Motion and Time

Chapter 13.
Question:1. What is motion?
Answer: Motion is a change in the position of an object with time.

Question:2. What is rest ?

Answer: When a body do not change its position with it said to be in rest

Question:3. How can you say that motion and rest are relative ?
Answer: We have observed that the position of stars and planets change while you remain stationary.
In reality the earth is moving too. Thus, an object which appears to be at rest, may actually be in
motion. Therefore, motion and rest are relative terms.

Question:4. What is rectilinear motion?

Answer: The motion of an object along a straight line is called rectilinear motion. For example the
motion of a vehicle on a straight road, march-past of soldiers in a parade or the falling of a stone.

Question:5. What is circular motion?

Answer: Motion of an object in a circular path is called circular motion eg. Motion of the hands of a
clock.

Question:6. What is periodic motion?

Answer: When an object repeats its motion after some time. This type of motion is called periodic
motion.
Eg. Motion of a pendulum , motion of a child on a swing, motion of the strings of a guitar.

Question:7. Define non-uniform motion?

If the speed of an object keeps changing in equal interval of time , while moving along a straight line,
its motion is said to be non-uniform.

Question:8. What is oscillatory motion?

Answer: The to and fro motion of an object from the position of rest is called an oscillatory motion.

Question:9. Give an example when objects undergo combinations of different types of motion?
Answer: The motion of a ball on the ground. Here the ball is rolling on the ground and rotating as
well as moving forward on the ground. Thus, the ball undergoes a rectilinear motion as well as
rotational motion.

Question:10. What is speed of an object?

Answer: The distance covered by an object in a unit time as the speed of the object. the basic unit of
speed is m/s. Of course, it could also be expressed in other units such as m/min or km/h.

Question:11. What is the difference between uniform and non uniform motion ?
Answer: Uniform motion
An object moving along a straight line with a constant speed is said to be in uniform motion.
In this case, the average speed is the same as the actual speed.
Non-uniform motion
If the speed of an object moving along a straight line keeps changing, its motion is said to be non-
uniform. In this case, the average speed is different fron the actual speed.

Question:12. What is time?

The interval between two events is called time. Example: The time between one sunrise and the next
was called a day. Clocks or watches are the most common time measuring devices. The basic unit of
time is a second. Its symbol is s. Larger units of time are minutes (min) and hours (h).

Question:13. What is simple pendulum?

Answer: A simple pendulum consists of a small metallic ball or a piece of stone suspended from a
rigid stand by a thread .The metallic ball is called the bob of the pendulum.

Question:14.What is oscillation of a pendulum?

Answer: One complete to and fro motion of a pendulum from rest position is called one oscillation.

The time taken by the pendulum to complete one oscillation is called its time period. It is only
depending on the length of the string of pendulum.

Question:15. What are the different types of motion?

Answer: Translatory Motion : - In translatory motion the particle moves from one point in space
to another. This motion may be along a straight line or along a curved path.
Rectilinear motion : Motion along a straight line is called rectilinear motion. Example: A car
moving on a
straight road
Curvilinear motion : Motion along a curved path is called curvilinear motion.Example: A car
negotiating a
curve
Rotatory Motion : In rotatory motion, the particles of the body describe concentric circles about the
axis of motion.

Vibratory Motion : In vibratory motion the particles move to and fro about a fixed
point. Example Simple Pendulum

Question:15. Who made the pendulum clock?

Answer: The first pendulum clock, invented by Christiaan Huygens in 1656.Huygens was inspired by
investigations of pendulums by Galileo Galilei beginning around 1602.

Question:1. What are the points that should be kept in mind while choosing scale for
drawing a graph?
Answer: The following points should be kept in mind while choosing most suitable
scale for drawing a graph:
(a) The difference between the highest and the lowest values of each quantity.
(b) The intermediate values of each quantity to mark the values on the graph.
(c) To utilize the maximum part of the paper on which graph is to be drawn.
Question: 2.What information we get from distance-time graphs?
Answer: Motion of an object can be represented by its distance-time graphs. It gives
information about the nature of the motion of an object like uniform or uniform motion
Question:3. What is the difference between Distance and time?
Answer: Distance : The distance covered by a moving object is the actual length of the
path followed by the object. Distance is a scalar quantity. SI unit of distance is meter.
Displacement is the shortest distance covered by a moving object from the point of
reference (initial position of the body), in a specified direction.
Question: 4.What are the different type of speed?
Answer: Uniform Speed : An object is said to be moving with uniform speed if it
covers equal distances in equal intervals of time.
Non-uniform : An object is said to be moving with variable speed or non-uniform
speed if it covers equal distances in unequal intervals of time or vice-versa.
Average speed : When we travel in a vehicle the speed of the vehicle changes from
time to time depending upon the conditions existing on the road. In such a situation, the
speed is calculated by taking the ratio of the total distance travelled by the vehicle to
the total time taken for the journey. This is called the average speed.
Instantaneous speed : When we say that the car travels at an average speed of 60 km/h
it does not mean that the car would be moving with the speed of 60 km/h throughout
the journey. The actual speed of the car may be less than or greater than the average
speed at a particular instant of time.
The speed of a moving body at any particular instant of time is called instantaneous
speed.
Question:5. Explain how motion of a child on a see-saw is an oscillatory motion.
On a see-saw child goes up and comes down from mean position and repeats itself .So
it is an example of oscillatory motion.
Question: 6.What is the nature of distance-time graph for the motion of an object
moving with (i)a constant speed (ii)Changing speed?
Answer: (i) straight line and (ii) curved line
Question: 7. Explain, how in ancient times, a day, a month and a year was measured.
Answer: The time between one sunrise and the next was called a day.
A month was measured from one new moon to the next .
A year was fixed as the time taken by the earth to complete one revolution of the sun.
Question:8. Classify the following as motion along a straight line, circular or oscillatory
motion:
Answer: (i) Motion of your hands while running. : - oscillatory motion
(ii) Motion of a horse pulling a cart on a straight road :- straight line motion
(iii) Motion of a child in a merry-go-round. : - straight line motion
(iv) Motion of a child on a see-saw. : - oscillatory motion
(v) Motion of the hammer of an electric bell.- oscillatory motion
(vi) Motion of a train on a straight bridge : - straight line motion
Question:9. What is velocity?
Answer: Velocity can be defined as the rate of change of displacement . SI unit of
velocity is m/s (meter/second Velocity is a vector quantity.
Question:10.Which devices are used to measure time intervals?
Answer: Clocks and watches are used to measure time intervals.
Question: 11. What is a bob?
Answer: The metallic ball of the simple pendulum is called the bob of the pendulum.
Question:12. What are quartz clocks?
Answer: Clocks or watches which have an electric circuit with one or more cells are
called quartz clocks.
Question:13. Define time period of a simple pendulum
Answer: The time taken by the simple pendulum to complete one oscillation is called
its time period.
Question:14. What is the use of odometer in a vehicle?
Answer: Odometer is used in a vehicle to measure distance covered by the vehicle.
Question: 15. What is the use of speedometer in a vehicle?
Answer: The speedometer of a vehicle measures the speed of the vehicle in km/h.
Question:16. How do we know an object is moving faster compared to another object?
By finding the distance travel by a moving body in unit time 1 hr or 1 sec we know the
speed of an object that help us to know which one is moving faster i.e having grater
speed.
Question: 17. A simple pendulum takes 15 seconds to complete 5 oscillations. What is
the time period of the pendulum?
Answer: The time taken by pendulum to complete 1 oscillation is called time period
The time taken by pendulum to complete 5 oscillation = 15sec
The time taken by pendulum to complete 1 oscillation = 15/5= 3 sec
So time period = 3 sec
Question:18. If a car is moving with a speed of 5 km/h on a highway find the distance
travelled by the car in 3 hours?
Answer: We know distance travelled by a body = speed X time
So, distance travelled by the car =5x3=15 km
Question:.19. The distance between two stations is 240 km. A train takes 6 hours to
cover this distance. Calculate the speed of the train.
Answer: We know distance travelled = speed X time
So, speed = distance / time
Hence, speed of the car = 240 / 6 = 40 km / h
Question:20. Sunil covers a distance of 2.4 km from her house to reach her school on a
bicycle. If the bicycle has a speed of 2 m/sec, calculate the time taken by her to
reach the school
Answer: Total distance traveled =2.4km=2.4x1000m=2400m. Speed is 2m/sec
As time = (Distance/speed) time=2400/2=1200sec.
Question:21. A car is moving with speed 72 km/hr. Convert this speed into metre/sec
Answer: Given speed is 72 km/hr
Speed into metre /sec = [72 x 1000m]÷ [1x60x60sec]=20m/sec
Question:22. A simple pendulum takes 30 seconds to complete 6 oscillations. What is
the time period of the pendulum?
Time period= The time taken by a pendulum to complete 1 oscillation = 30/6= 5
secQuestion:23. A bus covers a distance from A to B at 40 km/h and while returning it
travels at 50 km/h. calculate the average speed.
Total distance covered = (40 + 50) Km = 90 Km Total time taken = 2 hr
Average speed = (total distance travelled)/(total time taken) = (90 km)/2hr = 45 km/hr
= 45 [1000/3600]m/sec = 12.5 m/s
Question: 24. A simple pendulum takes 32 s to complete 20 oscillations. What is the
time period of the pendulum?
Time taken to complete 20 oscillations = 32 s
Time period of the pendulum = Time taken to complete 1 oscillations = 32/20= 1.6s
Question: 25. The distance between two stations is 240 km. A train takes 4 hours to
cover this distance. Calculate the speed of the train.
Answer: The distance between two stations = 240 km
Time taken by the train to cover that distance = 4 hours
Speed of the train = 240/4 Km/h =60 km/h
Question:26. The odometer of a car reads 57321.0 km when the clock shows the time
08:30 AM. What is the distance moved by the car, if at 08:50 AM, the odometer
reading has changed to 57336.0 km? Calculate the speed of the car in km/min during
this time. Express the speed in km/h also.
Answer: Distance traveled by the car = 57336.0 km - 57321.0 km = 15 Km
Time taken by the car to cover distance = 08:50 AM -08:30 AM = 20 m=20/60hr= 1/3
/hr.
Speed of the car in Km/h = 15 km÷1/3 = 15x3 = 45 Km/h
Question: 27. Salma takes 15 minutes from her house to reach her school on a bicycle.
If the bicycle has a speed of 2 m/s, calculate the distance between her house and the
school.
Answer: Distance between her house and the school = Speed of bicycle X Time
taken = 2 m/s x 15 X 60 s= 1800 m or 1.8 Km

Class VII | Science | Lesson 13. Motion and Time |MCQ :Fill in the blanks
1. Speed of a body is the distance travelled by the body in ---- second.
Answer: One
2. if a has different speeds at different times we can calculate the ----------- speed
Answer: Average
3. Change of distance with time may be represented by a distance -----------
Answer: Time graph
4. --------------- gives the speed of the vehicle every instant in km/h
Answer: Speedometer
5. ---- measures the total distance covered by the vehicle in meter.
Answer: Odometer
6. -------------- is a device used for measuring wind speed.
Answer: Anemometer
7. -------------- is nothing but speed in a definite direction
Answer: Velocity
8. ------ is the change of velocity in one second.
Answer: Acceleration
9. The speed of a moving body at any particular instant of time is called-----
Answer: instantaneous speed
10. Straight line parallel to time axix of distance-time graph express ----- the motion of an
object.
Answer: Constant
Motion and Rest
A body is said to be in the state of rest when it remains in the same position with respect to time.e.g.:
The position of trees around the building is not changing with respect to the building. Then the trees
are at rest.A body is said to be in the state of motion, when it continuously changes its position with
respect to time

e.g.: When we are cycling or running, we are changing position with respect to trees and buildings.
we are said to be moving

DISTANCE AND DISPLACEMENT

Distance is the length of the path covered by a body. It has no sense of direction so it is a scalar
quantity. Its SI unit of measurement is meter or m
The distance between the two places is not the same; it depends upon the path chosen.
Displacement: The shortest distance, or distance travelled along a straight line, is known as
displacement.
If we draw a semicircle of radius 10cm. Then,
Displacement = r + r = 20cm
Distance = 2pr/2 = 10 x 22/7 cm = 31.4cm

UNIFORM MOTION AND NON UNIFORM MOTION

If an object covers equal distances in equal intervals of time, it is said to be in uniform motion.
If an object covers unequal distance in equal intervals of time, it is said to be in non-uniform motion.

MEASURING THE RATE OF MOTION

Speed :It is the distance travelled in one second (or) rate of distance travelled.
A car starts from Samastipur and reaches Patna in 6 hour. A bus takes 8 hour to travel the same
distance. Which has moved faster? Why?
The car travels faster than the bus, because it covers the distance in a short time.
When a body covers a distance in a short time, it is said to be fast. If it takes more time to cover the
distance, it is said to be slow.
Hence, Speed is the quantity used to say whether the motion is slow or fast.
Speed = Total Distance travelled/ Time taken
Speed has no sense of the direction of motion so it is a scalar quantity
SI Units: Speed is measured in m/s (or) m/s It can also be expressed in km/hour (or) kmh-1

Velocity : The speed with direction is known as velocity.

So to measure the velocity, you should consider displacement instead of distance.
Velocity is the displacement made in one second (or) rate of change of displacement.
Rate of change means, change per second.
Velocity = Displacement/Time
It S I Unit is also m/s
Uniform Velocity: Equal displacement covered by a body in equal intervals of time is known as
uniform velocity.

Acceleration is the change in velocity of an object per second or rate of change of velocity.
Acceleration = Change in velocity/Time taken. The unit of acceleration is m/s2 or ms-2
 There are two cases of of change of velocity
If the velocity of the body increases with time, the acceleration is positive, and the kind of motion is
called accelerated motion.
If the velocity of the body decreases with time, the acceleration is negative (retardation), and the
motion is called decelerated motion.
Uniform Acceleration: If an object travels in a straight line and its velocity increases or decreases by
equal amount in equal intervals of time, then the acceleration of the object
is uniform.
We can derive a formula for acceleration.
a= [v – u] / t
Where u - initial velocity, v - final velocity t – time

Distance - time graph

We can easily understand the relation between time and distance by using a graph.
Taking a suitable scale, a graph is drawn bytaking time along the x axis and distance along the y axis.
The graph is known as distance – time graph.
In the graph for uniform speed is a straight line and curved for Non uniform speed.

Q1. Fill in the blanks.

 The metallic ball is called the bob of the pendulum.
 The symbols of all units are written in singular.
 The time taken by the pendulum to complete one oscillation is called its time period.
 One microsecond is one millionth of a second.
 A nanosecond is one billionth of a second.
 The distance-time graph for the motion of an object moving with a constant speed is astraight line.

Q2. True/False
 The basic unit of time is second. True
 Every object moves with a constant speed. False
 Distances between two cities are measured in kilometres. True
 The time period of a given pendulum is not constant. False
 The speed of a train is expressed in m/h. False
 Clocks that measure such small time intervals are used for scientific research. True

Q3. What is the basic unit of time?

Ans. The basic unit of time is a second. Its symbol is s.

Q4. What is the basic unit of speed?

Ans. Basic unit of speed is metre per second (m/s).

Q5. What is speedometer?

Ans. Speedometer is an instrument that indicates the speed of a vehicle.
Q6. What is distance-time graph?
Ans. Distance-time graph represents the speed of an object.

Q7. What is speed?

Ans. The distance moved by an object in a unit time is called its speed.

Q8. What is oscillatory motion?

Ans. The to and fro motion of an object is called oscillatory motion.

Q9. What is motion?

Ans. Motion is a change in position of an object over time.

Q10. What is circular motion?

Ans. Circular motion is rotation of an object along a circular path.

Q11. Give an example of oscillatory motion.

Ans. The to and fro motion of a simple pendulum is an example of a periodic or an oscillatory
motion.

Q12. What is non-uniform motion?

Ans. If the speed of an object moving along a straight line keeps changing, its motion is said to be
non-uniform.

Q13. What is uniform motion?

Ans. An object moving along a straight line with a constant speed is said to be in uniform motion.

Q14. What is the smallest time interval that can be measured with commonly available clocks and
watches?
Ans. The smallest time interval that can be measured with commonly available clocks and watches is
one second.

Q15. What is a simple pendulum?

Ans. A simple pendulum consists of a small metallic ball or a piece of stone suspended from a rigid
stand by a thread. The metallic ball is called the bob of the pendulum.

Q16. How time was measured when pendulum clocks were not available?
Ans. Many time measuring devices were used in different parts of the world before the pendulum
clocks became popular. Sundials, water clocks and sand clocks are some examples of such devices.
Q17. What are quartz clocks?
Ans. Nowadays most clocks or watches have an electric circuit with one or more cells. These clocks
are called quartz clocks. The time measured by quartz clocks is much more accurate than that by the
clocks available earlier.

Q18. What is average speed?

Ans. Speed or average speed is the total distance covered divided by the total time taken. Thus,

Q19. The distance between two stations is 240 km. A train takes 4 hours to cover this distance.
Calculate the speed of the train.
Ans. Distance between two stations = 240 km
Time taken to cover this distance = 4 hours

Q20. A simple pendulum takes 32 s to complete 20 oscillations. What is the time period of the
pendulum?
Ans. Number of oscillations = 20
Total time taken to complete 20 oscillations = 32 s

Q21. Salma takes 15 minutes from her house to reach her school on a bicycle. If the bicycle has a
speed of 2 m/s, calculate the distance between her house and the school.
Ans. Time taken = 15 min = 15 x 60 = 900 seconds
Speed = 2 m/s
Distance = Speed x Time
= 2 x 900 = 1800 m = 1800/1000 = 1.8 km

Q22. When pendulum is said to have one complete oscillation?

Ans. The pendulum is said to have completed one oscillation when its bob, starting from its mean
position B, moves to A, to C and back to B.
 Q23. The following Fig. shows the distance-time graph for the motion of two vehicles A and B.
Which one of them is moving faster?

Ans. Vehicle A is moving faster. Speed of the vehicle is greater if it covers maximum distance in a
given interval of time.

Q24. Classify the following as motion along a straight line, circular or oscillatory motion:
 Motion of your hands while running. Oscillatory motion
 Motion of a horse pulling a cart on a straight road. Straight line
 Motion of a child in a merry-go-round. Circular motion
 Motion of a child on a see-saw. Oscillatory motion
 Motion of the hammer of an electric bell. Oscillatory motion
 Motion of a train on a straight bridge. Straight line

Q25. The odometer of a car reads 57321.0 km when the clock shows the time 08:30 AM. What is the
distance moved by the car, if at 08:50 AM, the odometer reading has changed to 57336.0 km?
Calculate the speed of the car in km/min during this time. Express the speed in km/h also.
Ans. Distance covered = 57336-57321 = 15 km
Time taken = 8:50 – 8:30 = 20 min
Now, convert 20 min into hour = 20/60 = 1/3 h

Q26. Show the shape of the distance-time graph for the motion in the following cases:
(i) A car moving with a constant speed.
(ii) A car parked on a side road.
Ans. A car moving with a constant speed.

Image from NCERT

A car parked on a side road.

Image from NCERT

Q27. A car moves with a speed of 40 km/h for 15 minutes and then with a speed of 60 km/h for the
next 15 minutes. Calculate the total distance covered by the car.
Ans. Case 1
Speed = 40km/h
Time taken = 15 min = 15/60 = ¼ hours
Distance = Speed x Time = 40 X ¼ = 10 km
 Case 2
Speed = 60km/h
Time taken = 15 min = 15/60 = ¼ hours
Distance = Speed x Time = 60 X ¼ = 15 km
Total Distance = 10 km + 15 km = 25 km

Q28. Explain how in ancient time a day, a month and a year were measured?
Ans. Our ancestors noticed that many events in nature repeat themselves after definite intervals of
time. For example, they found that the sun rises every day in the morning. The time between one
sunrise and the next was called a day. Similarly, a month was measured from one new moon to the
next. A year was fixed as the time taken by the earth to complete one revolution of the sun.

Q29. What are the points that should be considered while choosing the most suitable scale for
drawing a graph?
Ans. Some of the points to be kept in mind while choosing the most suitable scale for drawing a
graph are:
 the difference between the highest and the lowest values of each quantity.
 the intermediate values of each quantity, so that with the scale chosen it is convenient to mark the
values on the graph, and
 to utilise the maximum part of the paper on which the graph is to be drawn.

Q30. Write down the steps to draw a graph.

Ans. Steps
 Draw two perpendicular lines to represent the two axes and mark them as OX and OY.
 Decide the quantity to be shown along the x-axis and that to be shown along the y-axis.
 Choose a scale to represent the distance and another to represent the time on the graph.
 Mark values for the time and the distance on the respective axes according to the scale you have
chosen.
 Mark the points on the graph paper to represent each set of values for distance and time. Join the
points.

31. Which of the following distance-time graphs shows a truck moving with speed which is not
constant?
 i. ii.

iii. iv.
Ans.