Chapter 2
Kinematics
Exercise Short Response Questions:
1. In a park, children are enjoying a ride on ferris wheel as shown. What kind
of motion the big wheel has and what kind of motion the riders have?
Ans: The ferris wheel is said to have rotatory motion because the wheel itself
rotates about a fixed axis (the axle at its center) while the riders do not spin
about their own axis. Instead, they move along a circular path around the
center of the wheel. So, riders have circular motion.
2. A boy moves for some time, give two situations in which his displacement
is zero but covered distance is not zero?
Ans: i. A boy walks 50 m east and then 50 m west, returning to his starting
point.
Distance covered = 50 m + 50 m
Distance covered = 100 m
Displacement = 0 m (because initial and final positions are same)
ii. A boy runs one complete lap of a circular track and comes back to the
starting point.
Distance covered = circumference of the track
Displacement = 0 m (because he ends where he started)
3. A stone tied to string is whirling in circle, what is direction of its velocity
at any instant?
Ans: When a stone tied to a string is whirled in a circle, its velocity at any
instant is directed along the tangent to the circular [Link] direction is
always perpendicular (90°) to the radius of the circle at that point. Therefore,
the velocity keeps changing its direction continuously as the stone moves
around the circle.
4. Is it possible to accelerate an object without speeding it up or slowing it
down?
Ans: Yes, it is possible to accelerate an object without changing its speed.
Acceleration occurs whenever the velocity changes, and velocity includes both
speed and direction. For example, an object moving in a circular path at
constant speed is accelerating because its direction changes continuously.
5. Can a car moving towards right have direction of acceleration towards
left?
Ans: Yes, a car moving towards the right can have acceleration towards the
left. This happens when the car is slowing down (speed decreases) while
moving to the right. The acceleration acts opposite (negative acceleration) to
the direction of motion, causing the car's speed to decrease.
6. With the help of daily life examples, describe the situations in which:
a. Acceleration is in direction of motion.
b. Acceleration is against the direction of motion.
c. Acceleration is zero and body is in motion.
Ans: a. When a bus starts moving from rest and speeds up in the forward
direction, its acceleration is in the same direction as motion. Similarly, a cyclist
pedaling faster in a straight road also has acceleration in the direction of motion.
b. When a moving car applies brakes, it slows down while still moving forward,
so acceleration is opposite to motion. A rolling ball on the ground also slows down
due to friction, which acts opposite to its motion.
c. When a car moves on a straight road at constant speed, its velocity does not
change. In this case, acceleration is zero even though the body is continuously
moving.
7. Examine the distance time graph of a motorcyclist, what does this graph
tell us about the speed of motorcyclist? Also plot its velocity time graph.
Ans: It tells us that speed is uniform. Motorcyclist covers equal distance in equal
Intervals of time. Its velocity- time graph is:
10
From the above velocity time graph we can see the object is moving with
Uniform velocity such as 10m/s because in distance time graph object
Covers equal distance (10m) in each time interval.
8. Which controls in the car can produce acceleration or deceleration in it?
Ans: The accelerator of the car produces acceleration while brakes produce
deceleration in a car. Accelerator of a car accelerates the car from zero to it
maximum value. As long as the accelerator is pressed more for a specific gear,
its speed will increase. Brakes are used to slow down or stop a car. Brakes
apply force to slow down or stop the motion of car.
9. If two stones of 10kg and 1kg are dropped from a 1km high tower. Which
will hit the ground with greater velocity? Which will hit the ground first?
(neglect the air resistance)
Ans: If air resistance is neglected, both stones will experience the same
acceleration due to gravity. So, both the 10 kg and 1 kg stones will reach the
ground with the same final velocity. They will also hit the ground at the same
time, because the time of fall does not depend on mass. Therefore, neither stone
is faster or earlier; both behave identically in free fall.
10. A 100g ball is just released (from rest) and another is thrown downward
with velocity of 10m/s. which will have greater acceleration? (Neglect air
resistance)
Ans: Both balls will have the same acceleration. When air resistance is
neglected, the only force acting on them is gravity, so both experience the
same acceleration g = 9.8 m/s² downward. Initial velocity (rest or 10 m/s
downward) does not affect acceleration due to gravity. Therefore, both the
released ball and the thrown ball have equal acceleration.