SHM Quiz
SHM Quiz
1. There are six parts to this question. 1a through 1e and 1g are free-response questions. 1f
is a multiple-choice question.
A student performs an experiment but attaching a 500g mass onto a vertical spring in simple
harmonic motion. Using a motion sensor, the student was able to make a table as shown:
Position (cm) Time (s)
42.5 0.0
49.5 0.2
58.6 0.4
62.1 0.6
58.5 0.8
49.6 1.0
42.5 1.2
33.4 1.4
26.5 1.6
22.9 1.8
26.5 2.0
1a. Determine the period. State your answer with the correct units. (2)
1b. Determine the spring constant. State your answer with the correct units. (2)
1c. Determine the angular velocity. State your answer with the correct units. (2)
1d. Determine the frequency. State your answer with the correct units. (2)
1e. Determine the magnitude of the amplitude of this experiment. State your answer with (2)
the correct units.
1f. If the student repeated the experiment on the moon, would the period increase, (1)
decrease, or remain the same?
a. Increase
b. Decrease
c. Remain the same.
1g. Find the magnitude of the force required to stretch the string from rest position and to (2)
its max displacement. State your answer with the correct units.
2. A physics student wants to make some notes about the lecture on Simple Harmonic
Motion. She draws the following uncompleted table. She asks for your help to complete
it since you are a kind tutor. In the table below, create a check/tick mark if the following
conditions hold true for x = -A, x = 0, and x = A. (Up is positive ; down is negative) (30)
vmax vmin +amax -amax amin +Fmax -Fmax Fmin Umax KEmax
X = -A
X=0
X=A
3. A simple pendulum is constructed by attaching a mass m to a thin rod of length, l. The
pendulum is pulled back to some angle ∅ >30 ° from the vertical and released. Which of
the following technique(s) could be used to change the frequency f of this pendulum?
i. Changing the mass m on the end of the pendulum. (1)
ii. Changing the length l of the pendulum.
iii. Changing the angle ∅ from which the pendulum is released.
iv. Performing this experiment on the moon.
a. i only
b. ii only
c. iii only
d. iv only
e. ii and iii
f. i, ii, and iii
g. ii, iii, and iv
h. i, ii, iii, and iv
4b. Justify the shape of your new graph compared to the original. (Calculation works) (1)
5. A mass, attached to a spring, is displaced from the equilibrium position by 6.2cm and
then released. The mass freely oscillates back and forth with a period of T. The position
as a function of time for the mass is given by the equation x(t) = (6.2 cm) * cos(4.4t).
Determine the period of motion for this simple harmonic oscillator. (1)
a. 0.71 s
b. 1.43 s
c. 71.0 s
d. 0.23 s
e. 4.40 s