Types of Motion: Definition & Examples

Have you ever wondered whether you are in motion or at rest while sitting on your sofa watching TV? While you may feel at rest, the Earth itself is in constant motion. This concept can be perplexing, and to fully understand it, it’s essential to learn about the different types of motion. In this blog, we will explore the various types of motion in physics, complete with examples to help clarify these concepts. Whether you are preparing for competitive exams or simply curious about motion, this guide will provide the knowledge you need to answer such intriguing questions.

What is Motion?

The free movement of a body concerning time is known as motion. For example fan, the dust falling from the carpet, the water that flows from the tap, a ball rolling around, a moving car etc. Even the universe is in continual motion. Are all these motions the same? Is the motion of a pendulum the same as that of a moving car or train? Various types of motions are happening around us and they can be distinguished based on:

• Time
• Speed
• Distance
• Path

Types of Motion

Motion can be broadly classified into several types based on the path taken, the forces involved, and the characteristics of the movement. Below is a comprehensive table that explains the different types of motion with their definitions to provide a clearer understanding of this concept.

Category	Type of Motion	Definition
Oscillatory and Vibratory Motion	Oscillatory Motion	The motion where an object moves back and forth repeatedly around a central point or fixed path.
	Vibratory Motion	The rapid back-and-forth motion of an object within a limited range, often around a central position.
	Oscillating Motion	The repetitive movement of an object in a to-and-fro motion, typically around a fixed central point.
	Harmonic Motion	A smooth, repetitive motion that occurs in regular cycles, often seen in systems like springs or pendulums.
	Swinging Pendulum	A type of periodic motion where a pendulum moves back and forth due to the force of gravity.
Linear Motion	Linear Motion	Motion where an object moves along a straight path in a single direction without deviation.
	Rectilinear Motion	Motion of an object that follows a straight line, typically in a single direction.
	Translational Motion	The motion in which all parts of an object move in the same direction and by the same distance.
	Uniform Motion	Motion where an object moves at a constant speed in a straight line, maintaining both speed and direction.
Circular Motion	Circular Motion	Motion of an object along the circumference of a circle or along a curved path.
	Rotary Motion	A type of motion where an object rotates around a fixed axis, typically in a full circular rotation.
	Rotational Motion	Motion in which an object spins or turns around a central point or axis.
	Rotatory Motion	The motion of an object revolving or rotating around a fixed axis or center.
	Rolling Motion	A combination of linear and rotational motion, where an object rolls along a surface, such as a wheel.
Periodic Motion	Periodic Motion	Motion that repeats itself at regular time intervals, with a consistent pattern.
	Swinging Pendulum	A periodic motion where a pendulum swings back and forth under the influence of gravity.
Translatory and Translational Motion	Translatory Motion	The motion of an object where every point moves along the same path in either a straight or curved line.
	Translational Motion	Motion where all parts of an object move in the same direction and by the same distance at the same time.
Projectile Motion	Projectile Motion	Motion of an object that is projected into the air, moving under the influence of gravity and air resistance.

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Four Main Types of Motion

According to physics and mechanics, there are mainly 4 types of motion. Below, we have listed these 4 types of motion with examples. Please take a look:

• Rotary Motion: A special type of motion in which the object is on rotation around a fixed axis like, a figure skater rotating on an ice rink.
• Oscillatory Motion: A repeating motion in which an object continuously repeats in the same motion again and again like a swing.
• Linear Motion: A one-dimensional motion on a straight line, like an athlete running on a straight track.
• Reciprocating Motions: A repetitive and continuous up and down or back and forth motion like a needle in a sewing machine.

Types of Motion Based on Direction or State of Motion

There are also different other types of motion as per directions or as per state of motion.

Types of motion as per state

• Uniform Motion
• Non-Uniform Motion

Types of motion as per direction

• One Dimensional Motion
• Two Dimensional Motion
• Three Dimensional Motion

Other types of motion

• Translational Motion
• Periodic Motion
• Circular Motion

Here is a chart on types of motion:

Other Types of Motion

Below we have explained the major 7 types of motion as per Physics:

Oscillatory Motion

Oscillatory motion is simply the motion that an object does by repeating the same movement again and again. Oscillatory motion would keep on moving forever when there is an absence of friction but in our real world, the motion eventually stops and comes to an equilibrium. Some of the best examples of Oscillatory Motion are:

• A swinging swing
• The motion of a pendulum
• A boat tossing up and down a river
• The tuning fork

Rotational Motion

Rotational motion can be defined as when an object moves along its axis and all the parts of it move for a different distance in a given period. Thus, if an object is under rotational motion all of its parts will move different distances in the same interval of time. As an example, merry-go-round, blades of a fan, blades of a windmill etc.

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Translational Motion

When all the parts of an object move the same distance in a given time is known as transitional motion. For example, a cycle moving on a track, a man walking on the road, birds flying in the sky.

Mainly, there are two types of translation motion which are explained below:

Curvilinear Motion	Rectilinear Motion
When an object moving in translational motion follows a curved path it is known as Curvilinear motion.	An object moving in translation motion opts a straight-line path, then it is known as Rectilinear motion.
Example: A stone thrown up in the air	Example: A train moving on a straight track or a car moving on a straight road

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Periodic Motion

A motion that repeats itself after equal intervals of time is known as periodic motion. Commonly, the objects under this motion are mostly in the to and fro motion. Here are a few examples of periodic motion.

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Circular Motion

When an object is constantly moving in circular a path it is called circular motion. It circular motion, the speed of the object should be constant.

A few examples of circular motion are:

• Movement of the earth on its axis
• a bicycle or a car moving on a circular track of the park
• the motion of the moon around the earth etc.

Linear Motion

Linear motion can be defined as the movement of a body in a straight line without any deviation. Important examples of linear motion are:

• An athlete running on a straight track in a park
• a bullet shot from a pistol

Uniform Motion

A body is said to be in a state of uniform motion when it covers an equal amount of distance in equal intervals of time. In such cases, if we represent the motion on the graph, it would be a straight line. Examples of uniform motion are:

• A car moving on a straight road at a steady speed
• a flying aeroplane at a set height at a constant speed, etc

Non-Uniform Motion

Non-uniform motion can be defined as when a given body is covering unequal distances in a set and given intervals of time. If you represent the path of a body moving in non-uniform motion on a graph, it will be a curved line.Examples of non-uniform motion are:

• a man walking on the road
• a freely falling body
• a train moving at various speed limits, etc.

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Practice Questions PDF on Types of Motion

Now that we have explored the different types of motion and reviewed their examples, let’s test our understanding with some practice questions. You can download the Practice Questions PDF on Types of Motion by clicking on the button below.

FAQs

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