Motion is said to occur when an object changes its position with time with respect to a reference

point.

Frame of Reference
Motion is always measured relative to a fixed point, which is called the reference point or frame
of reference.

Example
Consider a person sitting in a moving train:
Relative to the train → the person is at rest
Relative to the ground → the person is in motion
Conclusion
Therefore, motion depends on the observer and the reference point.
Hence, motion is relative, not absolute.

Distance -It is the actual path length travelled by an object.

It depends on the path taken
It is a scalar quantity (no direction)
It is always positive
Example:
If you walk around a park, the total path you walked = distance

Displacement-It is the shortest straight-line distance from initial to final position, along with
direction.
It depends only on start and end point
It is a vector quantity
It can be positive, negative, or zero
Example:
If you go from home to school directly → that straight distance is displacement.

. SPEED
Speed tells us how fast an object is moving.
It is defined as the distance travelled by an object per unit time.

. VELOCITY
Velocity is the speed of an object in a particular direction
or
It is the displacement per unit time

. ACCELERATION
Acceleration is the rate at which velocity changes with time

Symbol SI Unit
 Quantity Name

d Distance metre (m)

s Displacement metre (m)

t Time taken second (s)

u Initial velocity m/s

v Final velocity m/s

a Acceleration m/s²

1. Positive Acceleration

When the velocity of an object increases over time, it is said to have positive
acceleration. In this case, the final velocity (v) is greater than the initial velocity (u).

● Direction: The acceleration is in the same direction as the motion of the object.
● Example: A ball rolling down a steep hill or a car starting from rest and gaining
speed.
2. Negative Acceleration (Retardation/Deceleration)

When the velocity of an object decreases over time, it is said to have negative
acceleration. Here, the final velocity (v) is less than the initial velocity (u).

● Direction: The acceleration acts in the opposite direction to the motion of the
object.
● Example: A cyclist applying brakes to stop at a red light or a ball thrown
vertically upward (it slows down due to gravity).
3. Zero Acceleration

When an object moves with constant velocity (meaning both its speed and direction
do not change), it has zero acceleration. In this case, v=u, so the change in velocity is
zero.

● Condition: The object must be moving in a straight line at a steady speed.

 ● Example: A car cruise-controlling at exactly 60 km/h on a perfectly straight
highway.

Comparison at a Glance
Type of Acceleration Velocity Trend Mathematical Relation

Positive Increasing v>u

Negative Decreasing v<u
Zero Constant v=u

Note: Don't forget that if an object is stationary (not moving at all), its acceleration is
also zero, because its velocity is staying constant at 0 m/s.

1. Scalar Quantity vs Vector Quantity

Vector Quantity
Scalar Quantity

Has only magnitude (numerical value) Has both magnitude and direction

Direction is essential
Direction is not considered

Represented by number + unit only (e.g., 20 Represented by number + unit + direction

m, 5 s) (e.g., 20 m east)

Examples: Distance, Speed, Time

Examples: Displacement, Velocity,

Distance Displacement

Total path length covered by an object Shortest distance from initial to final position

It is a scalar quantity It is a vector quantity

 No direction is involved
Direction is involved

Always positive
Can be positive, negative, or zero

Depends on the actual path taken

Depends only on initial and final positions

Always greater than or equal to displacement Always less than or equal to distance

Speed vs Velocity

Speed Velocity

Distance ÷ Time Displacement ÷ Time

It is a scalar quantity It is a vector quantity

Has a definite direction

Has no direction

Tells only how fast an object moves Tells how fast and in which direction

Can be positive, negative, or zero

Always positive

Depends on displacement
Depends on total distance travelled

Example: 60 km/h Example: 60 km/h north

Uniform Acceleration
Definition
When the velocity of an object changes by equal amounts in equal intervals of time, it is called
uniform acceleration.
Examples
A freely falling stone under gravity
A car increasing its speed regularly
Non-Uniform Acceleration
Definition
When the velocity of an object changes by unequal amounts in equal intervals of time, it is
called non-uniform acceleration.
Examples
A bus moving in city traffic
A bike moving on a crowded road

Difference Between Uniform and Non-Uniform Acceleration

Uniform Acceleration Non-Uniform Acceleration

Equal change in velocity in equal time Unequal change in velocity in equal time

Acceleration remains constant Acceleration changes continuously

Velocity-time graph is straight Velocity-time graph is curved

Example: freely falling object Example: vehicle in traffic

Graph of Uniform and Non uniform acceleration