Scribd
Upload
10 views

PHY1 11_12 Q2 1202 AK

The document discusses simple harmonic motion (SHM), focusing on the characteristics of pendulums and oscillators. It explains how the period of a pendulum is affected by its length and mass, and outlines the conditions necessary for SHM to occur. Additionally, it includes knowledge checks, problem-solving scenarios, and resources for further learning about SHM and pendulum behavior.

Uploaded by

Karymae Akas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views

PHY1 11_12 Q2 1202 AK

The document discusses simple harmonic motion (SHM), focusing on the characteristics of pendulums and oscillators. It explains how the period of a pendulum is affected by its length and mass, and outlines the conditions necessary for SHM to occur. Additionally, it includes knowledge checks, problem-solving scenarios, and resources for further learning about SHM and pendulum behavior.

Uploaded by

Karymae Akas
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 6

Unit 12: Periodic Motion

12.2. Simple Harmonic Motion


Warm Up
Guide Questions
1. At what length is the period of the pendulum’s oscillation approximately 1.00
second?
Answer: At a 0.25-m length, the period of oscillation is 1.0049 seconds. Note that we
cannot obtain an exact 1.0000 second since the length of the pendulum can only be
increased in 0.01-m increments.
2. How does varying the length of the pendulum affect its period?
Answer: Increasing the length increases the period of the pendulum. Decreasing the
length decreases the period of the pendulum.
3. What happened when the mass of the pendulum bob was increased?
Answer: Increasing the mass of the bob did not affect the period. This means that
the period of the pendulum is independent of the mass.

Knowledge Check Question


1. What are the conditions for SHM?
Answer: For SHM to occur, the restoring force must be directly proportional, but
oppositely directed, to the displacement. Most SHMs occur at small amplitudes. The
frequency of oscillation in SHM is independent of the amplitude.

12.2. Simple Harmonic Motion 23


Unit 12: Periodic Motion
Check Your Understanding

A. Identify whether the following statements are true or false.

true 1. The restoring force of a simple harmonic oscillator is directly


proportional to the displacement.
true 2. A simple pendulum is a simple harmonic oscillator for small
amplitudes.
false 3. The frequency of a spring-mass oscillation depends on the
amplitude.
true 4. The motion graph in SHM is sinusoidal.
false 5. The period of a simple pendulum oscillation is directly
proportional to its length.
false 6. Angular frequency and frequency are equal in SHM.
true 7. The gravitational force on a physical pendulum acts as a
restoring torque.
false 8. In a simple pendulum model, the mass of the string is greater
than that of the bob.
false 9. Increasing the mass of a simple pendulum bob increases the
pendulum’s frequency.
false 10. The small-amplitude oscillation of a vertical spring-mass
system is not simple harmonic.

12.2. Simple Harmonic Motion 24


Unit 12: Periodic Motion
B. Write SHM if the following force functions represent a simple
harmonic motion; otherwise, write NOT.

NOT 11.
SHM 12.

NOT 13.

SHM 14.
15.
NOT

C. Give the angular frequency, frequency, and period of the following


simple harmonic oscillators.

Angular
Frequency
Frequency Period (s)
(Hz)
(rad/s)

a 0.80-kg glider, attached to a


spring that has a force
constant of 400 N/m, 16. 22.4 17. 3.56 18. 0.281
oscillating on a horizontal
frictionless surface

a 0.350-m long simple


pendulum undergoing small 19. 5.29 20. 0.841 21. 1.19
oscillation

a 0.240-m long uniform thin


rod pivoted at one end 22. 7.83 23. 1.25 24. 0.802
swinging with small amplitude

a 0.290-kg small mass 25. 3.05 26. 0.485 27. 2.06

12.2. Simple Harmonic Motion 25


Unit 12: Periodic Motion
suspended through a 1.05-m
massless string released from
small angular displacement

The projection of an object in


uniform circular motion
28. 81.7 29. 13 30. 0.077
completing 13 revolutions per
second onto its diameter

Challenge Yourself

A. Answer the following questions briefly.

1. Why is the oscillation of a pendulum simple harmonic for small amplitudes only?
Answer: In general, the restoring force or torque in a pendulum is proportional to the
sine of the angular displacement. However, for a small displacement, we can
approximate the sine of the angular displacement to be equal to the angular
displacement. In this case, the restoring force is directly proportional, but oppositely
directed, to the angular displacement which makes the oscillation simple harmonic.
2. If a uniform spring in a spring-mass system is cut in half, how will its frequency
change?
Answer: Cutting a uniform spring in half doubles its spring constant. If the spring
constant is doubled, the frequency will increase by a factor of √2 since the frequency
is directly proportional to the square root of the spring constant.
3. In a grandfather clock, the length of a very light metal wire supporting a heavy
pendulum bob increases slightly due to a significant increase in temperature. How
will this affect the timekeeping of the clock?
Answer: Since the period is directly proportional to the square root of length, the
period of the pendulum will increase if its length is increased. If the pendulum in a
grandfather clock has a higher period, the time on the clock will run slower.

12.2. Simple Harmonic Motion 26


Unit 12: Periodic Motion
B. Solve the following problems.

4. When a 200-kg refrigerator is loaded onto a 1200-kg car, the springs of the car
compress by 3.0 cm. Assuming the car’s springs act as a single spring, by how many
centimeters will the car lower if a heavier 300-kg refrigerator is loaded instead?
Answer: When the refrigerator is loaded onto the car, a force of (200 kg)(9.8 m/s2) =
1960 N compresses the spring by 3.0 cm = 0.03 m. The spring constant is therefore
given by k = F/x = (1960 N)/(0.03 m) = 65333 N/m. By Hooke’s law, the compression
on the same spring due to a 300-kg load is x = F/k = (300 kg)(9.8 m/s2)/(65333 N/m) =
0.045 m. Thus, the spring compresses by 4.5 cm if a 300-kg refrigerator is loaded.
5. Juan wants to know the height of a museum. Inside the museum, he notices a very
long simple pendulum extending from the ceiling and almost touching the floor.
Remembering his lessons in physics, he realizes that he can estimate the height of
the museum from the period of the pendulum’s oscillation. If the pendulum
undergoes one complete oscillation in 15.5 seconds, how tall is the tower?
Answer: The height is approximately equal to the length of the pendulum. Since the

period of a simple pendulum is , we can calculate the length by

. Thus, the tower is around 60 meters tall.

12.2. Simple Harmonic Motion 27


Unit 12: Periodic Motion
Additional Resource Links
● Simple pendulums with small-amplitude oscillations exhibit SHM. The period of a
small-amplitude pendulum is directly proportional to the square root of the ratio of
length and gravitational acceleration. But for large-amplitude pendulums, the
relationship of period and length is not that simple. To learn more about the period
of large-amplitude pendulum oscillations, please read:

Large Amplitude Pendulum


R Nave, “Large Amplitude Pendulum,” Hyperphysics,
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/pendl.html, last
accessed on May 25, 2020.

● This video contains a demonstration of the simple harmonic oscillation of a


spring-mass system.

Oscillations Demo
Physics Demos, “Oscillations Demo: Mass Spring System,”
YouTube, August 21, 2016,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJBPNJR2QJU, last
accessed on May 25, 2020.

● This video contains sample problems involving various physical pendulum systems.

Physical Pendulum Problems


The Organic Chemistry Tutor, “Physical Pendulum Problems -
Moment of Inertia - Physics,” YouTube, August 27, 2016,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scIVIhChL1I, last accessed
on May 21, 2020.

12.2. Simple Harmonic Motion 28

You might also like