Displacement measures the overall
change in the position of an object.
 Speed and Velocity

Speed is defined as the Velocity is defined as rate of

distance moved per unit change of displacement. It is
time. Units: m/s a vector quantity. Units: m/s

Speed describes how fast

an object moves. It is Velocity describes how fast
defined by magnitude an object moves and in
only. which direction.

A bus that travels with a uniform speed of 50 km/h has constant

speed.
However, if its direction of motion changes with time. Its velocity
is not uniform. It changes.

Chapter6: Motions
 Average Speed

Total distance travelled (s)

Average Speed =
Total time taken to travel (t)

The SI unit for speed is metre per second (ms –1).

Chapter6: Motions
 Instantaneous Speed
Instantaneous speed is the speed of a body at a particular
moment in time.

The instantaneous speed at 7 s and 10 s are 4 m s-1 and

2 m s-1 respectively

Chapter6: Motions
 Acceleration
Acceleration, a,
• is a vector
• is defined as the rate of change of velocity, v

Hence,

Final velocity – initial velocity

Acceleration =
Time interval

a = (v – u)  t

Chapter6: Motions
Displacement-Time and Velocity-Time Graphs
contains information about the
contains information about the
displacement, velocity and acceleration
displacement and velocity of a
of a body at various moments in time
body at various moments in time.

Displacement-time graph

Displacement
By reading off the graph, the
displacement of the body between
O and B is 5 m.

Velocity
The velocity is given by the gradient of the graph. Between 1 s and 3 s,
the velocity = gradient = 4.0 – 0.8 = 1.6 ms-1
3–1
Chapter6: Motions
 Velocity-time graph

Displacement
The displacement of a body is given
by the area under the velocity-time
graph.
Displacement between A and B
= 1.5 × (4 − 1) = 4.5 m.
Displacement between C and D
Velocity = −2.5 × (12 − 10)= −5 m.
The velocity of the body at
time 2 s and 11 s are The negative sign
1.5 m s−1 and −2.5 m s−1 indicates that the
body is travelling in
respectively.
a direction towards
point O.
Acceleration
The acceleration is given by the gradient of the velocity-time graph.
Between O and A, the acceleration = gradient = 1.5/1 = 1.5 m s –2
Chapter6: Motions
 Motion of a falling object
The diagram on the right shows a stroboscopic view (view at equal time
intervals) of an object dropped from a height. It shows that the distance
travelled increases with time.

This indicates that the falling body is accelerating.

• Although Galileo was unable to make direct measurements of the speed

for each time interval at that time (the 16th century), he was able to use
mathematics to prove that the acceleration of a falling object is uniform.

• However, the statement is not true for objects with a large surface area.
This is because the air resistance experienced by such objects cannot be
neglected.

Chapter6: Motions