Motion in a Straight Line

Introduction

Motion in a Straight Line is an important topic of physics. When the position of an object is changed with respect to time then it is called motion. A particle moves along the straight line then motion is defined as motion in a straight line. It is also defined as 1D motion. In this article, we will study Motion in a Straight Line- Definition, types, formula, and example.

What do you mean by motion?

The change in the position of an object concerning time is called motion. In simple words, if a body is moving, it is described as motion. The motion might be slow or swift, but it will exist in every moving body. Motion can be described in terms of time, speed, displacement, and distance. 

For example, let’s assume an object is moving from Point A to Point B and changing its position concerning time. Here, we can see that the thing is undergoing motion 

In our day-to-day life, we see numerous objects moving around us. More examples of the motion.

• The water flowing out of the tap
• People walking on streets
• Vehicle running on roads
• Birds flying in the air
• The pen falls from the table
• A fruit falling from a tree

The shortest distance between the initial and final point is known as displacement. 

Types of motion

We all have observed various objects move in different ways. Some things move in a straight path, some action in a curved direction, and others differently. Motion is categorized into 3 types according to the nature of the object’s movement. The three types are as follows:-

• Rotary Motion
• Linear Motion
• Oscillatory Motion

Rotatory Motion

The motion that occurs when a body rotates on its axis is the Rotatory motion. Some important examples of the rotatory motion are mentioned below:

• The motion of the earth on its axis around the sun. 
• The motion of wheels while driving the car, 

Linear Motion

The motion in which the object moves from the initial point to the final is either curved or straight. Depending on the path of motion, the linear motion is divided into 2 categories:- 

• Rectilinear Motion – When the path of motion is in a straightway.
• Curvilinear Motion – When the path of motion is curved.

Some examples of this type of motion are the motion of football, a train, or a car on the road.

Oscillatory Motion

The motion of a body around its mean position is known as the Oscillatory motion. Example: pendulum of a clock, swinging of the swing, etc. 

Motion in a Straight Line

An object is said to be in motion when it changes its position concerning its surroundings with time. With time, the object also changes its position. The linear motion is known as the motion in a straight line. It is a one-dimensional motion. 

The Linear motion in a straight line is further divided into two categories:-

1. The Uniform linear motion has zero acceleration or constant velocity
2. The Non-Uniform linear motion having non-zero acceleration or variable velocity

Linear motion is a kind of one-dimensional motion. It is suggested in Newton’s first law that“ an object will remain in the motion unless or until external force will be applied on it”. 

Uniform Motion in the Straight Line

When an object travels in a straight line and covers the same distance at the same time, it is said that the object is in uniform motion. Simply, the rate of change in velocity will always remain constant in the case of uniform acceleration. 

Non-uniform Motion in a Straight Line

When an object travels in a straight line and covers the same distance and the velocity varies by different amounts, then it is said that the object is in non-uniform motion. In other words, the rate of change in velocity at different time intervals.

For eg:– When a kid plays with balls, firstly he throws the ball  6m, in another attempt 10m, and finally, he throws balls 10m. Here in all cases, the velocity is differently applied by the boy. 

The position-time graph for uniform motion

We can easily place the motion of an object in the graph. The position-time graph for uniform motion in a straight line concerning velocity and time. The straight line shows the uniform sign of the object.

Conclusion

Above, we have gone through motion in a straight line and we have covered various types of motion, their formulas, and examples. We have read that, The change in the position of an object to time is called motion. In simple words, if a body is moving, it is described as motion. The motion might be slow or swift, but it will exist in every moving body. Motion can be described in terms of time, speed, displacement, and distance.