Notes | Physics
General Terms in Kinematics
For: Science Class 11
Static: The branch of mechanics which deals with body at rest is called static.
Kinematics: The branch of mechanics which deals with the motion of object without taking causes.
Dynamics: The branch of mechanics which deals with the motion of object taking into consideration the causes.
Distance: The length of the path followed by an object between its initial and final position is called distance.
Displacement: Shortest length of the path between two points in a direction is called displacement.
Difference between distance and displacement are as follows:
Distance | Displacement |
1. It is always positive. 2. It is scalar quantity. 3. It depends upon the path followed by an object. | 1. It may be positive, negative or zero. 2. It is vector quantity. 3. IT doesn’t depend upon the path. |
Speed: The distance travelled by a body in one second is known as speed.
Velocity: Rate of change of displacement with respect to time is called velocity.
Difference between speed and velocity:
Speed | Velocity |
1. It doesn’t show any direction 2. It is scalar quantity. 3. It is always positive | 1. It shows the direction of motion. 2. It is vector quantity. 3. It may be positive, negative or zero. |
Instant Velocity: The velocity at a particular instant of time is called instantaneous velocity.
Instantaneous acceleration: Acceleration at a particular instant of time is known as instantaneous acceleration.