How do I know in which direction an object is moving?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the motion of an object, specifically whether it is at rest, moving to the left, or moving to the right. Participants explore concepts related to reference frames, forces, and initial conditions, with a focus on the implications of these factors on the perceived motion of an object.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question how to determine if an object is at rest or moving, emphasizing the role of reference frames.
  • There are discussions about the effects of forces acting on an object, with some suggesting that forces alone do not provide enough information to determine motion.
  • One participant mentions that if two forces are applied equally in opposite directions, the object must be at rest.
  • Another participant argues that the initial conditions, such as initial position and velocity, are crucial for understanding the motion of the object.
  • Some participants highlight that the perception of motion can change depending on the observer's frame of reference, such as being in a moving vehicle.
  • There is a mention of Newton's laws, particularly the distinction between forces producing acceleration and not directly determining velocity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various viewpoints, and there is no consensus on the best way to determine an object's motion. The discussion includes competing ideas about the role of forces, reference frames, and initial conditions.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note that understanding motion requires specifying the reference frame and initial conditions, which may not have been clearly defined in earlier posts.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying physics, particularly concepts related to motion, forces, and reference frames.

John Mcrain
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How do I know is this object at rest,moving to the left or moving to the right ?

Untitledsdfsdf.jpg
 
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If it were moving left is it at rest? If it were moving right is it at rest? What do you conclude?
 
Dale said:
If it were moving left is it at rest? If it were moving right is it at rest? What do you conclude?
If it were moving to the left then is not at rest,if it were moving right than is not at rest...
 
I think your word order was not quite correct and your question may have been misunderstood. I think the question is, "how can I tell if this object is at rest, moving to the left, or moving to the right".

If you are on a train, what clues are there that you are moving?
 
Ibix said:
I think your word order was not quite correct and your question may have been misunderstood. I think the question is, "how can I tell if this object is at rest, moving to the left, or moving to the right".

If you are on a train, what clues are there that you are moving?
My friend look at this object and say: this object can only stay at same position,he said imagine two mens pulls same object with rope with same force in opposite direction,so object must be at rest.

But if this object is plane ,and red force is drag and blue is thrust ,than object moving to the right..

So it seems we don't know from forces vector,what happening with this object..

Is now clear where confusion comes?
 
John Mcrain said:
How do I know is this object at rest,moving to the left or moving to the right ?

View attachment 277257
How the object is moving depends on the reference frame you use.
 
A.T. said:
How the object is moving depends on the reference frame you use.
I draw refernece frame origin in my picture
 
John Mcrain said:
My friend look at this object and say: this object can only stay at same position,he said imagine two mens pulls same object with rope with same force in opposite direction,so object must be at rest.
Are you asking about the rest frame of the object, before any forces were applied?

John Mcrain said:
Is now clear where confusion comes?
No.
 
A.T. said:
Are you asking about the rest frame of the object, before any forces were applied?No.
My friend look at this object and say: this object can only stay at same position,he said imagine two mens pulls same object with rope with same force in opposite direction,so object must be at rest.

But if this object is plane ,and red force is drag and blue is thrust ,than object moving to the right..

So it seems we don't know from forces vector,what happening with this object..
 
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  • #10
John Mcrain said:
My friend look at this object and say: this object can only stay at same position,he said imagine two mens pulls same object with rope with same force in opposite direction,so object must be at rest.
You didn't answer my question: Are you asking about the rest frame of the object, before any forces were applied?

John Mcrain said:
But if this object is plane ,and red force is drag and blue is thrust ,than object moving to the right..
Depends on the reference frame.

John Mcrain said:
So it seems we don't know from forces vector,what happening with this object..
Just use Newtons 2nd Law. And stop asking about movement without specifying the reference frame. It's a meaningless question.
 
  • #11
A.T. said:
You didn't answer my question: Are you asking about the rest frame of the object, before any forces were applied?

Because I don't understand your question.
Do you see where is origin on my reference frame in my picture,what else I need to draw?
 
  • #12
A.T. said:
You didn't answer my question: Are you asking about the rest frame of the object, before any forces were applied? Depends on the reference frame.Just use Newtons 2nd Law. And stop asking about movement without specifying the reference frame. It's a meaningless question.
Imagine human eyese is at origin of frame and looking at this object..
What happened with this object from human perspective?
 
  • #13
Ibix said:
I think your word order was not quite correct and your question may have been misunderstood. I think the question is, "how can I tell if this object is at rest, moving to the left, or moving to the right".

If you are on a train, what clues are there that you are moving?
Oops, then I misunderstood the question. My apologies @John Mcrain
 
  • #14
John Mcrain said:
So it seems we don't know from forces vector,what happening with this object..

Is now clear where confusion comes?
That is correct. From the forces you only know the acceleration. You cannot determine the velocity from the forces alone. In fact, the object could even be moving up or down.

In order to determine the motion completely in addition to the forces you must also specify the initial conditions: the initial position and the initial velocity.
 
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  • #15
Ibix said:
I think your word order was not quite correct and your question may have been misunderstood. I think the question is, "how can I tell if this object is at rest, moving to the left, or moving to the right".

If you are on a train, what clues are there that you are moving?
No.
Object is train and I am at train station looking at this train(object).
What is movement of train(object)?
 
  • #16
Dale said:
That is correct. From the forces you only know the acceleration. You cannot determine the velocity from the forces alone. In fact, the object could even be moving up or down.

In order to determine the motion completely in addition to the forces you must also specify the initial conditions: the initial position and the initial velocity.
How is possible to object moves up and down if forces act only left and right?

Initial positon is at this place like its drawn at picture and initial velocity is zero in relation to origin at picture..
 
  • #17
John Mcrain said:
How do I know is this object at rest,moving to the left or moving to the right ?

View attachment 277257
If this object is in a car with you and you are driving on the highway at 50 miles/hour, you will say that the object is not moving.
If you are driving on the highway at 50 miles/hour, and this object is hanging from a tree branch on the side of the road, you will say that the object is moving.

How do you know that it is not moving in the first case and is moving in the second case?
 
  • #18
John Mcrain said:
How is possible to object moves up and down if forces act only left and right?
If its initial velocity were up then it would continue to move up at the same speed even with forces only left and right.

John Mcrain said:
Initial positon is at this place like its drawn at picture and initial velocity is zero in realtion to origin at picture..
Then it starts at rest and remains at rest. It does not move. Is that clear why? There is no net force to cause it to accelerate. Since it doesn't accelerate its velocity doesn't change. Since its velocity starts at zero and doesn't change then it stays at zero. Since its velocity is zero it is at rest.

Forces produce acceleration, not velocity. That was Newton's key insight over Aristotle.
 
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  • #19
Dale said:
If its initial velocity were up then it would continue to move up at the same speed even with forces only left and right.

Then it starts at rest and remains at rest. It does not move. Is that clear why? There is no net force to cause it to accelerate. Since it doesn't accelerate its velocity doesn't change. Since its velocity starts at zero and doesn't change then it stays at zero. Since its velocity is zero it is at rest.

Forces produce acceleration, not velocity. That was Newton's key insight over Aristotle.
Ok thanks for answer,so answer on my qestion lie in inital conditions.

So if inital conditions was moving to the right at 100km/h,then object is still moving to the right at 100km/h?
 
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  • #20
John Mcrain said:
Ok thanks for answer,so answer on my qestion lie in inital conditions.

So if inital conditions was moving to the right at 100km/h,then object is still moving to the right at 100km/h?
Yes! Exactly
 
  • #21
This is Newton's first law.
 
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  • #22
Again we have lotsf post to get answer..

Obviusly my english is so bad?
 
  • #23
John Mcrain said:
... initial velocity is zero in relation to origin ...
Then in that frame it will remain zero.
 
  • #24
John Mcrain said:
My friend look at this object and say: this object can only stay at same position,he said imagine two mens pulls same object with rope with same force in opposite direction,so object must be at rest.
Couldn't they produce the same results by doing this on a moving train?
 
  • #25
John Mcrain said:
How do I know is this object at rest,moving to the left or moving to the right ?
It's not marked on the diagram so you don't know.
russ_watters said:
This is Newton's first law.
I was wondering why it took so long for someone to quote Sir Isaac.
 

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