23+ Repetitive Motion Examples: Detailed Explanations

The motion that is repeated frequently at an equal interval of time is called repetitive motion.

A single activity may be involving motions that reiterate every interval of time. Let us discuss some of the repetitive motion examples here in this topic as listed below:-

• Cycling
• Typing
• Walking
• Push-ups
• Paddling a boat
• Rubbing hands
• Heartbeats
• Chewing the Food
• Hammering
• Drawing Water from Well
• The Collision between Air Molecules
• Blinking eyes
• Pendulum
• Swing
• Hand Fan
• Clock
• Needle in a Sewing Machine
• Metronome
• Opening and Closing Drawers
• Sawing
• Strumming Guitar
• Crushing the Nut in Mortar

Cycling

To keep the cycle in the momentum you need to continuously paddle the cycle.

The paddling of the cycle demands the repetitive motion of your legs. You continuously move your legs in a cyclic pattern, and the cycle moves forward in a linear motion.

Typing

While typing on a keyboard, your fingers constantly hit the keys on the keyboard. This motion occurs repetitively and hence is an example of repetitive motion.

You use the muscular force from the tip of your fingers and the joints of your hand while typing.

Walking

To walk a certain distance you put one leg forward and apply pressure on the ground from the other leg to push the body forward. The motion keeps on reiterating while walking. Also, you move your hand back and forth to balance the body while walking. This is also a repetitive motion by your hands.

Push-ups

A person doing push up will balance himself on two palms and toes and bring his body towards the ground and again push up his body and repeat this pattern several times.

Hence person follows repetitive motion while doing push-ups.

Paddling a Boat

In a paddleboat, you need to continuously paddle the boat to keep it in motion. Your legs move in a rhythm to paddle the boat and push the flow of water.

Rubbing Hands

Rubbing the hands together is a kind of repetitive motion.

You rub your hand moving back and forth constantly. Rubbing the hands generates heat warming your hand due to frictional energy.

Heartbeats

If you listen carefully to your heartbeat, the beats are in a rhythm appearing at a fixed interval of time. The heart pumps the blood continuously and hence is also a repetitive motion.

Chewing the Food

While chewing you repeatedly bites the food mixing saliva in the food particle to degrade it into smaller particles so that the food can be easily digested.

Hammering

You continuously hammer on the nail to fix it on the wall. The hand frequently moves back and forth to apply the force on the nail to push it into the wall.

Drawing Water from Well

To draw the water from the well using a pulley, you will pull the rope by your hand frequently toward yourself to draw the vessel full of water from the well. This is a repetitive motion.

The Collision between Air Molecules

The molecules in the air collide with each other frequently. The air molecules are separated from one another at a greater distance and hence are able to move freely around. Since the molecules are suspended in the air they collide with each other repeatedly.

Blinking Eyes

The blinking of eyes is a continuous motion of pupils and occurs at every interval of time. This helps in cleaning the eyes and prevents harmful contamination too.

Pendulum

The pendulum oscillates in a simple harmonic motion. The oscillation of a pendulum depends upon the mass of the bob, the length of the wire, and the angle of oscillation of a pendulum.

Upon giving an oscillation to the pendulum, it will keep on oscillating till it comes to a rest position as the energy is nullified. The oscillation of a pendulum is a repetitive motion too.

Swing

On giving a jerk to a swing, it will keep on oscillating. The energy of a swing decreases with every oscillation because the energy given to the swing is utilized to do the work to complete one oscillation every time.

Hand Fan

The hand fan is moves in a reciprocating manner to generate the waves of wind.

The wind force depends upon the speed of the hand motion that allows the repetitive motion of the hand fan in a semi arc curvature.

Clock

The second hand of the clock covers 6 degrees every second, the minute hand will cover 0.1 degrees per second and the hour hand travels 0.5 degrees per minute. Each hand repeatedly moves in a clockwise direction to cover a specific distance in a given interval of time.

Needle in a Sewing Machine

If you carefully observe the needle of the sewing machine, you will notice that the needle constantly moves up and down pinning the thread through the fabric.

Metronome

A metronome is a device used by the musician to listen to the beat and to keep the music in rhythm.

By adjusting the sliding weight to the tempo scale the periodic oscillation of the pendulum is maintained.

Opening and Closing Drawers

Opening and closing the drawers is also the repetitive motion we come across. The drawer can be opened by sliding the drawer out or by opening the lid of the case, anyways it is a one-way process and hence it occurs frequently.

Sawing

Sawing is a process to cut the wood into two pieces using a saw.

To penetrate the thin saw through the wood, the woodcutter continuously moves the saw back and forward to apply the friction and the pressure to run it through the wood and cut it into two.

Strumming Guitar

While playing the guitar you continuously strum the strings on the guitar using your right hand. This is a repetitive motion of plucking the string on every beat. The left hand is used to hold the note and chord on the fretboard.

Crushing the Nut in Mortar

To crush the nuts into fine particles, you repeatedly hit the pestle in the mortar. The repetitive motion of your hand is observed moving up and down to apply the pressure on the nuts in the mortar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ocean waves near the shoreline an example of repetitive motion?

The ocean waves move in a transverse motion as well as in a longitudinal wave pattern.

The ocean waves hit the shoreline and go back into the sea. This process repeats at every interval of time and is a cause of erosion near the shore.

Is a ceiling fan an example of repetitive motion?

The ceiling fan rotates at a fixed axis and hence its motion is described as a rotational motion.

The rotations of the fan occur at a constant rate at the fixed voltage flowing through it and in a repetitive fashion hence its motion is repetitive motion too.

Also Read:

• Third law of motion examples
• Non uniform circular motion examples
• Horizontal projectile motion
• Uniform circular motion examples
• Displacement in circular motion
• Uniformly accelerated motion examples
• Simple harmonic motion examples
• Rolling motion examples
• Linear motion examples
• One dimensional motion examples