01

NOTE
P H Y S I C S

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

INTRODUCTION TO SHM

What you already know What you will learn

• Kinematics • Periodic motion and oscillatory motion

• Newton’s laws of motion • Introduction to simple harmonic motion
• Centre of mass and collision • SHM as a projection of uniform circular
• Rotation motion

Periodic Motion

When a body repeats its motion along a definite path after a regular interval of time, it is said to be
in periodic motion. The motion parameters(x, v, a) of the body remain the same in every interval.
It means that if a body is executing a periodic motion and its velocity and acceleration at a certain
position x1 are v1 and a1 respectively, then every time the body reaches the position x1, its velocity
and acceleration would be the same as before, i.e., v1 and a1.
Following are some examples of periodic motion: the motion of a pendulum, the motion of the
hands of the clock, planetary motion etc.

P
S
Earth

Sun
Elliptical orbit

Oscillatory Motion

The periodic motion of a body that moves in a to-and-fro manner about a fixed position is known
as oscillatory motion.
• All oscillatory motions are periodic but not all periodic motions are oscillatory.
• The motion of a pendulum or a swing is an example of oscillatory motion.

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 02

•In the presence of dissipative forces like viscous force, friction, and others, the mechanical
energy of the oscillating body decreases. As a result, it continues to oscillate with diminishing
amplitude. Hence, oscillatory motion need not always be periodic.
For to-and-fro motion, we can use the positive and negative signs to represent the direction of
vector quantities (displacement, velocity, force, acceleration, etc.).
Let us examine the case when a particle is being acted upon by a force, F ∝ −xn,
where n is an integer and x is the displacement of the particle from the mean position (x = 0). x can
be either positive, negative or zero.
Case 1: n → Even integer (0, 2, 4, …)
x<0 x=0 x>0

 
F O F
For negative and positive displacements of the body, the force is always directed along the negative
x-axis. This indicates that the body cannot perform oscillatory motion (to-and-fro motion) about its
mean position.
Case 2: n → Odd integer (1, 3, 5, …)
In this case, for the negative displacement, the term xn would be negative. Since the restoring force
is proportional to −xn, the direction of the force is towards the direction of the positive x-axis.
Similarly, for the positive displacement, the term xn would be positive. Therefore, the direction of
the force is towards the direction of the negative x-axis.
x<0 x=0 x>0

 
F O F
Hence, the force will always act opposite to the displacement and as a result, the body will perform
to-and-fro motion about the mean position.

• A body tends to return to its mean position because the mean position is a stable
equilibrium position, where the potential energy of the system is minimum.
• At the mean position, the net force on a body is zero (Fnet = 0). Therefore, the acceleration
of the body is also zero and the velocity of the body is maximum.

Simple Harmonic Motion

Simple harmonic motion or SHM is defined as a motion in which the restoring force is directly
proportional to the displacement of the body from its mean position, and the direction of the
restoring force is always towards the mean position. It is a special case of oscillatory motion in
which the restoring force is given by,
F = −kx

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 03

Where k is the proportionality constant, also known as the constant of given simple harmonic
motion.
x<0 x=0 x>0

F = −kx O F = −kx
Here, the restoring force will act in a direction opposite to the displacement of the body and will
always be towards the mean position (x = 0).
The relationship between the periodic motion and the oscillatory motion can be visualized by using
the following Venn diagram.

Periodic motion Oscillatory motion

Motion of the
swings (dE = 0)

Motion of the fan Damped

blades oscillations
SHM

SHM of a Body about Its Mean Position

Consider a body performing a simple harmonic motion within the bounds x = +A and x = −A (extreme
positions) under the influence of a restoring force F = −kx. The maximum displacement of the body
from the mean position is known as the amplitude of the SHM, i.e., A.
• When the body is released from an extreme position x = +A, the restoring force acts at its
maximum value (F = −kA). Thus, the magnitude of the acceleration of the body is the maximum
 kA 
 M  , and its direction is towards the mean position.
 

–A O +A
v = 0, a = −amax

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• When the body reaches the mean position, the net force on the body becomes zero for
the instant. Therefore, the acceleration of the body becomes zero (a = 0), and its velocity
becomes maximum, i.e., vmax.

–A O +A
v = −vmax, a = 0
• As the body crosses its mean position, the restoring force starts to act on the body. Since the
restoring force is always opposite to the displacement of the body, it decelerates the motion
of the body, which is directly proportional to the displacement as a ∝ −x.
• Thus, the velocity of the body decreases at a higher rate with an increase in the displacement
and acceleration. It eventually comes to rest (v = 0) when it reaches an extreme position of
x = −A
• The acceleration is maximum at the extreme position −A and the direction of the acceleration
is towards the mean position.
• The body starts its motion in the same way but in the opposite direction. It moves from the
extreme position (x = −A), and its velocity keeps on increasing until it reaches the mean
position.

–A O +A
v = 0, a = +amax
• Due to the maximum velocity at the mean position, the body moves away from the mean
position and once again, the restoring force begins to oppose its motion and the body
momentarily stops at its initial extreme position, and continues its motion as described above.

–A O +A
v = +vmax, a = 0
The motion of the body is summarised in the following table:

     
Path Direction of F F Direction of a a Direction of v v Type of motion
⟶

A-O Accelerated
⟵

⟵ ⟵ ⟵

O-(–A) Decelerated
⟶

⟶ ⟶ ⟵
⟵

(–A)-O Accelerated
⟵

⟶ ⟶ ⟶

Decelerated
⟵

O-A
⟶

⟵ ⟵ ⟶

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SHM as a Projection of Uniform Circular Motion

Consider a particle that is executing a uniform circular motion with an angular velocity of ω in the
clockwise sense. Then, its shadow executes a bounded oscillatory motion in the horizontal plane.
As we capture various positions of the particle and its shadow while performing uniform circular
motion (UCM), we observe the following:
Particle

ω
ω

Shadow

ω
ω

As the particle completes one full rotation along the circular path, its shadow (projection) moves
towards the right, comes to its initial position, continues to move towards the left, and again comes
back to its initial position. The projection of the uniform circular motion of the particle performs an
SHM of amplitude (A), which is equal to the radius of the circular path of the UCM.
Do note here that the motion of the particle and its shadow are periodic. However, UCM is not an
oscillatory motion, but its shadow is in an oscillatory motion.

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Some Important Terminologies in SHM

Amplitude (A)

The maximum displacement of the particle from the mean position is known as the amplitude of
the SHM. It can also be said that the amplitude is the radius of the UCM corresponding to the SHM
of the particle.

Time period (T)

The smallest time interval after which the motion of the particle that is executing SHM gets repeated
is known as the time period of the SHM.

–A O +A
If the angular velocity of the particle exhibiting UCM is ω, then the time period of the corresponding
2π
SHM is, T =
ω

Frequency ( f )

The number of oscillations completed by the body per unit time is known as the frequency of the
SHM.
1
f =
T
Its SI unit is Hz or s−1.

Angular frequency (ω)

The angular frequency (ω) of an SHM is the angular velocity of its corresponding UCM. Later, we
will see that it is the rate of change of phase angle of the SHM.
Its SI unit is rad s−1.

MAIN
Standard Equation of SHM

Consider a particle that is performing periodic and oscillatory motions between −A to A as shown
in the figure.

–A O +A

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The force acting on the particle is given by,

F = − kx .....(i)
Where the negative sign represents that the force is restoring in nature. If m is the mass of the
particle, then equation (i) becomes,
ma = − kx

k
⇒ a =−   x
ma = − kx m
Where a is the centripetal acceleration of the corresponding UCM.
k
⇒ a =−   x
dv  m k 
⇒v = −   x ( Where v is the velocity of the particle )
dx m
Where a is thecentripetal acceleration of the corresponding UCM.
k
⇒ v dv = −  k x dx .....(ii )
⇒v = −m  x ( Where v is the velocity of the particle )
dx m
By integrating equation (ii ) within the limits ( v = A → x ) , we get,
0 → vx , x =
k
⇒ v dv = −   x dx .....(ii )
x m
vx
 k 
∫By
0
v d v = − ∫
A
integrating
 m  x dx
equation (ii ) within the limits ( v = A → x ) , we get,
0 → vx , x =
vx x
vx
 v 2  x  k k   x 2 
⇒v d v = − =
∫0  2 0 ∫A −m mx dx 2  A
vvx 2=
 −  k  kx  −x 2A 
2 vx 2 2x
⇒
⇒ 2  =  
m−  2  2
 2  0   m   2  A
 k k 2 x 2 2 A2 
2
⇒ v x2x =
⇒ = (
−m  A − x−
  2 
)
2   m  2
k
± k  2A2 − 2x 2
⇒ vv xx2 =
⇒ =  mm (
 A −x )
 
This equation gives the velocityk of the body when its displacement from the mean position is x.
You
Here, will
the learn
k later that = ω and the above ethe
quation can of
bevelocity
re-written as, the positive and the
⇒ vx = ± positive
A −and
2
x negative
2
m signs represent direction along
negative x-axis,m respectively.
⇒ vx = ± ω A2 − x 2
k
You will learn later that = ω and the above equation can be re-written as,
m

± ω A2 − x 2
⇒ vx =

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