Motion that results in a change of location is said to be translational. This category may seem ridiculous at first as motion implies a change in location, but an object can be moving and yet not go anywhere.
Oscillatory motion
Motion that is repetitive and fluctuates between two locations is said to be oscillatory. In the previous example of going from home to work to home to work I am moving, but in the end I haven't gone anywhere.
Rotational motion
Motion that occurs when an object spins is said to be rotational. The Earth is in a constant state of motion, but where does that motion take it? Every twenty-four hours it makes one complete rotation about its axis.
How did it happen?
Translational motion
If the problem at hand is to determine how far I travel in a day, then there are two possible answers: either I've gone to work and back (22 km each way for a total of 44 km) or I've gone nowhere (22 km each way for a total of 0 km). The first answer invokes translational motion while the second invokes oscillatory motion.
Oscillatory motion
This kind of motion is said to be periodic and the time for one complete oscillation (or one cycle) is called a period. Periodic motion is important in the study of sound, light, and other waves. Large chunks of physics are devoted to this kind repetitive motion. Doing the same thing over and over and going nowhere is pretty important. Which brings us to our next type of motion.
Rotational motion
The sun does the same thing, but in about twenty-four days. So do all the planets, asteroids, and comets; each with its own period. (Note that rotational motion too is often periodic.) On a more mundane level, boccie balls, phonograph records, and wheels also rotate. That should be enough examples to keep us busy for a while.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
translational, rotational, and oscillatory motion
Explanation:
Translational motion
Motion that results in a change of location is said to be translational. This category may seem ridiculous at first as motion implies a change in location, but an object can be moving and yet not go anywhere.
Oscillatory motion
Motion that is repetitive and fluctuates between two locations is said to be oscillatory. In the previous example of going from home to work to home to work I am moving, but in the end I haven't gone anywhere.
Rotational motion
Motion that occurs when an object spins is said to be rotational. The Earth is in a constant state of motion, but where does that motion take it? Every twenty-four hours it makes one complete rotation about its axis.
How did it happen?
Translational motion
If the problem at hand is to determine how far I travel in a day, then there are two possible answers: either I've gone to work and back (22 km each way for a total of 44 km) or I've gone nowhere (22 km each way for a total of 0 km). The first answer invokes translational motion while the second invokes oscillatory motion.
Oscillatory motion
This kind of motion is said to be periodic and the time for one complete oscillation (or one cycle) is called a period. Periodic motion is important in the study of sound, light, and other waves. Large chunks of physics are devoted to this kind repetitive motion. Doing the same thing over and over and going nowhere is pretty important. Which brings us to our next type of motion.
Rotational motion
The sun does the same thing, but in about twenty-four days. So do all the planets, asteroids, and comets; each with its own period. (Note that rotational motion too is often periodic.) On a more mundane level, boccie balls, phonograph records, and wheels also rotate. That should be enough examples to keep us busy for a while.