Types of Motion Simulation
Uniform, accelerated, oscillatory and circular motion each have a distinct signature on a graph. This simulation runs them side by side so the differences between the traces become recognisable at a glance.
How to use this simulation
- Select the motion type to display
- Run several types simultaneously for comparison
- Show position, velocity and acceleration graphs
What to look for
- Only uniform motion has a genuinely flat velocity graph
- Circular motion has constant speed but never constant velocity
- Oscillatory motion repeats exactly, while accelerated motion never does
The physics behind it
Uniform motion has zero acceleration and a straight position–time graph. Uniformly accelerated motion gives a parabolic position graph and a straight velocity graph. Oscillatory motion repeats periodically about a fixed point, while circular motion has constant speed but continuously changing velocity direction — and therefore a non-zero acceleration.