6. Rate of Motion

The motion of an object can be slow or fast at different times. Slow or fast is a relative concept which depends upon comparing motions.

 

For example, we can say that the vehicle is moving fast or slow by comparing it with the other vehicles if they are travelling in the same direction. By comparing the distances covered by the two objects in a given time, we can determine which of the two objects is faster.

 

Imagine a bus and a bicycle starting from the same point at the same time. After \(5\ minutes\), the distance covered by the bicycle would be shorter than the bus. The bus which takes less time to cover a certain distance has a higher speed.

 

 

The data regarding the motion of two different objects, \(A\) and \(B\), are given below. Examine them carefully and state whether the motion of the objects is uniform or non-uniform.

 

 

  

Here we can notice that for every \(10\ minutes\), object \(A\) travels \(10\ km\). Whereas, in the case of object \(B\), it is irregular. Sometimes \(B\) travels \(7\ km\) in \(15\ minutes\), while in the next \(15\ minutes\), it travels \(4\ km\). Therefore, object \(A\) is said to be in uniform motion, whereas object \(B\) is in non-uniform motion.