10 non uniform motion examples in daily life

1. A horse running.
2. Car Travelling in City traffic
3. Running of athletes in a marathon
4. A plane while landing
5. Driving a car in a hilly area
6. Batsman hitting a ball
7. A bouncing ball
8. Movement of asteroid
9. A train coming to its ending point and leaving the station.
10. Someone throws a ball vertically upwards

1. A horse running

• In non-uniform motion, a body moves with a variable speed such as a horse running in a race.
• For Example, a horse running in a competitive race. The horse may start out running at 30 mph, then run 35 mph and by the end runs at 40 mph. This is an example of non-uniform motion.
• If the horse would run at a speed of 35 mph throughout the race, then we can say that the horse would be in uniform motion.

2. Car Travelling in City traffic

3. Running of athletes in a marathon

• The motion of the athletes is non-uniform as the speed of the athlete will change at each point.
• When athletes are running long distances, like in a marathon, they pace their run. In the first phase, they will run at a particular speed, and then, towards the end, they increase their speed. So we can see the speed is not constant throughout the race.

Ever wondered how physics helped athletes to run?

• The basic physics of running is pretty simple. A runner applies a force to the ground that is directed opposite the direction they are running. Then Newton’s third law kicks in, and the ground applies an equal and opposite reaction force on the running, causing their body to be propelled upward and forward.

4. A Plane while landing and taking off

• For the motion of an airplane, during each phase, such as taking off, flying, and landing, the plane covers different distances per unit of time in each phase. Hence, it is an example of non-uniform motion.
• But that only happens when it is flying in the sky at the desired altitude and speed. It can be at the steady-state uniform motion. But when it is landing on a runway, there is the application of brakes and the speed becomes non-uniform.

5. Driving a car in a hilly area

• When we travel in a car in a hilly area, there will be straight or elevated roads and sharp bends. The driver has to reduce the speed in sharp bends in order to reduce the radius of the turn. In some places, they give the roads a gentle slope in order to allow turning at high speeds.

• It is easier to climb along a winding road with a gentle slope than to climb a steep, straight road up a hill.

• Thus, a non-uniformity in speed at different levels on hill turns while driving a car in a hilly area is an example of a non-uniform motion in daily life.

6. A batsman hitting a ball

• There may be hardly anyone who is not familiar with the game of cricket. Whenever a batsman hits the ball. The ball is at high velocity in the beginning. But as the ball falls down on the ground, it slows down.

• After a few moments, it comes to rest because of opposing forces of air resistance and frictional force on the ball opposing its motion.

• The velocity of the ball after hitting decreases. This change in velocity is not uniform. Hence, it is another non-uniform motion example in daily life.

7. A bouncing ball

• A bouncing ball covers unequal distances in a particular time interval. Thus, it is an example of non-uniform motion in daily life.

• For example, you drop a ball from the first floor of the building. As the ball touches the ground, it bounces back to a certain height. The next time the ball bounces again on the ground, it will reach less extreme compared to the initial jump.

• A time will come when the ball will rest completely on the ground after several bounces.

8. Movement of asteroid

• The motion of the earth around the sun or the motion of the moon around the earth are examples of uniform motion. But the motion of an asteroid in space is a natural example of non-uniform motion.
• Asteroids are moving in the asteroid belt. Most asteroids are irregularly shaped, though a few are nearly spherical, and they are often pitted or cratered. As they revolve around the Sun in elliptical orbits, the asteroids also rotate, sometimes erratically, tumbling as they go.
• So the motion followed by an asteroid is not at all uniform.
• You can say that the velocity of an asteroid is variable. Hence, displays a non-uniform motion example in real life.

9. A train coming to its ending point and leaving the station.

10. Someone throws a ball vertically upwards

• A ball is thrown vertically upwards, then it covers unequal distances in equal intervals of time. Hence, its motion is non-uniform motion.