SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION EXAMPLES.

1. A particle describing linear simple harmonic motion of amplitude 2m has speed 3m𝑠 −1
when the particle is 1m from the mean position O. Find the:
(a) periodic time o
(b) maximum velocity
(c) maximum acceleration
2. A particle is travelling in a straight line with S.H.M of period 4 seconds. If the greatest speed
3
is 2m𝑠 −1 , find the amplitude of the path and the speed of the particle when it is 𝜋 m from the
centre.
3. A particle is performing S.H.M with centre O, amplitude 6m and period 2𝜋 seconds. Points B
and C lie between O and A with ̅̅̅̅
OB = 1𝑚, ̅̅̅̅OC = 3𝑚 and ̅̅̅̅
OA = 6𝑚. Find the time taken
while travelling from:
(i) A to B
(ii) A to C
4. A mass oscillates with S.H.M of period 1 second. The amplitude of oscillation, 𝑎 = 5𝑐𝑚.
Given that the particle starts from the centre, O, of the motion, state the displacement 𝑥 of
the mass from O at any time t, hence find the time when the mass is 3cm from the end
position for the first time.
5. A particle P is observed to execute S.H.M with amplitude 2m and periodic time 2 seconds. If
P is initially moving at maximum speed, determine the:
(i) distance moved by the particle until its speed is half the maximum speed
(ii) Time taken for the particle to travel the distance in (i) above.
6. A particle moves with S.H.M about mean position O. When the particle is passing two points
which are 2m and 2.4 m from O, the particle has speed 2.4m𝑠 −1 and 1.4m𝑠 −1 respectively.
Find the amplitude of the motion and the greatest speed attained by the particle.
7. A particle executing S.H.M about O has speeds of 3√3𝑚𝑠 −1 and 3𝑚𝑠 −1 when at distances of
1m and 0.268m from the end point. Find the amplitude and periodic time of the motion.
8. A particle is projected from point O at 𝑡 = 0 and performs S.H.M about O with amplitude
20cm and period 4s. Find:
(a) the speed of projection
(b) the speed of the particle when 𝑡 = 7.5s
(c) the value of 𝑡 when the particle is 20cm from O for the first time
9. A particle moving with S.H.M travels from a point 𝑥m from the centre O to the point on the
opposite side of O and 𝑥m from O in 3 seconds. The particle takes a further 2 seconds to
reach the furthest end of motion. Find the period of the motion.
10. The velocity of a particle at any time t is given by the equation:
𝑣(𝑡) = −𝑎𝜔 sin(𝜔𝑡) + 𝑏𝜔 cos(𝜔𝑡) .
(i) Find the expression of the displacement 𝑥 of the particle at anytime t given that
𝑥 = 0 when 𝑡 = 0.
(ii) Show that the motion of the particle is S.H.M.
11. A particle passes through points A, B and C in that order with velocities 0m𝑠 −1 , 2𝑚𝑠 −1 and
−1𝑚𝑠 −1 respectively. The particle is moving with S.H.M in a straight line. What is the
amplitude and periodic time of the motion if AB = 2m and AC = 8m.

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 EXERCISE
1. A particle is moving in a straight line with S.H.M. It’s speed when moving through mean
position is 12m𝑠 −1 and the magnitude of acceleration when it is at a point 3m from the mean
position is 6m𝑠 −2 . Find the amplitude and periodic time of this motion.
2. A particle is moving with S.H.M of amplitude 1.3m and its periodic time is 5 seconds. It passes
through its mean position O at 𝑡 = 0. Find its acceleration and velocity when it is:
(a) 0.5m from O
(b) -1.2m from O
3. A particle is moving with S.H.M of period 12𝜋 seconds and amplitude 8m. A point B is 4m
from the mean position O. The particles passes through O at 𝑡 = 0, moving in the direction
OB, and makes one oscillation.
(a) Find the times at which the particle is at B during this oscillation.
(b) What would have been the time at which the particle was next at B if it had passed
through O in the direction BO at 𝑡 = 0.
4. A particle performs S.H.M of period 3 seconds and amplitude 3cm about centre O. After
passing through O the particle moves through A, which is 1cm from O, to a point B which is
2cm from O. Find the time it takes to travel from A to B.
5. A particle performs S.H.M of period 4.5 seconds and amplitude 6cm about centre O. The
particle passes through point P which is 3cm from O moving away from O. Find the time
which elapses before the particle next passes through P.
𝜋
6. A particle is moving with S.H.M of 2 seconds and its maximum speed is 12m𝑠 −1 . Find its
amplitude and its speed when at a distance 2m from the extreme position.

S.H.M IN SPRINGS AND STRINGS EXAMPLES

1. One end of a light elastic spring of natural length 2m and modulus 10N is fixed to a point A
on a smooth horizontal surface. A body of mass 200g attached to the other end of the spring
is held at rest at a point B on the surface, causing the spring to be extended by 30cm. Show
that when released, the body will move with S.H.M. Find the amplitude of this motion.

2. A light elastic string of natural length 2.4m and modulus 15N is stretched between two fixed
points A and B, 3m apart on a smooth horizontal surface. A body of mass 4kg is attached to
the midpoint of the string and is pulled 10cm towards B and then released. Show that the
subsequent motion is simple harmonic and find the speed of the body when it is 158cm
from A.
3. A particle P of mass M lies on a smooth horizontal table and is attached to two elastic strings
fixed at fixed points A and B on the table. The natural lengths of the strings AP and PB are 4𝑙
5
and 5𝑙, with moduli of elasticity Mg and 2Mg respectively. If AB= 12𝑙:
(a) show that AP=6𝑙 when P is in equilibrium.
(b) P is then held at C in the line AB where ̅̅̅̅
AC = 5𝑙 and then released. Show that the
𝑙
resulting motion is S.H.M with period 4𝜋√ and that the maximum speed attained by the
g
1
particle is 2 √3g𝑙.

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4. A particle of mass 4𝑚 is attached to the mid-point of a light elastic spring with modulus 2mg
whose ends are attached to two fixed points, a distance 8a apart, in a vertical line. If the
spring has natural length 2a and modulus 2mg.
(a) Find the distance of the particle below the upper fixed point when its in equilibrium.
(b) When the particle is slightly disturbed from rest, show that it performs S.H.M of period
𝑎
2𝜋√ g
5. A light elastic string of natural length 𝑙 has one end fastened to a fixed point O. The other
end of the string is attached to a particle of mass m. When the particle hangs in equilibrium,
7𝑙
the length of the string is 4
. The particle is displaced from equilibrium so that it moves
vertically with S.H.M when the string is taut.
3𝑙
(a) Show that its period is 𝜋√ g
3𝑙
(b) At 𝑡 = 0, the particle is released from rest at a point A, at a distance 2
vertically below O.
Find the:
(i) depth below O of the lowest point L
(ii) time taken to move from A to L
1 3𝑙
(iii) depth below O of the particle at a time 𝑡 = 6 𝜋√ g
6. A particle of mass m is attached by means of light elastic strings AP and PB of the same
natural length 𝑎 and moduli of elasticity mg and 2mg respectively to fixed points A and B on
a smooth horizontal table. The particle is released from the midpoint of AB. Show that the
1⁄
4𝜋2 𝑎 2
ensuing motion is simple harmonic with period T= ( )
3g
Find also the maximum speed attained by the particle.
7. A light elastic string of natural length 2m, hangs vertically with its upper end fixed at a point
A and a body of mass 2kg is attached to its lower end. In equilibrium the body rests at a
point O where AO=2.2m. The body is then pulled down a further distance of 0.25m to a
point C and released from rest. Show that the period ensuing motion is given by:
1 4
[2𝜋 + 4 sin−1 ( ) + 3] 𝑠
14 5

8. If a simple pendulum of length 𝑙 makes small oscillations, show that the motion
𝑙
approximates to simple harmonic motion of time period 2𝜋√(g)
9. A simple pendulum completes 25 complete oscillations in each minute. Calculate the length
of the string.
END.