HOMEWORK: SET 11- SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION PROBLEMS:

1) A body of mass 2 kg is suspended from a spring of negligible mass, and is found to stretch the spring
20 cm. (a) What is the force constant of the spring? (b) What is the period of oscillation of the body, if it
is pulled down and released? (c) What would be the period of a body of mass 4 kg hanging from the
same spring?
ans.

a) 98 N/m

b) 0.898 sec.

c) 1.27 sec

2) The scale of a spring balance reading from zero to 180 N is 9 cm long. A body suspended from the
balance is observed to oscillate vertically with a frequency of 1.5 Hz. What is the mass of the body?
Neglect the mass of the spring.
ans.

22.5 kg

3) A body is vibrating with simple harmonic motion of amplitude 15 cm and frequency 4 Hz. Compute
(a) the maximum values of the acceleration and the velocity, (b) the acceleration and velocity when the
position is 9 cm, and (c) the time required to move from the equilibrium position to a point 12 cm distant
from it.
ans. (a) 94.8 m/sec2; 3.77 m/sec. (b) 56.9 m/sec2, 3.02 m/sec (c) 0.0369 seconds
4) A body of mass 4 kg is attached to a coil spring and oscillates vertically with SHM. The amplitude of
the oscillations is 0.5 m, and at its highest point of the motion, the spring has its natural unstretched
length. Calculate the elastic potential energy of the spring, the kinetic energy of the body, and its
gravitational potential energy relative to the lowest point of the motion, and the sum of these 3 energies,
when the body is (a) at its lowest point, (b) at its equilibrium position, (c) at its highest point.
ans. a) 39.2, 0, 0, 39.2 J

b) 9.8, 9.8, 19.6, 39.2 J

c) 0, 0, 39.2, 39.2 J

5) A body of mass 10 gm moves with simple harmonic motion of amplitude 24 cm and a period of 4
seconds. The position (coordinate) is + 24 cm when t = 0. Compute (a) the position when t= 0.5 seconds,
(b) the magnitude & direction of the force acting on the body when t = 0.5 sec. (c) the minimum time
required for the body to move from its initial position to the point where x = - 12 cm, (d) the velocity of
the body at x = - 12 cm.
ans.

a) 17.0 cm

b) - 4.19 x 10-3 N

c) 1.33 sec

d) -32.6 cm/sec

6) A small block is executing SHM in a horizontal plane with an amplitude of 10 cm. At a point 6 cm
from its equilibrium position the block has a speed of 24 cm/sec. (a) What is the period of the motion?
(b) What is the displacement from equilibrium when the magnitude of the velocity is 12 cm/sec? (c) If
a small object placed on top of the oscillating block is just on the verge of slipping at the endpoint of the
motion, what is the coefficient of static friction between the object and the block?
ans.

a) 2.09 sec

b) 9.17 cm

c) 0.0918

7) Two springs with the same unstretched length but

different force constants k1 and k2 are attached to a
block of mass m on a level frictionless surface.
Calculate the effective force constant in each of the 3
cases shown in the figure. In terms of k1 and k2 what
would be the ratios of the frequencies of case 2 to
case 1 ? Of case 3 to case 1 ?
ans.
a) k1 + k2

b) k1 + k2

c) (k1 k2)/(k1 + k2)

k1

k2

k2

8) The motion of the piston in an automobile engine is approximately simple harmonic motion.
a) If the stroke of the engine (twice the amplitude) is 10 cm, and the angular velocity is 3600
rev/minute, compute the acceleration of the piston at the end of its stroke.
b) If the piston has a mass of 0.5 kg, what resultant force must be exerted on it at this point?
c) What is the velocity of the piston, in kilometers per hour, at the midpoint of the stroke?
ans.

a) 7106 m/sec2

b) 3553 N

c) 67.9 km/hr

9) A force of 30 N stretches a vertical spring 15 cm. a) What mass must be suspended from the spring
so that the system will oscillate with a period of (/4) seconds?
b) If the amplitude of the motion is 5 cm, where is the body and in what direction is it moving
( /12) seconds after it has passed the equilibrium position, moving downward?
c) What force does the spring exert on the body when it is 3 cm below the equilibrium position,
moving upward?
ans.

a) 3.13 kg

b) 4.33 cm below, moving upward

c) 37 N

11) It is desired to construct a pendulum of period 10 seconds. (a) What is the length of a simple
pendulum which would have this period? (b) Suppose the pendulum must be mounted in a case not over
0.5 m high. Can you devise a pendulum, having a period of 10 seconds, that will satisfy this
requirement?
ans.

24.8 m