10 Easy Relative Motion Examples In Physics & Daily Life

Relative Motion Examples In Physics

Examples Of Relative Motion In Physics & In Daily Life

Here are the top 10 relative motion Examples In physics and in daily life.

1. Two cars driving in opposite directions
2. A plane flying through the sky
3. A satellite orbiting around the Earth
4. Two people walking toward each other
5. A train passing by a platform
6. Seesaw ride.
7. A person walking on a treadmill
8. Planets orbiting sun
9. A person riding a bicycle
10. A boat moving towards the shore.

Relative motion is an important concept that helps us to understand the way objects interact with one another.

Studying relative motion is important because it helps us understand how motion appears to differ from different perspectives. This concept is used in many fields, including physics, engineering, and transportation.

In this blog post, we will be looking at 10 real-life relative motion examples in physics. By exploring these examples, you will gain a better understanding of the concept and its importance.

But before you read any further, it might be a good idea to briefly understand relative motion. It will help you to understand the examples better. If you are already familiar with the concept, you can skip it by clicking on the link below.

Skip to examples:

 

What Is The Relative Motion Definition?

What Is Relative Motion In Physics? With Example #shorts

Relative motion refers to the concept that an object’s motion depends on the perspective of the observer. In other words, the motion of an object can only be measured or described relative to another object or reference point.

For example, a car driving down the road at 50 miles per hour may be stationary relative to a passenger inside the car but appears to be moving quickly relative to an observer standing on the side of the road.

Relative Motion Examples In Physics & daily life explained

5 Examples Of Relative Motion In Physics & Real Life

I am sure that the concept of relative motion is clear to you now. If not, you can check the reference provided at the end. Let us move on to 10 relative motion examples in real life.

Examples

1. Two cars driving in opposite directions:
   
   
   
   To begin with, our first relative motion example is physics is when two cars drive in opposite directions on a highway at different speeds.
   
   To a driver in one car, the other car appears to be moving towards them at a certain speed.
   
   However, to a driver in the other car, their own car appears to be moving towards the other car at the same speed.
   
   

2. A plane flying through the sky:
   
   
   
   When a plane is flying in the air, it appears to be stationary to passengers on the plane. However, to a person walking on the ground below, the plane appears to be moving. This is an example of relative motion because the motion of the plane in this case depends on the observer’s perspective.
   
   

3. A satellite orbiting around the Earth:
   
   
   
   A satellite orbiting around the Earth is an example of relative motion. Imagine a person standing on the ground looking up at the satellite as it moves in a circular path around the Earth.
   
   Furthermore, to the person on the ground, it appears that the satellite is moving in a constant direction at a constant speed. However, the satellite is actually moving very fast and constantly changing direction due to the gravitational pull of the Earth.
   
   

4. Two people walking towards each other:
   
   
   
   Let’s Consider an Example:
   
   Samantha and Jacob were walking towards each other at different speeds. Samantha was walking slowly, while Jacob was walking fast.
   
   As Jacob approached Samantha, she appeared to be moving towards him slowly, as she was walking at a slower speed. However, to Jacob, Samantha seemed to be moving towards him quickly, as he was walking at a faster speed.

   The example of two people (Samantha & Jacob) walking toward each other at different speeds demonstrates the concept of relative motion, where the perception of motion depends on the observer’s perspective and the relative speeds of the objects in motion.
   
   

5. A train passing by a platform:
   
   
   
   Have you ever gone by train and observed people outside the train waiting on the platform while your train was passing by?
   
   When a train passes by a platform where passengers are waiting to board, it is an example of relative motion. To the passengers waiting on the platform, the train appears to be moving past them. However, to someone on the train, the platform and the passengers waiting on it appear to be moving in the opposite direction.
   
   

6. See-Saw Ride:
   
   
   
   Let’s Consider another Example:
   
   Two kids (Alex and Ben), were playing on a see-saw at the park. Alex was heavier than Ben, so he was on the lower side of the see-saw, and Ben was on the higher side. As they started going up and down, Alex felt like he was moving more slowly than Ben.
   
   On the other hand, Ben felt like he was moving more quickly than Alex. This was because the motion of the see-saw was relative to each of them. When Alex was down, Ben was up, and vice versa.
   
   
   

7. A person walking on a treadmill:
   
   
   
   A treadmill is a machine that moves in one direction, and one can walk on it in the same or opposite direction. A person’s motion is relative to the motion of the treadmill. If a person is walking in the same direction as the treadmill, the person will move faster, and if a person is walking in the opposite direction, he will move slower.
   
   If you had even been at airports you might have seen Moving Walkways.

   People pick up their luggage on them. Others are running with their luggage to practice making it to the gate on time.

   To someone watching you from outside the treadmill, you might appear to be walking in place or moving at a different speed than you actually are.
   
   
   

8. Planets orbiting the sun:
   
   
   
   The planets move in an elliptical path around the sun, but the sun also moves slightly due to the gravitational pull of the planets. From our perspective on Earth, it appears that the sun is stationary, and the planets are moving around it.
   
   However, from a different reference point, such as another star system, the motion of the planets and the sun would look different.
   
   
   

9. A person riding a bicycle:
   
   
   
   When a person rides a bicycle, the motion of the bicycle and the rider is relative to the motion of the ground they are riding on. From the perspective of the rider, they may feel like they are moving forward at a constant speed.
   
   However, to an observer standing still, the rider is moving forward relative to them.  The motion of the bicycle and the rider is also relative to the motion of other objects around them, such as cars, pedestrians, and trees.

   
   
   

10. A boat moving towards shore:
    
    
    
    When a boat is moving toward the shore, its motion can be described in terms of relative motion. From the perspective of an observer on the shore, they may see the boat moving toward them. Yet, the observer’s perception of the boat’s motion is influenced by their own motion and the motion of the shore.

    For example, if the observer is standing on a stationary platform, they may see the boat moving in a straight line toward them. However, if the observer is standing on a dock that is moving slightly due to waves or wind, they may perceive the boat’s motion as slightly different.
    
    All examples given above are examples of relative motion that showcase how simple everyday activities can involve complex physics concepts.

References

1. Khan Academy:
   
   URL: Intro To Relative Velocity
   
   The article is a video tutorial from Khan Academy on the topic of relative velocity, which is a concept related to relative motion.

2. Khan Academy:
   
   URL: How to Calculate Relative Velocity?
   
   The article is a video tutorial from Khan Academy. It explains how to calculate the velocity of an object with respect to a different object, taking into account its relative motion.

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