Answer to Question #83639 in Mechanics | Relativity for syed sajjad

Question

Differentiate Absolute motion and Relative motion ?

Answer 1

Absolute motion is the motion of a body with respect to an object at rest.

Relative motion is the motion of an object with respect to another object which is not at rest.

Example:

Suppose you are sitting on a bench in a park and you see a man jogging. Suppose the velocity of the man is 10 kmph. Now, if you start jogging towards the same direction at suppose 8 kmph, you will slowly catch up with the man, but you can’t reach him as you have a lesser speed, but now if you measure his speed, it will be 2kmph since you both were traveling in the same direction, and the velocity of the man in relation to you will be 10 – 8 = 2 (kmph).

Hence the man’s absolute velocity is 10 kmph and the man’s relative velocity is 2 kmph.