2.2 Rest and Motion

2.2 Rest and Motion

When we look around us, we see many things like buildings, trees, and electric poles which do not change their positions. We say that they are in a state of rest.

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If a body does not change its position with respect to its surroundings, it is said to be at rest.

Suppose a motorcyclist is standing on the road. An observer sees that he is not changing his position with respect to his surroundings, i.e., a nearby building, tree, or pole. The observer will say that the motorcyclist is at rest.

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If a body continuously changes its position with respect to its surroundings, it is said to be in motion.

Now let us see what motion means. When the motorcyclist is driving, the observer will notice that he is continuously changing his position with respect to the surroundings. Then the observer will say that the motorcyclist is in motion.

The state of rest or motion of a body is always relative. For example, a person standing in the compartment of a moving train is at rest with respect to the other passengers in the compartment, but he is in motion with respect to an observer standing on the platform of a railway station.