Non Uniform Motion
Last Updated :
05 Mar, 2024
Non-Uniform Motion is the motion of an object, in which the object covers unequal distances in equal time intervals. Motion of a car in traffic, motion of a footballer, etc are considered to be non-uniform motions. In this article, we have covered Non-Uniform motion definition, Examples of non-uniform motion, and various others in detail.
Non-uniform motion simply means an object moves by changing its velocity over time, either in magnitude or direction, or both. Think of a car gradually accelerating to overtake other vehicles, or a person walking in a zigzag pattern. In it opposite to uniform motion it is not easy to predict the motion.
Non-Uniform Motion Graph
For non-uniform motion the graph is represented as,
Some examples of Non-Uniform Motion are,
- A child running randomly in a park
- Bouncing a Ball Randomly
- Motion of a Butterfly
- Motion of an Asteroid
Explanation of some of them are,
Example 1: Bouncing a Ball Randomly
If a ball bounces randomly under the action of gravity, it follows the non-uniform motion and its distance-time graph is non-linear.
Example 2: Motion of a Butterfly
A butterfly moving randomly covers unequal distances in unequal time and hence, its motion is considered to be non-uniform
Characteristics of non-uniform motion are,
Changing Velocity: Unlike uniform motion where velocity remains constant, in non-uniform motion velocity changes over time.
Acceleration: When we talk about non-uniform motion, acceleration will be either positive or negative, which indicates the velocity is changing.
Non-Linear Distance-Time Graph: Unlike uniform motion’s straight line, the distance-time graph for non-uniform motion is curved which shows that speed is changing.
Understanding non-uniform motion requires mathematical expressions that tell us about the dynamicity of changes in velocity and displacement over time. These representations give us a systematic way to analyze and predict the behavior of objects undergoing non-uniform motion.
Equations of Non-Uniform Motion
Speed: Formula for speed of any object in uniform motion is,
v(t) = ds(t)/dt
where,
- v(t) is Instantaneous speed at time t
- ds(t) is Distance travelled at time t
Acceleration:
Formula for speed of any object in uniform motion is,
a(t) = dv(t)/dt
where a(t) is the instantaneous acceleration at time t
Equations of Motion: These relate displacement, velocity, acceleration, and time, allowing us to solve real-world problems.
Graphical Analysis of Non-Uniform Motion
Distance-Time Graph: Slope of this graph represents the instantaneous speed. The more vertical the slope is higher the speed will be.
Velocity-Time Graph: Slope of this graph represents the instantaneous acceleration. The positive slope represents positive acceleration (speed is increasing), a negative slope represents deceleration (speed is decreasing), and a horizontal line suggests constant speed.
Analyzing non uniform motion involves understanding the dynamic behavior of moving object. This includes calculating speed and distance, as well as understanding velocity-time graphs.
Calculating Speed and Distance in Non Uniform Motion
In non-uniform motion, speed and distance calculation must be done considering change in velocity over time. This also requires integrating acceleration function to solve this problems.
Understanding Velocity-Time Graphs for Non Uniform Motion
Velocity-time graphs basically represents an object velocity changing over the time. Understanding these graphs curves and slope helps in analyzing the dynamic nature of non-uniform motion.
- Area under the curve: Area under the curve of a velocity-time graph measures the displacement or distance travelled by an object over a specific time interval.
- Slope interpretation: Positive slopes indicate that object is accelerating (increasing speed), negative slopes indicate that object is decelerating (decreasing speed), and horizontal slope represent there is no acceleration hence object is moving with constant speed.
- Vehicle Design: Making car braking systems and analyzing crash tests depends upon understanding non-uniform motion.
- Spacecraft Launches: Calculating trajectories, fuel requirements, and re-entry paths all rely on understanding non-uniform motion and related concepts like acceleration and forces.
Basic difference between uniform and non-uniform motion is explained in the table below,
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Uniform Motion
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Non-Uniform Motion
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Object moves with constant velocity.
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Object moves with varying velocity.
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Direction and magnitude of velocity are constant.
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Either direction or magnitude or both are varying.
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covers equals amount of distance in equal interval of time.
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covers unequal amount of distance in equal interval of time.
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Average speed and instantaneous speed are same .
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Average speed and instantaneous speed are not same.
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Distance vs time graph is straight line.
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Distance vs time graph is non-linear.
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Acceleration is zero in this case.
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Acceleration is not zero.
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What is non-uniform motion?
Motion of an object when it covers unequal distances in equal time interval then it is called Non-Uniform Motion.
What causes non-uniform motion?
Non-uniform motion arises due to external forces (like friction or gravity), acceleration, curved paths, etc. These factors changes the velocity over time which results in non-uniform motion
How to distinguish between uniform and non-uniform motion graphically?
For uniform motion, velocity vs time graph is horizontal line which means velocity is constant over time. Whereas, for non-uniform motion, velocity vs time graph is not horizontal line which means velocity is changing over time.
Is Graph of Non-Uniform Motion Linear?
The graph of non-uniform motion is non-linear
Is motion of bee uniform of non-uniform?
Motion of bee is a non-uniform motion
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