TYPES OF MECHANICAL MOTION

There are 4 primary types of mechanical motion

Reciprocating motion – Motion that pivots back and forth in a linear direction. This could be likened to a saw blade or a pneumatic drill.

Linear – Motion that moves an object in a straight line from its starting point. Newtons 1^st law suggests an object will continue to travel in a straight line unless a unbalanced force is applied. Force such as drag, gravity and friction will prevent this on the earth.

Oscillating – Motion is a combination of rotary and reciprocating. The object is offset from the axis and rotates back and forth in a arc. This is best likened to the swing of a pendulum.

Rotary – Motion that runs the object in a complete 360⁰ circle around and axis, often repeatedly. This motion is simple to remember as wheel or fan. The strength of this motion is defined as torque and the repetitions are counted in RPM(revolutions per second)

One More Type – There are actually five types of motion, but the last one doesn’t count as an actual type. It is known as irregular motion, which means any motion that has no fixed pattern. Bees fly in an irregular pattern.