The jQuery animate() method lets you create custom animations.

jQuery Animations - The animate() Method
The jQuery animate() method is used to create custom animations.

Syntax:

$(selector).animate({params},speed,callback);

The required params parameter defines the CSS properties to be animated.
The optional speed parameter specifies the duration of the effect. It can take the following values: "slow", "fast", or milliseconds.
The optional callback parameter is the name of a function to be executed after the animation completes.
The following example demonstrates a simple use of the animate() method;

it moves a <div> element to the left, until it has reached a left property of 250px:

$("button").click(function(){

$("div").animate({left:'250px'});

});