Motion & movement

[Ania T]

Hi,

I will very much appreciate your help in distinguishing the meaning of the two words "motion" and "movement". Sometimes, i am confused which word would better fit a given context.

Thank you,
Ania T

[oishii]

Hi,

I will very much appreciate your help in distinguishing the meaning of the two words "motion" and "movement". Sometimes, i am confused which word would better fit a given context.

Thank you,
Ania T

Hi Ania,

A very interesting question. I think these two words as so closely related and then each has some instances where they have more specific meanings, that it is not so easy to give a proper reponse to your question.

A quick look at the definitions in a dictionary shows the similarities and differences...

Perhaps you can offer some examples of where you are having difficulty in distinguishing when to use one word or the other. In this way, we may be better able to assist.

[Ania T]

Oishii,

Thank you for paying attention to my question.
Yes, I understand that it would be easier for you to help me out with some examples at hand. Sorry.
I've got only one phrase for consideration, its a specific automation-related one:

"Non-uniform upward motion/movement of cylinder at start; jerks and lags at motion/movement start of Cylinder 2."

Congratulations, if you understand what it says.

Thanks,
Ania T

[danmahaffey]

Ania, (and Oishii), please allow me to try an answer.

In very simple terms (and there are a million exceptions), motion is the action and movement is the condition or result. Furthermore, I interpret motion to be more free, and movement to be more constrained (since it is the outcome of motion).

We can watch something in motion, but we cannot watch something in movement (it is not idiomatic to say--it sounds awkward). See the treetops in motion as the breeze gently sways them.

We can recognize the movement of something as a result of its motion. The suddent movement of the car startled the pedestrians.

The engineer put the train in motion, and its sudden movement caused the passengers to look out the windows and wonder why.

The erratic movements of the amusement park ride made the children scream with delight, but the swaying motion made their parents seasick.

Given all that, let's look at Ania's example:Non-uniform upward motion/movement of cylinder at start; jerks and lags at motion/movement start of Cylinder 2.
Now, I want to try to understand the sentence, as Ania hopes.There is irregular upward movement in the first cylinder; it jerks and lags when the second cylinder starts.
(Actually cylinders don't move--the pistons within them do the moving.)

If it were me doing the writing, I would stop there. But to keep Ania's sentence, this is what I would produce:Non-uniform upward movement of cylinder at start; jerks and lag at movement start of Cylinder 2.
Or better,Non-uniform upward movement of cylinder at start; jerks and lag at start of movement of Cylinder 2.
I chose movement over motion because of the irregular, choppy nature of the action. Motion has a more fluid sense. What the observer has noted is that the piston within the cylinder is abruptly jumping from spot to spot. These are sudden movements. Also, the start of motion can be considered movement.

I could improve the sentence more if I had some of the surrounding text to fit it into. In other words, I don't know if this is laboratory observations, or research analyses, or a white paper. The quality and formality of the sentences depends on the nature of the material being written.

I hope this helps. This forum is always open for more questions and answers.:)

[Ania T]

Danmahaffey,

Thank you for the VERY comprehensive explanation. Honestly, I did not expect that. Very helpful and straightforward.

Thanks again.
Ania

[eldorado]

Well done....That's a useful explanation