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Physics 1101 Oscillations (SHM)

  1. A 1.75-kg particle moves as function of time as follows:

    x = 4cos(1.33t+π/5)

    where distance is measured in metres and time in seconds.
    (a) What is the amplitude, frequency, angular frequency, and period of this motion?
    (b) What is the equation of the velocity of this particle?
    (c) What is the equation of the acceleration of this particle?
    (d) What is the spring constant?
    (e) At what next time t > 0, will the object be:

    1. at equilibrium and moving to the right,
    2. at equilibrium and moving to the left,
    3. at maximum amplitude, and
    4. at minimum amplitude.

  2. If the amplitude in Question #1 is doubled, how would yours answers change?

  3. What are the equations for the potential and kinetic energies of the particle in Question #1? What is the total energy?

  4. The diagram below shows the motion of a 2.00-kg mass on a horizontal spring. Write down the equation of the displacement as a function of time. What is the spring constant? What is the total energy? What is the maximum speed? What is the maximum acceleration?

  5. The diagram below shows the velocity of a 2.00-kg mass on a horizontal spring. What is the maximum amplitude of the object's displacement? What is the maximum acceleration? Write down the equation of the displacement as a function of time. What is the spring constant? What is the total energy?

  6. The diagram below shows the acceleration of a 2.00-kg mass on a horizontal spring. What is the maximum amplitude of the object's displacement? What is the maximum velocity? Write down the equation of the displacement as a function of time. What is the spring constant? What is the total energy?

  7. A horizontal spring with k = 200N/m has an attached mass of 0.150 kg. It is stretched and released. As the mass passes through the equilibrium point, its speed is 5.25 m/s. What was the amplitude of the motion?

  8. A block of mass M is on a frictionless surface as shown below. It is attached to a wall by two springs with the same constant K. Initially the block is at rest and the springs unstretched. The block is pulled a distance A and then released.
      What is the speed of the block as it passes through equilibrium?
    1. What is the angular frequency w of the motion?
    2. If the two springs were replaced by one spring so that ω remains the same, what would its spring constant have to be?

  9. A disk of mass M is on a surface as shown below. It is attached to a wall by a spring of constant K. Initially the disk is at rest and the spring is unstretched. The disk is pulled a distance A and then released.
      What is the speed of the block as it passes through equilibrium?
    1. What is the angular frequency ω of the motion?

  10. A stiff spring k = 400 N/m has be attached to the floor vertically. A mass of 6.00 kg is placed on top of the spring as shown below and it finds a new equilibrium point. If the block is pressed downward and released it oscillates. If the compression is too big, however, the block will lose contact with the spring at the maximum vertical extension. Draw a free body diagram and find that extension at which the block loses contact with the spring.

  11. In the diagram below, a mass on a string of length L encounters a nail positioned a distance L/n from the bottom of the string when the string hangs vertical. What is the period of this "interrupted" pendulum?


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