Motion in a

Straight Line
NCERT Solutions

Examples
Page - 15

Example 2.1 : The position of an object moving along x-axis is given by x = a +

bt² where a = 8.5 m, b = 2.5 ms⁻² and t is measured in seconds. What is its
velocity at t = 0 s and t = 2.0 s. What is the average velocity between t = 2.0
s and t = 4.0 s ?
Answer:

Position is given as x = a + bt² = 8.5 + 2.5t²

Position at t = 2 s, x₁​= 8.5 + 2.5(2)² = 18.5 m
Position at t = 4 s, x₂​= 8.5 + 2.5(4)² = 48.5 m
Displacement,
s = x₂​− x₁ ​= 48.5 − 18.5 = 30 m
Time taken,
t=4−2=2s
Average velocity,
Vₐᵥ = s/t = 30/2 = 15 m/s

Page - 18
Example 2.2 : Obtain equations of motion for constant acceleration using
method of calculus
Answer:
By definition

Integrating both sides

Integrating both sides

We can write

Integrating both sides

The advantage of this method is that it can be used for motion with non-
uniform acceleration also.

Page - 18

Example 2.3 : A ball is thrown vertically upwards with a velocity of 20 ms⁻¹

from the top of a multistorey building. The height of the point from where the
ball is thrown is 25.0 m from the ground. (a) How high will the ball rise ? and
(b) how long will it be before the ball hits the ground? Take g = 10 ms⁻².
Answer:
(a) Let us take the y-axis in the vertically upward direction with zero at the
ground, as shown in Fig. 2.6

If the ball rises to height y from the point of launch, then using the equation
(b) We can solve this part of the problem in two ways. Note carefully the
methods used.

FIRST METHOD : In the first method, we split the path in two parts : the
upward motion (A to B) and the downward motion (B to C) and calculate the
corresponding time taken t₁ and t₂ . Since the velocity at B is zero, we have :

This is the time in going from A to B. From B, or the point of the maximum
height, the ball falls freely under the acceleration due to gravity. The ball is
moving in negative y direction. We use equation

Therefore, the total time taken by the ball before it hits the ground =
t₁ + t₂ = 2 s + 3 s = 5 s.

SECOND METHOD : The total time taken can also be calculated by noting the
coordinates of initial and final positions of the ball with respect to the origin
chosen and using equation
 Solving this quadratic equation for t, we get
t = 5s

Note that the second method is better since we do not have to worry about
the path of the motion as the motion is under constant acceleration.

Page - 19

Example 2.4 Free-fall : Discuss the motion of an object under free fall.
Neglect air resistance.
Answer:

An object released near the surface of the Earth is accelerated downward

under the influence of the force of gravity. The magnitude of acceleration due
to gravity is represented by g. If air resistance is neglected, the object is said
to be in free fall. If the height through which the object falls is small compared
to the earth’s radius, g can be taken to be constant, equal to 9.8 ms⁻². Free
fall is thus a case of motion with uniform acceleration.

We assume that the motion is in y-direction, more correctly in –y-direction

because we choose upward direction as positive. Since the acceleration due
to gravity is always downward, it is in the negative direction and we have
a = – g = – 9.8 ms⁻²

The object is released from rest at y = 0. Therefore, v₀ = 0 and the equations

of motion become:

These equations give the velocity and the distance travelled as a function of
time and also the variation of velocity with distance. The variation of
acceleration, velocity, and distance, with time have been plotted in Fig. 2.7(a),
(b) and (c).
 Fig. 2.7 ---> Motion of an object under free fall.
(a) Variation of acceleration with time.
(b) Variation of velocity with time.
(c) Variation of distance with time

Page - 20
Example 2.5 Galileo’s law of odd numbers : “The distances traversed, during
equal intervals of time, by a body falling from rest, stand to one another in
the same ratio as the odd numbers beginning with unity [namely, 1: 3: 5:
7…...].” Prove it.
Answer:
Let us divide the time interval of motion of an object under free fall into many
equal intervals τ and find out the distances traversed during successive
intervals of time. Since initial velocity is zero, we have,
Using this equation, we can calculate the position of the object after different
time intervals, 0, τ, 2τ, 3τ… which are given in second column of Table 2.2.

Table 2.2

If we take (–1/2) gt² as y₀ — the position coordinate after first time interval τ,
then third column gives the positions in the unit of y₀. The fourth column gives
the distances traversed in successive τs. We find that the distances are in the
simple ratio 1: 3: 5: 7: 9: 11… as shown in the last column. This law was
established by Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) who was the first to make
quantitative studies of free fall.

Page - 20
Example 2.6 Stopping distance of vehicles : When brakes are applied to a
moving vehicle, the distance it travels before stopping is called stopping
distance. It is an important factor for road safety and depends on the initial
velocity (v₀) and the braking capacity, or deceleration, –a that is caused by
the braking. Derive an expression for stopping distance of a vehicle in terms
of v₀ and a.
Answer:
Let the distance travelled by the vehicle before it stops be ds . Then, using
equation of motion v² = v₀² + 2ax, and noting that v = 0, we have the stopping
distance

Thus, the stopping distance is proportional to the square of the initial velocity.
Doubling the initial velocity increases the stopping distance by a factor of 4
(for the same deceleration).
For the car of a particular make, the braking distance was found to be 10 m,
20 m, 34 m and 50 m corresponding to velocities of 11, 15, 20 and 25 m/s
which are nearly consistent with the above formula.
Stopping distance is an important factor considered in setting speed limits,
for example, in school zones.

Page - 21

Example 2.7 Reaction time : When a situation demands our immediate

action, it takes some time before we really respond. Reaction time is the
time a person takes to observe, think and act. For example, if a person is
driving and suddenly a boy appears on the road, then the time elapsed
before he slams the brakes of the car is the reaction time. Reaction time
depends on complexity of the situation and on an individual. You can
measure your reaction time by a simple experiment. Take a ruler and ask
your friend to drop it vertically through the gap between your thumb and
forefinger (Fig. 2.8). After you catch it, find the distance d travelled by the
ruler. In a particular case, d was found to be 21.0 cm. Estimate reaction time.

Answer:

The ruler drops under free fall. Therefore, v₀ = 0, and a = – g = –9.8 ms⁻².
The distance travelled d and the reaction time tᵣ are related by
Given d = 21.0 cm and g = 9.8 ms⁻² the reaction time is
 Exercises

Question 1 : In which of the following examples of motion, can the body be

considered approximately a point object:
(a) a railway carriage moving without jerks between two stations.
(b) a monkey sitting on top of a man cycling smoothly on a circular track.
(c) a spinning cricket ball that turns sharply on hitting the ground.
(d) a tumbling beaker that has slipped off the edge of a table.

Answer:

(a) The railway carriage moving without jerks between two stations, so the
distance
between two stations is considered to be large as compared to the size of the
train. Therefore the train is considered as a point object.
(b) The monkey may be considered as point object because value of distance
covered on
a circular track is much greater.
(c) As turning of ball is not smooth, thus the distance covered by ball is not
large in the reasonable time. Therefore ball cannot be considered as point
object.
(d) Again a tumbling beaker slipped off the edge of a table cannot be
considered as a point object because distance covered is not much larger.

Question 2 : The position-time (x-t) graphs for two children A and B returning
from their school O to their homes P and Q respectively are shown in Fig.
Choose the correct entries in the brackets below:
(a) (A/B) lives closer to the school than (B/A).
(b) (A/B) starts from the school earlier than (B/A).
(c) (A/B) walks faster than (B/A).
(d) A and B reach home at the (same/different) time.
(e) (A/B) overtakes (B/A) on the road (once/twice).
Answer:

(a) A lives closer to school than B, because B has to cover higher distances
[OP < OQ],
(b) A starts earlier for school than B, because t = 0 for A but for B, t has some
finite time.
(c) As slope of B is greater than that of A, thus B walks faster than A.
(d) A and B reach home at the same time.
(e) At the point of intersection (i.e., X), B overtakes A on the roads once.

Question 3 : A woman starts from her home at 9.00 am, walks with a speed of
5 km h-1 on a straight road up to her office 2.5 km away, stays at the office
up to 5.00 pm, and returns home by an auto with a speed of 2.5 km h-1.
Choose suitable scales and plot the x-t graph of her motion.

Answer:

Distance covered while walking = 2.5 km.

Speed while walking = 5 km/h
Time taken to reach office while walking = (2.5/5 ) h=1/2 h
If O is regarded as the origin for both time and distance, then at t = 9.00 am, x
=0
and at t = 9.30 am, x = 2.5 km
OA is the x-t graph of the motion when the woman walks from her home to
office. Her stay in the office from 9.30 am to 5.00 pm is represented, by the
straight line AB in the graph.
Now, time taken to return home by an auto = 2.5/5 h =1/10 h =6 minute
So, at t = 5.06 pm, x = 0
This motion is represented by the straight line BC in the graph. While drawing
the x-t graph, the scales chosen are as under:
Along time-axis, one division equals 1 hour.
Along positive-axis, one division equals 0.5 km.

Question 4 : A drunkard walking in a narrow lane takes 5 steps forward and

3 steps backward, followed again by 5 steps forward and 3 steps backward,
and so on. Each step is 1 m long and requires 1 s. Plot the x-t graph of his
motion. Determine graphically and otherwise how long the drunkard takes to
fall in a pit 13 m away from the start.

Answer:
Since the man steadily moves forward as the time progresses so the following
graph will represent his motion till he covers 13 m. In 5 s he moves through a
distance of 5 m and then in next 3 s comes back by 3 m.
Thus in 8 s he covers only 2 m, as shown in the graph he would fall in the pit
in 37 s.

As pointed out earlier, the man covers 2 m in 8 s so, he will cover 8 m in 32 s.

But at the end in 5 s he would cover another 5 m i.e., 32 s + 5 s = 37 s, he
would cover 8 m + 5 m = 13 m. Thus, he would fall in the pit in 37th second.

Question 5 : A car moving along a straight highway with speed of 126 km h⁻¹
is brought to a stop within a distance of 200 m. What is the retardation of
the car (assumed uniform), and how long does it take for the car to stop?
Answer:
Question 6 : A player throws a ball upwards with an initial speed of 29.4 ms-1.
(a) What is the direction of acceleration during the upward motion of the
ball?
(b) What are the velocity and acceleration of the ball at the highest point of
its motion?
(c) Choose the x = 0 m and t = 0 s to be the location and time of the ball at
its highest point, vertically downward direction to be the positive direction of
x-axis, and give the signs of position, velocity and acceleration of the ball
during its upward, and downward motion.
(d) To what height does the ball rise and after how long does the ball return
to the player’s hands? (Take g = 9.8 m s-2 and neglect air resistance).
Answer:
(a) The direction of acceleration during the upward motion of the ball is
vertically downward.

(b) At the highest point, velocity of ball is zero but acceleration (g = 9.8 ms-2)
in vertically downward direction.

(c) If we consider highest point of ball motion as x = 0, t = 0 and vertically

downward direction to be +ve direction of x-axis, then
(i) during upward motion of ball before reaching the highest point position
(as well as displacement) x = +ve, velocity v = -ve and acceleration a = g =
+ve.
(ii) during the downward motion of ball after reaching the highest point, x, v
and a = g all the three quantities are positive.

(d) During upward motion

Question 7 : Read each statement below carefully and state with reasons
and examples, if it is true or false; A particle in one-dimensional motion
(a) with zero speed at an instant may have non-zero acceleration at that
instant.
(b) with, zero speed may have non-zero velocity.
(c) with constant speed must have zero acceleration,
(d) with positive value of acceleration must be speeding up.
Answer:
(a) True. Consider a ball thrown up. At the highest point, speed is zero but
the acceleration is non-zero.
(b) False. If a particle has non-zero velocity, it must have speed.
(c) True. If the particle rebounds instantly with the same speed, it implies
infinite acceleration which is physically impossible.
(d) False. True only when the chosen position direction is along the
direction of motion.

Question 8 : A ball is dropped from a height of 90 m on a floor. At each

collision with the floor, the ball loses one tenth of its speed. Plot the speed-
time graph of its motion between t =0 to 12 s.
Answer:
Question 9 : Explain clearly, with examples, the distinction between:
(a) Magnitude of displacement (sometimes called distance) over an interval
of time, and the total length of path covered by a particle over the same
interval;
(b) Magnitude of average velocity over an interval of time, and the average
speed over the same interval. (Average speed of a particle over an interval
of time is defined as the total path length divided by the time interval). Show
in both (a) and (b) that the second quantity is either greater than or equal to
the first. When is the equality sign true? [For simplicity, consider one
dimensional motion only],

Answer:
(a) Suppose a particle goes from point A to B along a straight path and
returns to A along the same path. The magnitude of the displacement of the
particle is zero, because the particle has returned to its initial position. The
total length of path covered by the particle is AB + BA = AB + AB = 2 AB.
Thus, the second quantity is greater than the first.
(b) Suppose, in the above example, the particle takes time t to cover the
whole journey. Then, the magnitude of the average velocity of the particle
over time-interval t is = Magnitude of displacement /Time-interval =0/t =0
While the average speed of the particle over the same time-interval is =Total
path length /Time-interval= 2 AB /t
Again, the second quantity (average speed) is greater than the first
(magnitude of average velocity).

Note: In both the above cases, the two quantities are equal if the particle
moves from one point to another along a straight path in the same direction
only.

Question 10 : A man walks on a straight road from his home to a market 2.5
km away with a speed of 5 km h-1 .Finding the market closed, he instantly
turns and walks back home with a speed of 7.5 km h-1 What is the
(a)Magnitude of average velocity, and (b)Average speed of the man over
the interval of time (i) 0 to 30 min. (ii) 0 to 50 min. (iii) 0 to 40 min? [Note:
You will appreciate from this exercise why it is better to define average
speed as total path length divided by time, and not as magnitude of average
velocity. You would not like to tell the tired man on his return home that his
average speed was zero!]
Answer:
Question 11 : In Exercises 2.9 and 2.10, we have carefully distinguished
between average speed and magnitude of average velocity. No such
distinction is necessary when we consider instantaneous speed and
magnitude of velocity. The instantaneous speed is always equal to the
magnitude of instantaneous velocity. Why?
Answer:
Instantaneous velocity is the velocity of a particle at a particular instant of
time. In this case of small interval of time, the magnitude of the
displacement is effectively equal to the distance travelled by the particle in
the same interval of time. Therefore, there is no distinction between
instantaneous velocity and speed.

Question 12 : Look at the graphs (a) to (d) Fig. carefully and state, with
reasons, which of these cannot possibly represent one-dimensional motion
of a particle.
Answer:

None of the four graph represent a possible one-dimensional motion. In

graphs (a) and (b) motions are definitely two dimensional. Graph (a)
represents two positions at the same time which is not possible.
In graph (b) opposite motion is visible at the same time.
The graph (c) is not correct since it shows that the particle has negative
speed at a certain instant. Speed is always positive.
In graph (d) path length is shown as increasing as well as decreasing. Path
length never decreases.

Question 13 : Figure shows the x-t plot of one-dimensional motion of a

particle. Is it correct to say from the graph that the particle moves in a
straight line for t < 0 and on a parabolic path for t > 0? If not, suggest a
suitable physical context for this graph.
Answer:

It is not correct to say that the particle moves in a straight line for t < 0 (i.e.,
-ve) and on a parabolic path for t > 0 (i.e., + ve) because the x-t graph can
not show the path of the particle.
For the graph, a suitable physical context can be the particle thrown from
the top of a tower at the instant t =0.

Question 14 : A police van moving on a highway with a speed of 30 km h⁻¹

fires a bullet at a thief’s car speeding away in the same direction with a
speed of 192 km h⁻¹. If the muzzle speed of the bullet is 150 ms⁻¹, with what
speed does the bullet hit the thief s car? (Note: Obtain that speed which is
relevant for damaging the thief’s car).
Answer:

Question 15 : Suggest a suitable physical situation for each of the following

graphs:
Answer:

(a) A ball at rest on a smooth floor is kicked. It rebounds from a wall with
reduced speed and moves to the opposite wall which stops it.
(b) The graph shows that velocity changes again and again with the
passage of time and every time losing some speed. Therefore, it may
represent a physical situation such as a ball falling freely (after thrown up),
on striking the ground rebounds with reduced speed after each hit against
the ground.
(c) A uniformly moving cricket ball turned back by hitting it with a bat for a
very short time-interval.

Question 16 : Figure gives the x-t plot of a particle executing one-

dimensional simple harmonic motion. (You will learn about this motion in
more detail in Chapter 13). Give the signs of position, velocity and
acceleration variables of the particle at t = 0.3 s, 1.2 s, – 1.2 s.

Answer:
In S.H.M., acceleration, a – x or a = – kx.
(i) At t = 0.3 s, x < 0 i.e., x is in -ve direction. Moreover, as x is becoming
more negative with time, it shows that v is also – ve (i.e., v < 0). However,
a = -kx will be +ve (a > 0).
(ii) At t = 1.2 s, x > 0, v > 0 and a < 0.
(iii) At t = -1.2 s, x < 0, but here on increasing the time t, value of x becomes
less negative.
It means that v is +ve (i.e., v > 0). Again a = – kx will be positive (i.e., a > 0).
Question 17 : Figure gives the x-t plot of a particle in one-dimensional
motion. Three different equal intervals of time are shown. In which interval
is the average speed greatest, and in which is it the least? Give the sign of
average velocity for each interval.

Answer:

Greater in 3, least in 2; v > 0 in 1 and 2, v < 0 in interval 3

Question 18 : Figure gives a speed-time graph of a particle in motion along

a constant direction. Three equal intervals of time are shown. In which
interval is the average acceleration greatest in magnitude? In which interval
is the average speed greatest? Choosing the positive direction as the
constant direction of motion, give the signs of v and a in the three intervals.
What are the accelerations at points A, B, C and D?

Answer:
The acceleration is greatest in magnitude in interval 2 as the change in
speed in the same time is maximum in this interval.
The average speed is greatest in interval 3 (peak D is at maximum on
speed axis).
The sign of v and a in the three intervals are:
v > 0 in 1, 2 and 3; a > 0 in 1
a < 0 in 2, a=0 in 3.
acceleration is zero at A,B,C and D.