2.0 - Motion and Reference Points

What is Motion?

Is anything really perfectly still, with no movement at all?

If you have been paying attention in class you know that there is always motion happening, even if we cannot see it. Molecules and atoms are vibrating, sliding, and zooming every second of every day. Things around and in us are moving.

Reference Points

Most motion we can see with our eyes.

How do we know that something is moving you ask, well it has to do with comparing it to other objects. Motion is hard to detect if you have your eyes closed, because you cannot tell if something is moving by seeing go past something else. Think about a car that has whizzed past you. You could tell that they were moving (not too fast I hope ☺) by comparing the car’s movement your mailbox, driveway, your bike that is laying in the yard, or your friend’s house across the street.

The object that appears to not be moving (mailboxes, bikes, driveways, ect) is what is known as a reference point.

When we were in to school today, how did you know that you were moving? Well, you compared yourself to the walls, tiles, and even other classmates. Those were all reference points. They helped you to determine that you were in fact moving.

Motion is one of those things that scientists measure. They can measure on the atomic scale (like solid molecules vibrating in place) or on the larger scale (people and cars). In either situation, motion is when an object changes position compared to a reference point.

Not all reference points have to be standing still. An example of a reference point that is moving is when you look out the window of a car and notice that you are moving faster than the car next to you. The car next to you is moving, it is just moving slower than your car. You use that other car as a reference point to determine that your car is moving.