Motion: Types & Laws of Motion

In Physics, the concept of motion is one of the most important topics under Classical Mechanics, as we all know that everything in the universe is constantly moving. The earth is continually moving about its axis and around the sun. Motion is the change in the position of an object with reference to time.

The study of motion is vital to determine the change in position of an object with respect to its surroundings in a given time. Let’s understand the different types of motion and laws of motion. Read on to find out more.

What is Motion?

Motion is the change in the position of an object with respect to its surroundings in a given time. The air that we breathe displays motion! Everything in the universe moves. We live in a universe that is constantly in motion. The motion of an object with mass can be described in terms of the following:

Distance
Displacement
Speed
Velocity
Time
Acceleration

Types of Motion

Motion of an object depends on the type of force acting on the body. There are mainly three types of motion that are given below:

Linear Motion
Rotary Motion
Oscillatory Motion

Linear Motion

A linear motion is when the particles move from one point to another in either a curved path or a straight line. A linear motion depending on the path of the movement is further divided as follows

Curvilinear Motion – The motion when the path of the motion is curved.
Rectilinear Motion – Here the path of the motion is in a straight line.

Examples of linear motion are the movement of the football, train, a car on the road, etc.

Rotatory Motion

The rotatory motion is the motion that occurs when a body revolves on its own axis. A few instances of rotatory motion are given below:

The movement of the earth about its own axis around the sun is an example of rotary motion.

Oscillatory Motion

An oscillatory motion is the motion of a body in its fixed position. Examples of oscillatory motion are:

A child on a swing is pushed, and the swing moves in a to and fro motion in its mean position.
The pendulum of a clock shows oscillatory motion as it moves to and fro in its mean position.

We have provided a table below with the various types of motion.

Types	Particulars
Translational	It is the type of motion where an object moves along a path in any of the three dimensions.
Rotational	It is the type, where an object moves along a circular path about a fixed axis.
Linear	It is a type of translational motion where the body moves in a single direction along a single dimension.
Periodic	It is the type of motion that repeats itself after certain intervals of time.
Simple Harmonic	It is the type of motion that is like a simple pendulum where a force acts in the direction opposite to the direction of motion of the object. This restoring force is proportional to the movement of the object from the mean position.
Projectile	It is the type of motion which has a horizontal movement as well as vertical movement.
Oscillatory	It is the type of motion which is repetitive in nature within a time frame. It is called vibration if mechanical in nature.

Laws of Motion

Newton’s Laws of Motion have laid the foundation for mechanics today. These laws of motion are valid everywhere with some minor limitations. The laws are given as stated below in a brief description

First Law: An object will remain in its existing state of motion or rest unless an external force acts on it.
Second Law: If an object has a particular mass, the greater the mass of this object, the greater will the force required to be to accelerate the object. It is represented by the equation F = MA, where ‘F’ is the force on the object, ‘A’ is the acceleration of the object and ‘M’ is the mass of the object.
Third Law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

We hope that this comprehensive article on ‘Motion’ has been helpful and provided you with insights into the types and laws of motion. If you still have queries or would like to provide feedback, please feel to reach out to us.

For more such interesting reads, keep Embibing!