Ain Shams University Freshmen level

Faculty of Engineering Vibrations and Waves

Department of Eng. Phys. & Math. PHM 121s / Fall - 2023

Problem Set # 4
Simple Harmonic Oscillation & Mass Spring System
Select the correct answer.

1. The position x of an object varies with time t. For which of the following equations relating x and t is
the motion of the object simple harmonic motion? (There may be more than one correct choice.)

a) x = 5 sin23t b) x = 8 cos 3t c) x = 4 tan 2t d) x = 5 sin 3t e) x = 2 cos(3t - 1)

2. A restoring force of magnitude F acts on a system with a displacement of magnitude x. In which of the
following cases will the system undergo simple harmonic motion?

a) F x b) F sin x c) F x2 d) F x e) F 1/x

3. An object is executing simple harmonic motion. What is true about the acceleration of this object?
(There may be more than one correct choice.)
a) The acceleration is a maximum when the displacement of the object is a maximum.
b) The acceleration is a maximum when the speed of the object is a maximum.
c) The acceleration is a maximum when the displacement of the object is zero.
d) The acceleration is zero when the speed of the object is a maximum.
e) The acceleration is a maximum when the object is instantaneously at rest.

4. The simple harmonic motion of an object is described by the

graph shown in the figure. What is the equation for the
position x(t) of the object as a function of time t?

a) x(t) = (4.0 m) sin [(2π/8.0 s) t + π/3.0]

b) x(t) = (4.0 m) cos [(2π/8.0 s) t + 2π/3.0]
c) x(t) = (4.0 m) cos [(2π/8.0 s) t + π/3.0]
d) x(t) = (4.0 m) cos [(2π/8.0 s) t - π/3.0]
e) x(t) = (8.0 m) cos [(2π/8.0 s) t + π/3.0]

5. A simple harmonic oscillator has an amplitude of 3.50 cm and a maximum speed of 26.0 cm/s. What is
its speed when the displacement is 1.75 cm?
a) 12.0 cm/s b) 22.5 cm/s c) 14.2 cm/s d) 15.0 cm/s e) 17.0 cm/s

6. The displacement of an object oscillating on a spring is given by x(t) = xm cos(ωt + φ). If the initial
displacement is zero and the initial velocity is in the negative x direction, then the phase constant φ is:
a) 0 b) π/2 rad c) π rad d) 3π/2 rad e) 2π rad

7. A certain spring elongates 9.0mm when it is suspended vertically and a block of mass M is hung on it.
The natural angular frequency of this block-spring system:
a) is 0.088 rad/s b) is 33 rad/s c) is 200 rad/s d) is 1140 rad/s e) cannot be computed

1/3
8. A mass-spring system is oscillating with amplitude A. The kinetic energy will equal the potential energy
only when the displacement is:
a) zero b) ±A/4 c) ±A/√2 d) ±A/2 e) anywhere between −A and +A

9. A 2.0 kg block is connected to two ideal massless springs with spring constants k1 and
k2 whose opposite ends are fixed to the same wall, as shown in the next figure. What k2 k1
is angular frequency of the oscillation if k1 = 7.6 N/m and k2 = 5.0 N/m?

a) 2.5 rad/s b) 3.5 rad/s c) 0.40 rad/s d) 0.56 rad/s e) 4 rad/s

10. A 1.6-kg block on a horizontal frictionless surface is attached to an ideal massless spring whose spring
constant is 190 N/m. The block is pulled from its equilibrium position at x = 0.00 m to a displacement x
= +0.080 m and is released from rest. The block then executes simple harmonic motion along the
horizontal x-axis. What is the velocity of the block at time t = 0.40 s?
a) 0.82 m/s b) -0.82 m/s c) 0.30 m/s d) -0.30 m/s e) 0.00 m/s

11. In the figure, two masses, M = 16 kg and m = 12.8 kg, are

connected to a very light rigid bar and are attached to an ideal
massless spring of spring constant 100 N/m. The system is set into
oscillation with an amplitude of 78 cm. At the instant when the acceleration is at its maximum, the 16-
kg mass separates from the 12.8-kg mass, which then remains attached to the spring and continues to
oscillate. What will be the amplitude of oscillation of the 12.8.0-kg mass?

a) 78 cm b) 62 cm c) 35 cm d) 98 cm e) 180 cm

12. A 2.00-kg object is attached to an ideal massless horizontal spring of spring constant 100.0 N/m and is
at rest on a frictionless horizontal table. The spring is aligned along the x-axis and is fixed to a peg in the
table. Suddenly this mass is struck by another 2.00-kg object traveling along the x-axis at 3.00 m/s, and
the two masses stick together. What are the amplitude and period of the oscillations that result from
this collision?
a) 0.300 m, 1.26 s b) 0.300 m, 0.889 s c) 0.424 m, 0.889 s d) 0.424 m, 1.26 s e) 0.424 m, 5.00 s

13. A 0.25 kg ideal harmonic oscillator has a total mechanical energy of 4.0 J. If the oscillation amplitude is
20.0 cm, what is the oscillation frequency?
a) 4.5 Hz b) 1.4 Hz c) 2.3 Hz d) 3.2 Hz e) 0.4 Hz

Problems
1. A 0.50-kg object is attached to an ideal massless spring of spring constant 20 N/m along a horizontal,
frictionless surface. The object oscillates in simple harmonic motion and has a speed of 1.5 m/s at the
equilibrium position.
a) What is the amplitude of vibration?
b) At what location are the kinetic energy and the potential energy of the system the same?

2/3
2. A 1.5-kg mass attached to an ideal massless spring with a spring constant of 20.0 N/m oscillates on a
horizontal frictionless track. At time t = 0.00 s, the mass is released from rest at x = 10.0 cm. (That is,
the spring is stretched by 10.0 cm.)
a) Find the frequency of the oscillations.
b) Determine the maximum speed of the mass. At what point in the motion does the maximum speed
occur?
c) What is the maximum acceleration of the mass? At what point in the motion does the maximum
acceleration occur?
d) Determine the total energy of the oscillating system.
e) Express the displacement x as a function of time t.

3. A particle oscillates with a simple harmonic motion along the x axis. Its displacement from the origin varies with
time according to the equation:
x = (2 m) cos (0.5π t + π/3)
where t is in seconds and the argument of the cosine is in radians. (a) Find the amplitude, frequency,
and period of the motion. (b) Find the velocity and acceleration of the particle at any time. (c) Find both
the maximum speed and acceleration of the particle. (d) Find the displacement of the particle between
t = 0 and t = 2 s.

4. An object weighing 44.1 N hangs from a vertical massless ideal spring. When set in vertical motion, the
object obeys the equation y(t) = (6.20 cm) cos[(2.74 rad/s)t - 1.40].
a) Find the time for this object to vibrate one complete cycle.
b) What are the maximum speed and maximum acceleration of the object?
c) What is the TOTAL distance the object moves through in one cycle?
d) Find the maximum kinetic energy of the object.
e) What is the spring constant of the spring?
Pivot L
point
5. Prove that the motion of a simple pendulum (small bob of mass m is attached to a
long wire of length L) makes a small angle  with the vertical executes SHM and m
𝑳
find its period Answer: 𝑻 = 𝟐𝝅√𝒈
k1 k2
m

6. A block of mass m is connected to two springs of force

constants k1 and k2 as shown in the next figures. In each case, (a)
the block moves on a frictionless table after it is displaced k1 k2
from equilibrium and released. Show that in the two cases
m
the block exhibits simple harmonic motion with periods

(b)
𝒎(𝒌𝟏 +𝒌𝟐 ) 𝒎
Answer: a) 𝑻 = 𝟐𝝅√ b) 𝑻 = 𝟐𝝅√(𝒌
𝒌𝟏 𝒌𝟐 𝟏 +𝒌𝟐 )

With Best wishes

Physics staff members

3/3