Difference between Rectilinear motion and Linear motion (original) (raw)
Last Updated : 23 Jul, 2025
The free movement of an object in relation to time is known as motion. It can be described as the act of shifting one's position. For instance, a moving train, a rotating fan, a rolling ball, and so forth. Even though the planet is always in motion, there are several sorts of motion that will help you grasp things more thoroughly.
What is Motion?
The motion of an object is categorized into four, on the basis of the nature of the movement of the object as,
- **Rotatory Motion - It is a type of motion in which an object rotates around a central axis. Consider the case of a revolving fan.
- **Oscillatory Motion - In oscillatory motion, an object moves back and forth in the same motion. Consider the pendulum.
- **Linear Motion - This is a one-dimensional motion that occurs in a straight line. for example, a train on a track.
- **Reciprocating motion - A continuous up-and-down or back-and-forth motion is referred to as a reciprocating motion. A gymnast, for example, swinging on a ring.
**However, on the basis of the path followed by the object, the motion is described in two ways:
- **Rectilinear Motion - A straight-line path of motion. All particles in this motion go the same distance in a parallel straight line.
- **Curvilinear Motion - A curved line path of motion. The body's orientation in space remains constant, but the trajectories of individual particles are curved.
What is **Linear Motion?
Linear motion is defined as when a body is moving in a straight line or along a curved line in a plane. It can be along any curve line or path.
**Examples of Linear Motion:
- Athletes running along the straight line.
- Skating or swimming done by any person possesses linear motion.
Types of Linear Motion
- **Uniform Motion **- When a body moves in a straight path at a consistent speed, it is said to be in uniform motion. For example, consider an automobile driving at a constant pace down a straight route. A straight line can be used to indicate uniform motion in a graphical representation.
- **Non-Uniform Motion - When a body travels the same distance in the same amount of time, it is said to be in non-uniform motion. This motion can be depicted as a curved line in the pictorial form.
**What is Rectilinear Motion?
Rectilinear motion is defined as a phenomenon in which a body is moving only along a straight line. It is one type of linear motion.
**Examples of Rectilinear Motion
- Falling of objects from a certain height.
- Ants moving in a straight line.
- Moving of train on track.
- Falling of stone from the top of the building to reach the ground.
**Difference between Linear Motion and Rectilinear Motion:
| **Linear Motion | **Rectilinear Motion |
|---|---|
| Linear motion is defined as when a body is moving in a straight line or along a curved line in a plane. | Rectilinear motion is defined as a phenomenon in which a body is moving only along a straight line. |
| Examples of Linear Motion are,Athletes running along the straight line.Skating or swimming done by any person possesses linear motion. | Examples of Rectilinear Motion are,Falling of objects from a certain height.Ants moving in a straight line. |
| It is along any curve line or straight line in a plane. | It is only along a straight line in a plane. |
| In this the direction of the motion changes. | In this, the direction of motion remains the same. |
| It has non-zero acceleration. | It has zero acceleration. |
| It is also called translation motion. | It is one type of linear motion. |
| It is a one-dimensional motion in a straight line. | It is a two-dimensional motion in a plane. |
| There are two types of linear motion.Rectilinear Motion.Curvilinear Motion. | There are three types of Rectilinear Motion.Uniform Rectilinear Motion.Uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion.Non uniformly accelerated rectilinear motion. |
**Related Article:
**Sample Questions
**Question 1: What are the two types of linear motion?
**Answer:
Linear motions is of two types, they are
- Rectilinear motion.
- Curvilinear motion.
**RectiIinear Motion:
Rectilinear motion is defined as a phenomenon in which a body is moving only along a straight line. It is one type of linear motion.
**Example:
- Falling of objects from certain height.
**Curvilinear Motion:
Curvilinear motion is defined as the motion of the l objects moving in a circular path.
**Example:
- Motion of earth around the sun.
**Question 2: Does motion have any units.
**Answer:
No motion does not have any units, because motion is not a physical quantity and thus it cannot be measured. So it does not have any units.
**Question 3: A man is moving in a car with a velocity of 8 m/s, then he suddenly stops the car. Does he brake to stop completely with an acceleration of -4m/s 2 ?
**Answer:
Given that,
Initial velocity u = 8m/s
Final velocity v = 0 m/s
Acceleration a = - 4m/s2
From kinematics formula,
v2 = u2 + 2ad
02 = 82 + 2 × (-4) × d
64 - 8d = 0
8d = 64
d = 64/8
= 2 m
Therefore, the distance travelled by man in car is **2 m.
**Question 4: A ball is moving with a velocity of 19 m/s for a distance of 120 m. Find the time taken to reach that distance?
**Answer:
Given that,
Initial velocity u = 10 m/s
Final velocity v= 0 m/s
distance travelled d = 120 m
From equation of motion,
d = (v + u)t/2
120 = (0 + 10)t/2
120 × 2 = 10t
240 = 10t
t = 240/10
= 24 s
Therefore the time taken to reach that distance is **24 s.
**Question 5: A car is moving at 20m/s speed up to 60 m/s in 8 sec. Find the acceleration of the car?
**Answer:
Given that,
Initial velocity u = 20 m/s
Final velocity v= 60 m/s
Time t = 8 sec
From equation of motion,
v = u + at
60 = 20 + a × 8
60 - 20 = 8a
8a = 40
a = 40/8
a= 5 m/s2.
Therefore, the acceleration of the car is **5 m/s 2.
**Question 6: An object is thrown from a building with a constant acceleration of 20m/s 2 . Find the speed after 5 sec when it was dropped.
**Answer:
Given that,
Initial velocity u = m/s
acceleration a = 20m/s2.
Time t = 5 sec
From equation of motion,
v = u + at
v = 0 + 20 × 5
v = 100m/s.
Therefore, the speed after 5 sec is **100 m/s.