🏃 CBSE · Class 9 · Science · Chapter 8

Chapter 8:
Motion

Complete chapter resources for CBSE Class 9 Science — topic breakdown, key formulas, sample questions, previous year board questions, and instant AI question paper generation.

4Topics
6–8Board marks
8Sample questions
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Key Formulas — Chapter 8
  • Speed: v = d / t
  • 1st equation: v = u + at
  • 2nd equation: s = ut + ½at²
  • 3rd equation: v² = u² + 2as
  • Average speed: v_avg = (u + v) / 2
  • Acceleration: a = (v − u) / t
Chapter Overview

What this chapter covers

Motion is the change in position of an object with respect to time and a reference point. Chapter 8 begins by distinguishing between distance (total path length, scalar) and displacement (shortest straight-line change in position, vector), and then introduces speed and velocity as their time-rate counterparts. Understanding these four foundational quantities — and precisely when each is applicable — is the starting point for all numerical work in the chapter.

The chapter then develops the concept of acceleration as the rate of change of velocity, and uses distance-time and velocity-time graphs to represent motion visually. Students learn that the slope of a distance-time graph gives speed, the slope of a velocity-time graph gives acceleration, and the area under a velocity-time graph gives displacement. These graphical interpretations are tested consistently in CBSE board papers through both 2-mark and 5-mark questions.

The final part of the chapter derives the three equations of motion for uniform acceleration — v = u + at, s = ut + ½at², and v² = u² + 2as — using graphical methods. Board questions routinely ask students to either derive one of these equations or apply them to solve numerical problems involving vehicles, freely falling bodies, and objects on inclined planes. Circular motion is also introduced briefly as an example of non-uniform motion with uniform speed.

Topics

What's inside Chapter 8

As per NCERT Class 9 Science (CBSE syllabus)

Topic 1
Distance, Displacement, Speed & Velocity
Scalar vs. vector distinction. Uniform and non-uniform motion. Instantaneous vs. average speed. Representing motion with position-time data and distance-time graphs.
Topic 2
Acceleration & Velocity-Time Graphs
Definition of acceleration (positive, negative, zero). Reading slope (acceleration) and area (displacement) from velocity-time graphs. Uniform vs. non-uniform acceleration.
Topic 3
Equations of Motion
Graphical derivation of v = u + at, s = ut + ½at², and v² = u² + 2as. Applying the three equations to numerical problems involving uniform acceleration.
Topic 4
Uniform Circular Motion
Definition: constant speed but continuously changing direction means the object is accelerating. Examples — Earth around the Sun, a car on a circular track. Distinction from uniform linear motion.
Connections

How this chapter fits in

Useful for setting question difficulty and cross-chapter papers.

Builds on
Class 8 · Force & Pressure
Intuitive understanding of push, pull, and rest vs. motion
Class 8 · Maths — Graphs
Plotting and reading linear graphs; slope as rate of change
Chapter 8 Motion
Leads to
Ch 9 · Force & Newton's Laws
Equations of motion underpin F = ma and momentum calculations
Class 11 Physics · Kinematics
2D motion, projectiles, relative velocity — built on this foundation
Board Blueprint

Marks & question-type breakdown

Typical pattern based on CBSE Class 9 Science board papers from the last five years.

Question type Marks Typical count What's usually tested
MCQ / Objective 1 1–2 Definitions, units, or nature of a quantity (scalar/vector)
Very Short Answer 2 1 Distance vs. displacement distinction, graph slope/area reading
Short Answer — Numerical 3 1 Apply one equation of motion; find unknown (v, u, a, s, or t)
Long Answer / Derivation 5 1 Graphical derivation of an equation of motion or multi-step numerical
Total (approximate) 6–8 4–5 Weightage varies across paper sets and years
Sample Questions

8 sample questions — generated by MarksZen AI

Aligned to CBSE Class 9 Science Chapter 8. Covers all question types across Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty.

Q1 Easy 1 mark MCQ
Which of the following is a vector quantity? (a) Speed (b) Distance (c) Displacement (d) Time
Q2 Easy 2 marks Short Answer
Distinguish between distance and displacement. A boy walks 4 m east, then 3 m north. What is his (a) distance covered and (b) displacement?
Q3 Medium 2 marks Short Answer
A car starts from rest and attains a velocity of 20 m/s in 10 seconds. Find its acceleration. Is the motion uniform or non-uniform?
Q4 Medium 3 marks Numerical
A train starts from rest and accelerates uniformly at 0.5 m/s². Find the distance covered by the train in the first 20 seconds. Also find its velocity at the end of 20 seconds. (Use equations of motion.)
Q5 Medium 3 marks Graph-Based
The velocity-time graph of a moving object is a straight line passing through the origin. What does the slope of the graph represent? If the slope is 4 m/s², what is the velocity of the object after 5 s, starting from rest? Find the distance covered in 5 s.
Q6 Hard 4 marks Numerical
A car moving at 54 km/h applies brakes and decelerates uniformly, coming to rest in 5 seconds. (i) Find the deceleration. (ii) Find the distance covered before stopping. (iii) How long does it take to cover half that distance?
Q7 Hard 5 marks Derivation
Derive the second equation of motion, s = ut + ½at², graphically using a velocity-time graph for a body with uniform acceleration. Clearly label all parts of the graph used in your derivation.
Q8 Hard 5 marks Word Problem
A stone is dropped from the top of a tower 78.4 m high. At the same instant, another stone is thrown vertically upward from the ground with an initial velocity of 24.5 m/s. At what height from the ground do the two stones meet? (Take g = 9.8 m/s².)
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Previous Year Questions

From CBSE board examinations

Actual questions from past Class 9 Science board papers — Motion chapter.

Board 20222 marks
An object moves along a circular path of radius 7 m, completing one revolution. What is the distance covered and the displacement of the object? (CBSE 2022)
Board 20233 marks
A motorcyclist starts from rest and reaches a speed of 18 m/s in 6 seconds. Find (a) the acceleration, (b) the distance covered in these 6 seconds, and (c) the velocity after covering a total distance of 100 m from the start. (CBSE 2023)
Board 20205 marks
Derive the third equation of motion v² = u² + 2as using a velocity-time graph. Hence, find the velocity of a train that starts from rest, accelerates at 2 m/s², and covers a distance of 900 m. (CBSE 2020)
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FAQ

Questions teachers ask

How many marks does Motion carry in the CBSE Class 9 Science board exam? +
Motion typically carries 6–8 marks in the Class 9 Science annual exam, spread across 2–3 questions — one 1-mark objective, one 2-mark short answer on definitions or graph interpretation, and one 3–5 mark numerical or derivation. The three equations of motion and distance-time / velocity-time graphs are the highest-probability topics each year.
What is the difference between distance and displacement in CBSE Class 9 Motion? +
Distance is the total path length covered by an object regardless of direction — it is a scalar quantity and is always positive. Displacement is the shortest straight-line distance between the initial and final positions with a specified direction — it is a vector quantity and can be zero, positive, or negative. Board questions frequently test this distinction with a short 1–2 mark definition or a diagram-based question.
Which equations of motion must students memorise for CBSE Class 9 Science? +
Students must know all three kinematic equations for uniform acceleration: (1) v = u + at, (2) s = ut + ½at², and (3) v² = u² + 2as. A fourth graphical relation s = ((u+v)/2)×t is also useful. Derivations using velocity-time graphs are frequently asked as 3–5 mark questions, so understanding the graphical method is as important as memorising the formulae.
How should students approach velocity-time graph questions in the CBSE exam? +
The slope of a velocity-time graph gives acceleration, and the area under the graph gives displacement. Students should practise: (a) reading acceleration from slope (including negative slope for deceleration), (b) calculating displacement as the area of a triangle or trapezium under the line, and (c) identifying uniform, non-uniform, and zero acceleration from the graph shape. These skills appear in both 2-mark and 5-mark questions.
How do I generate a custom question paper for Motion (Class 9 Science) using MarksZen? +
Sign up for a free MarksZen account, choose CBSE Class 9 Science, select Chapter 8 (Motion), set your preferred question-type mix (MCQ, short answer, numerical, derivation) and total marks — the AI generates a complete board-aligned paper with answer key in under 2 minutes, ready for PDF export.