Describing Motion Around Us — Chapter 4

Solutions to "Revise, Reflect, Refine" Questions (Class 9 Science, Exploration)

Q1. Father's trip to the shop and back (total distance & displacement)
Distance from home to shop = 250 m.
Journey: Home → Shop (forgot bag) → Home (to get bag) → Shop again → Home.
Total distance travelled = 250 + 250 + 250 + 250 = 1000 m.
Total distance travelled = 1000 m
Since he ends up back at home (his starting point), the net change in position is zero.
Displacement from home = 0 m

Q2. Student running from ground floor to 4th floor, then down to 2nd floor
Height of each floor = 3 m.
Ground floor → 4th floor: 4 floors × 3 m = 12 m (upward).
4th floor → 2nd floor: 2 floors × 3 m = 6 m (downward).
(i) Total vertical distance travelled = 12 m + 6 m = 18 m
Net displacement = final position (2nd floor) − initial position (ground floor) = 2 × 3 m = 6 m, in the upward
direction.
(ii) Displacement from starting point = 6 m (upward)

Q3. Can the scooter be accelerating with a constant speedometer reading?

Yes. The speedometer only shows the magnitude of velocity (speed); it does not indicate direction. If the scooter
is turning (moving along a curved path, e.g. going round a bend or a circular track) while maintaining the same
speed, its direction of motion — and therefore its velocity — keeps changing. Since acceleration is the rate of
change of velocity (which depends on direction too), the scooter is accelerating even though the speedometer
reading stays constant.

Q4. Car starting from rest reaching 24 m/s in 6 s

Given: u = 0 m/s, v = 24 m/s, t = 6 s
Average acceleration, a = (v − u) / t = (24 − 0) / 6 = 4 m s⁻²
Distance travelled: s = ut + ½at² = 0 + ½ × 4 × (6)² = ½ × 4 × 36 = 72 m
(Check using s = [(u+v)/2] × t = (0+24)/2 × 6 = 72 m)
Average acceleration = 4 m s⁻²; Distance travelled = 72 m

Q5. Motorbike with u = 28 m/s stopping after 98 m

Given: u = 28 m/s, v = 0 m/s, s = 98 m
v² = u² + 2as ⟹ 0 = (28)² + 2 × a × 98
0 = 784 + 196a ⟹ a = −784/196 = −4 m s⁻²
Time to stop: v = u + at ⟹ 0 = 28 + (−4)t ⟹ t = 7 s
Acceleration = −4 m s⁻² (deceleration); Time taken to stop = 7 s

Q6. Position-time graph of A and B (parallel tracks, Fig. 4.27)

In Fig. 4.27, both position-time graphs for A and B are straight lines, which means each object moves with its
own constant velocity (equal to the slope of its line). Since the two lines have different, constant slopes
throughout the interval shown, their velocities remain different at every instant — they are never equal.
The point where the two lines cross (around t = 5 s) only means that A and B are at the same position at that
instant — not that they have the same velocity. Since the slopes (velocities) of the two straight lines never
coincide, A and B never travel at the same velocity.
Answer: No, objects A and B never have equal velocity, because their position-time graphs are straight
lines with different, constant slopes throughout the given interval.

Q7. Position-time graph of A and B, 0 to 10 s (Fig. 4.28)

Both A and B start at the same initial position (t = 0) and end at the same final position (t = 10 s); i.e. they
undergo the same net displacement in the same time interval. Also, since both graphs rise continuously (position
never decreases), the object never turns back — so for both A and B, the total distance travelled equals the
magnitude of displacement.
Because the displacement of both objects is identical over the same 10 s interval:
• Average velocity = displacement / time interval → equal for A and B.
• Since distance travelled = displacement (motion is one-directional, non-reversing) for both, and both cover the
same distance in the same time, average speed is also equal for A and B.
Correct options: (i) and (ii)
Options (iii) and (iv) are incorrect — they assume the curved path of B represents extra distance travelled, but on
a position-time graph, distance travelled equals the total change in position only when the motion doesn't reverse
direction; the 'wiggle' of the curve does not by itself add extra distance.

Q8. Truck driver slowing from 54 km/h to 36 km/h in 36 s

Given: u = 54 km/h = 15 m/s, v = 36 km/h = 10 m/s, t = 36 s
s = [(u + v)/2] × t = [(15 + 10)/2] × 36 = 12.5 × 36 = 450 m
Distance travelled = 450 m

Q9. Car: accelerates, constant speed, then brakes

Phase 1 (0 → 20 m/s in 5 s): s₁ = [(0+20)/2] × 5 = 50 m
Phase 2 (constant 20 m/s for 10 s): s₂ = 20 × 10 = 200 m
Phase 3 (20 m/s → 0 in 6 s): s₃ = [(20+0)/2] × 6 = 60 m
Total distance travelled = 50 + 200 + 60 = 310 m

Q10. Bus travelling at 36 km/h, obstacle 30 m ahead

Given: u = 36 km/h = 10 m/s, reaction time = 0.5 s, braking deceleration a = 2.5 m s ⁻², distance to obstacle = 30
m
Distance covered during reaction time (before brake applied, constant speed):
s_reaction = u × t = 10 × 0.5 = 5 m
Remaining distance available for braking = 30 − 5 = 25 m
Distance needed to stop once brakes are applied (v = 0):
v² = u² + 2as ⟹ 0 = (10)² + 2(−2.5)s ⟹ s = 100/5 = 20 m
Total distance needed to stop = 5 m (reaction) + 20 m (braking) = 25 m, which is exactly equal to the 30 m
available minus... let's compare directly: braking distance (20 m) is less than the 25 m remaining after reaction.
Answer: Yes, the bus will be able to stop before reaching the obstacle. It stops after covering a total of 25 m
(5 m during reaction + 20 m while braking), which is 5 m short of the 30 m obstacle distance.

Q11. Is an object on Earth at rest, given that the Earth orbits the Sun?
Whether an object is 'at rest' or 'in motion' depends entirely on the reference point chosen — motion is relative.
• If we take a point on the Earth's surface (or the Earth itself) as the reference point, an object lying on the ground
(e.g., a book on a table) does not change its position with respect to the Earth, so it can correctly be considered at
rest relative to the Earth.
• However, if we take the Sun (or a fixed point in space) as the reference point, the same object is in motion,
because it is being carried along with the Earth as the Earth revolves around the Sun (and also spins on its axis).
Conclusion: The object is at rest relative to the Earth, but in motion relative to the Sun. Rest and motion
are not absolute; they depend on the chosen reference point.

Q12. Velocity-time graph of a cyclist, 0–120 s (Fig. 4.30)

Reading the graph: velocity increases from 0 to 3 m/s during 0–20 s, remains constant at 3 m/s from 20 s to 100 s,
then decreases from 3 m/s to about 2 m/s from 100 s to 120 s.
(i) Displacement while moving with constant velocity (20 s to 100 s):
Area of rectangle = velocity × time = 3 m/s × (100 − 20) s = 3 × 80 = 240 m
(ii) Displacement while velocity is decreasing (100 s to 120 s):
Area of trapezium = ½ × (v₁ + v₂) × t = ½ × (3 + 2) × 20 = 50 m
Displacement during the initial increasing phase (0–20 s): Area of triangle = ½ × 3 × 20 = 30 m
Total displacement over 120 s = 30 + 240 + 50 = 320 m
Average acceleration over the full 120 s interval:
a_avg = (final velocity − initial velocity) / total time = (2 − 0) / 120 ≈ 0.017 m s ⁻²
(Shade the rectangular region under the flat top of the graph, 20 s–100 s, for part (i); shade the sloped trapezoidal
region from 100 s–120 s for part (ii).)

Q13. Estimating distance run by a girl (Fig. 4.31, velocity in km/h vs time in
hours)
This is an estimation question based on reading approximate values off the velocity-time graph and calculating
the area under the curve (distance = area under a velocity-time graph).
From the graph: velocity rises from about 6.5 km/h at t = 0 to about 7.5 km/h at t = 2 h, stays close to 7.5 km/h
from t = 2 h to t = 3 h, then gradually falls to about 6 km/h by t = 6 h.
Estimating the area under the curve using the trapezium approach over each hour interval and adding them up
gives an approximate average velocity of about 7 km/h over the full 6-hour period.
Estimated distance ≈ average velocity × total time ≈ 7 km/h × 6 h ≈ 42 km
(Note: since this is a graph-reading estimation exercise, exact numerical answers may vary slightly depending on
how the curve is read; the method — breaking the area under the curve into trapezium/triangle strips and
summing them — is the key concept being tested.)

Q14. Car on state highway: constant velocity then acceleration

Given: constant velocity = 6 m/s for 2 minutes (120 s), then acceleration = 1 m s ⁻² for next 6 s.
Phase 1 (constant velocity, 0–120 s):
s₁ = v × t = 6 × 120 = 720 m
Phase 2 (accelerating, 120 s–126 s, i.e. 6 s duration):
Final velocity after acceleration: v = u + at = 6 + (1 × 6) = 12 m/s
s₂ = ut + ½at² = (6 × 6) + ½ × 1 × (6)² = 36 + 18 = 54 m
Total displacement in the 2 min 6 s interval = 720 + 54 = 774 m
(A velocity-time graph for this motion would show a horizontal line at v = 6 m/s from t = 0 to t = 120 s, followed
by a straight line sloping upward from 6 m/s to 12 m/s between t = 120 s and t = 126 s. The total displacement
equals the total area under this graph — a rectangle plus a trapezium — matching the 774 m calculated above.)

Q15. Two cars A and B accelerating from rest

Car A: u = 0, reaches v = 5 m/s in t = 5 s
a_A = (v − u)/t = 5/5 = 1 m s⁻²
Car B: u = 0, reaches v = 3 m/s in t = 10 s
a_B = (v − u)/t = 3/10 = 0.3 m s⁻²
Displacement of Car A in 5 s:
s_A = ut + ½at² = 0 + ½ × 1 × (5)² = 12.5 m
Displacement of Car B in 10 s:
s_B = ut + ½at² = 0 + ½ × 0.3 × (10)² = ½ × 0.3 × 100 = 15 m
To plot the velocity-time graphs on the same axes: Car A's line rises steeply from (0,0) to (5 s, 5 m/s) — slope 1
m/s² — while Car B's line rises more gently from (0,0) to (10 s, 3 m/s) — slope 0.3 m/s². Sample points for
plotting Car A: (0,0), (1,1), (2,2), (3,3), (4,4), (5,5). Sample points for Car B: (0,0), (2,0.6), (4,1.2), (6,1.8),
(8,2.4), (10,3). The displacement in each interval equals the triangular area under each respective line, matching
the values calculated above (12.5 m for A, 15 m for B).

Q16. Minute hand of a wall clock, 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM (Fig. 4.32)

Length of minute hand (radius, r) = 7 cm.
Time interval = 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM = 90 minutes = 1½ revolutions = 5400 s.
(i) Distance travelled:
Circumference of one revolution = 2πr = 2 × (22/7) × 7 = 44 cm
Distance travelled in 1.5 revolutions = 1.5 × 44 = 66 cm
(ii) Displacement:
At 6:00 PM the tip of the minute hand points to '12'. After 1.5 revolutions (90 minutes), it has gone all the way
around once (returning to '12') and then halfway round again, ending pointing to '6' — i.e., diametrically opposite
its starting point.
 Displacement = diameter = 2r = 2 × 7 = 14 cm (from the '12' position straight through the centre to the '6'
position)
(iii) Speed:
Speed = total distance / time = 66 cm / 5400 s ≈ 0.0122 cm s⁻¹
(iv) Velocity:
Velocity = displacement / time = 14 cm / 5400 s ≈ 0.0026 cm s⁻¹
(direction: from the initial tip position toward the final tip position, i.e. straight across the clock face through the
centre)