Types of Motion & Relative Motion

Types of Motion

Motion refers to the change in position of an object over time. Here are the basic types of motion:

• Translational Motion: Movement in which all parts of an object move the same distance in a given time. It can be linear (straight line) or curvilinear (curved path).
• Rotational Motion: An object spins around an internal axis. For example, the Earth rotating on its axis.
• Oscillatory Motion: Back-and-forth movement about a central point, like a pendulum.
• Random Motion: Movement in no specific direction, often seen in gas particles.

 

Relative Motion

Relative motion is the calculation of the motion of an object with regard to some other moving object. It's important to understand that motion is always measured relative to a reference point.

For example, if you are sitting in a moving car, you are at rest relative to the car but in motion relative to the road.

 

Calculating Relative Motion

To calculate relative motion, you can use the formula:

$$v_{AB} = v_A - v_B$$

Where:

• $v_{AB}$ is the velocity of object A relative to object B.
• $v_A$ is the velocity of object A.
• $v_B$ is the velocity of object B.