Grade 9: Physics

Motion: Notes

Grade 9
FIITJEE
Motion
Notes
Frame of Reference

It is the observation point from where the state of motion is observed.

For example, a new restaurant is opening shortly at a distance of 5 km north of my house. Here, the
house is the reference point that is used for describing where the restaurant is located.

a) Rest - An object is said to be at rest if it does not change its position with respect to its
surroundings with the passage of time.
Example: The chair, blackboard, and table in the classroom are at rest with respect to the
students.
b) Motion - A body is said to be in motion if it changes its position with time with respect to its
surroundings with the passage of time relative not absolute.
Example: A car moving on the road will be in motion with respect to the person standing on
the road.

NOTE:

Rest and motion are relative terms not absolute.

Classification of Motion

a) On the basis of the path covered

i. Rectilinear motion
ii. Circular motion
iii. Oscillatory motion
b) On the basis of Speed
i. Uniform motion - If a body travels an equal distance in equal intervals of time.
For example, a car running at a constant speed, say, 10 meters per second, will cover
equal distances of 10 meters every second, so its motion will be uniform.
ii. Non-uniform motion - If a body travels an unequal distance in equal intervals of
time.

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 Grade 9: Physics
Motion: Notes

Physical Quantity

• Any quantity which can be measured is known as physical quantity.

Types of Physical Quantity

1. Scalar quantity: Any physical quantity, that can be completely specified by its magnitude, is
known as a scalar quantity.
Example: Charge, distance, speed, time, temperature, density, volume, work, power, energy,
pressure, etc.
2. Vector quantity: The quantity which can be determined by its magnitude and direction and
also can be added or subtracted by vector algebra, is called as vector quantity.
Example: Displacement, velocity, acceleration, force, momentum, weight etc.

Scalar Vector

They have magnitude only. They have magnitude as well as direction.

They are added or subtracted arithmetically They are added or subtracted by the
like 3 kg + 5 kg = 8 kg process of vector addition.

Distance and Displacement

Distance:

It is the actual length of the path covered by a moving particle. It is a scalar quantity. It's S.I. unit is
metre (m).

Displacement:

It is the shortest distance between the initial and final position of the particle. It is a vector quantity.
It's S.I. unit is metre (m).

Difference between distance and displacement

Distance Displacement
Displacement is the shortest path between the initial and
Distance is the length of the path actually traveled by a
the final positions of a body in the direction of the point of
body in any direction.
the final position.
Distance between two given points depends upon the Displacement between two points is measured by the
path chosen. straight path between the points.
Displacement may be positive as well as negative and
Distance is always positive.
even zero.
Distance is a scalar quantity. Displacement is a vector quantity.

Distance will never decrease. Displacement may decrease.

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 Grade 9: Physics
Motion: Notes

Relationship between distance and displacement

• Distance is always greater than or equal to displacement.

• They will be the same or have the same value only when an object is moving in a straight path
in a single direction.

Distance ≥ Displacement

Question:

A person moves in a circular path centered at O of a radius of 1m. He starts from A and reaches
diametrically opposite point B. Then find:

a) distance between A and B

b) displacement between A and B

Sol.
2𝜋𝑟
a) Distance = 2
= 𝜋𝑟 as r = 1 m
Distance = 𝜋m
b) Displacement = 2r along west
Displacement = 2m along west

Speed and Velocity (How fast motion is done)

Speed:

It is defined as the distance travelled by the body unit time. It is a scalar quantity.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑑
𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 = =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡
Types of Speed

a) Uniform Speed (or Constant Speed): When an object covers equal distance in equal intervals
of time, it is said to move with uniform speed.
Example: A car moves 10 m in every one second so its motion is uniform.
b) Variable Speed (or Non-Uniform Speed): If a body covers unequal distance in equal intervals
of time, its motion is said to be non-uniform.
Example: Vehicle starting from rest, the motion of a freely falling body etc.
c) Instantaneous Speed: The instantaneous speed is the speed of an object at a particular moment
in time.
d) Average speed: For an object moving with variable speed, it is the total distance travelled by
the object divided by the total time taken to cover that distance.
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑒𝑑 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛

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 Grade 9: Physics
Motion: Notes

Velocity:

It is the distance traveled by the body in unit time in a given direction. It is a vector quantity.
𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑉𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = =
𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
Types of Velocity

a) Uniform Velocity (or Constant Velocity): When an object covers equal displacement in equal
intervals of time, it is said to move with uniform velocity.
Example: A car moves 10 m in every one second so its motion is uniform.
b) Non-Uniform Velocity or (Variable Velocity): When a body does not cover equal distances in
equal intervals of time, in a given direction (in this case speed is not constant), then it is
known as non-uniform velocity.
Example: In a vehicle starting from rest, The motion of a freely falling body, is uniform
circular motion. speed is constant but velocity is not constant.
c) Instantaneous velocity: The velocity of an object at a particular instant of time is called
instantaneous velocity.
d) Average velocity: The ratio of total displacement with the total time is called average velocity.
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

Different cases for average speed and average velocity

Case 1:

When distance or displacement and time both are given

𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒
Case 2:

When distance or displacement is the same but time is not the same time
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 2𝑑 2𝑣1 𝑣2
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = = =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡1 + 𝑡2 𝑣1 + 𝑣2

Case 3:

When distance or displacement is not the same but time is the same
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑑1 + 𝑑2 𝑣1 + 𝑣2
𝐴𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 = = =
𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 2𝑡 2

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 Grade 9: Physics
Motion: Notes

Difference between Speed and Velocity

Speed Velocity

It is rate of change of position of an object in It is rate of change of position of an object in a

any direction. specific direction.
𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡
Speed = Velocity =
𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒

It is a scalar quantity. It is a vector quantity.

It will be positive or negative depending on the

Speed will always be positive.
direction of motion.

For moving body, it will never be zero It may be zero

Acceleration (How fast motion is changing)

The rate of change of velocity or change in velocity in unit time. It is a vector quantity. Its SI unit is
m/s2.
𝑣−𝑢
𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 (𝑎) =
𝑡
NOTE:

If the velocity of the body increases with time, the acceleration is positive, and If the velocity of the
body decreases with time, the acceleration is negative (Retardation).

Types of Acceleration:

a) Uniform Acceleration (Uniformly Accelerated Motion): If a body travels in a straight line and
its velocity increases in equal amounts in equal intervals of time. Its motion is known as
uniformly accelerated motion.
Example: The motion of a freely falling body is an example of uniformly accelerated motion
(or motion of a body under the gravitational pull of the earth).
The motion of a bicycle going down the slope of a road when the rider is not pedaling and
wind resistance is negligible.
b) Non-Uniform Acceleration: If during the motion of a body its velocity increases by unequal
amounts in equal intervals of time, then its motion is known as non-uniform accelerated
motion.
Example: Car moving in a crowded street.
Motion of a train leaving or entering the platform.

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