We are all familiar with the idea of motion. We see several examples of motion around us like the motion of people, vehicles, trains, airplanes, birds, etc;
- If earth is in motion, why don’t we directly perceive the motion of the earth?
- Are the walls of our classroom at rest or in motion?why?
To give answers to these questions we need to understand the terms relative and motion. In motion, again we need understand different types of motion. There are 2 types that are Uniform motion and non uniform motion.
What is Motion?
Motion is relative. The motion of an object depends on the observer.
Carefully whirl a small object on the end of the string in the horizontal plane releasing the object while it is whirling on the string.
In what direction does it move?
Try to release the object at different points on the circle and observe the direction of motion of the object after it has been released from the string.
You will notice that the object moves on a straight line along the tangent to the path at a point of interest.
The SI unit of velocity is meter/sec.
In our daily life, we must have observed many motions where in some cases the velocity of an object which is in motion is constant but in other cases, it continuously changes.
Which motion is called uniform? Why?
Uniform Motion:
The motion of the body is said to be uniform when its velocity is constant.
Non Uniform Motion:
In our daily life in many situations when a body is in motion, its velocity changes with time.
The motion of an object is said to be non uniform when its velocity is changing.
Let’s summarize the differences between uniform motion and non uniform motion
Differences Between Uniform Motion and Non uniform motion:
| Uniform Motion | Non Uniform Motion |
|---|---|
| Acceleration | |
| Acceleration of uniform motion is zero | Acceleration for non uniform motion is non-zero. |
| Distance | |
| In uniform motion, it is the equal distance at equal time intervals. | In non uniform motion, it is the unequal distance at equal time intervals. |
| Distance-time graph | |
| If we draw a distance-time graph it shows a straight line. | Whereas the distance-time graph of non uniform motion shows curved lines. |
| Average speed | |
| Its average speed is similar to the actual speed of an object. | Its average speed is different from the actual speed of the object. |
| Movement | |
| The uniform motion refers to the movement of the body along a straight line with steady speed. | Non uniform motion refers to the movement of an object along a straight line with variable speed. |
Bottom line:
So, when we compare uniform motion and non uniform motion we can conclude that both the motions happen in our daily life in velocity changes and it also includes acceleration, distance, average speed, etc;
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