Types of motion[edit]

Simple harmonic motion (e.g., that of a pendulum).

Anharmonic motion

Periodic motion

Linear motion motion which follows a straight linear path, and whose displacement is
exactly the same as its trajectory.

Reciprocal motion (e.g. vibration)

Random motion (e.g. vibration)

Brownian motion (i.e. the random movement of particles)

Circular motion (e.g. the orbits of planets)

Rotary motion a motion about a fixed point. (e.g. Ferris wheel).

Curvilinear motion It is defined as the motion along a curved path that may be planar or in
three dimensions.

Rotational motion

Rolling motion - (as of the wheel of a bicycle)

Oscillation

Combination (or simultaneous) motions - Combination of two or more above listed motions

Projectile motion - uniform horizontal motion + vertical accelerated motion

Half projectile motion

Rest and Motion

Summary
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Rest
A body is said to be at rest if its position does not change with time with respect to an observer (or a reference
point). For example, the chairs of the dining table are at rest with respect to the dining table; the passengers
sitting in a moving bus are said to be at rest with respect to the driver of the same bus, because their positions
do not change with respect to the driver.
Motion
A body is said to be in motion if its position changes with time with respect to an observer (or a reference
point). The passengers sitting in a moving bus are said to be in motion with respect to an observer standing
outside the bus. Similarly, the blades of a rotating fan, the hands of a working wall clock, a spinning top and
satellites are all in motion with resect to a fixed axis .
Rest and motion are relative terms. A body may seem to be at rest with respect to one object, but may appear
to be in motion with respect to another object. If you consider a passenger in a moving train, he is at rest with
respect to his co-passengers, but is in motion with respect to an observer standing on the ground.
Types of Motion

Various objects can have different types of motion. They can be classified into translatory motion, rotatory
motion, oscillatory motion, vibratory motion, periodic motion, non-periodic motion, uniform motion and
non-uniform motion.

1. Translatory Motion: The motion in which all the particles of a body move through the same distance in
the same time is called translatory motion. This is further classified into rectilinear and curvilinear
motions. When a body moves along a straight line path, it is said to be in rectilinear motion. When a body
moves along a curved path, it is said to be in curvilinear motion. Examples of objects undergoing
rectilinear motion: (i) An athlete running on a straight path; (ii) a freely falling apple. Examples of objects
undergoing curvilinear motion: (i) A car running on a curved road; (ii) a stone thrown at an angle. Circular
motion is the movement of a body along a circular path. It is a special type of curvilinear motion.
2. Rotatory Motion: The motion in which a body moves about a fixed axis with out changing the radius of
its motion is called rotatory motion. Examples of objects undergoing rotatory motion: (i) Potter's wheel, (ii)
a ceiling fan
3. Oscillatory Motion: The to-and -fro or back and forth motion described by an object as a whole, along
the same path, without any change in the shape of the object is called oscillatory motion. Examples of
objects undergoing oscillatory motion: (i) The pendulum of a clock: (ii) a child on a swing.
4. Vibratory Motion: This is a kind of oscillatory motion in which the moving object undergoes change in

shape or size. In this motion the body does not move as a whole. Examples of bodies undergoing
vibratory motion: (i) The stretched membrane of a drum; (ii) the plucked string of a guitar.
5. Periodic Motion: A repetitive motion which repeats itself at regular intervals of time is called the periodic
motion. Examples of bodies undergoing periodic motion: (i) Earth revolving aroundthe Sun; (ii) Needle of
a sewing machine running at constant speed. Every object executing uniform circular motion can be said to
be executing periodic motion.

6. Non-periodic motion: A repetitive motion which repeats itself at irregular intervals of time is called nonperiodic motion. Examples of bodies undergoing non-periodic motion: (i) A footballer running on a field; (ii)
tides in a sea
7. Uniform Motion: A body is said to have a uniform motion if it covers equal distances in equal intervals
of time. Examples of bodies undergoing uniform motion: (i) A train moving straight in a particular direction
at constant speed; (ii) a boy walking on a straight road at constant speed.
8. Non-uniform Motion: A body is said to have a non-uniform motion if it covers unequal distances in
equal intervals of time. Examples of bodies undergoing non-uniform motion: (i) A stone falling freely
under gravity; A car moving in a crowded road.
Multiple Motion
Sometimes an object can display combinations of different types of motion. For example, a moving car which
moves straight on the road displays rectilinear motion but at the same time the wheels of the car which are
moving in circles display circular motion. So the wheels of a moving car execute both rectilinear and circular
motions. In a sewing machine, the tip of the needle is in rectilinear motion as well as in periodic motion.