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Physics 7
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is simple harmonic motion? | A type of periodic motion where an object oscillates back and forth around an equilibrium position due to a restoring force. |
| What is a restoring force? | A force that acts opposite to the direction of displacement, pushing or pulling the object back toward equilibrium. Its magnitude increases as displacement increases. |
| What is Hooke's Law and what does each variable represent? | F = −kx. F is the restoring force (N), k is the spring constant (N/m), and x is the displacement from equilibrium (m). The negative sign indicates the force opposes displacement. |
| What is the spring constant (k) and what does a higher k value mean? | A measure of a spring's stiffness. A higher k means a stiffer spring that requires more force to stretch or compress. |
| What are the three key characteristics of SHM? | Cycle (one complete oscillation back to the starting point), Displacement (distance from equilibrium in meters), and Amplitude (maximum displacement from equilibrium in meters). |
| What is velocity doing at maximum displacement vs. at equilibrium? | At maximum displacement, velocity = 0 (object momentarily stops). At equilibrium, velocity is at its maximum. |
| What is acceleration doing at maximum displacement vs. at equilibrium? | At maximum displacement, acceleration is maximum (strongest restoring force). At equilibrium, acceleration = 0 (restoring force is zero). |
| What is the relationship between period and frequency? | They are inversely related. |
| Is period/frequency dependent on amplitude? | No. Period and frequency are independent of amplitude — the spring oscillates at the same frequency regardless of how far it is stretched or compressed. |
| What is angular frequency (ω) and what are its units? | The change in angle per unit time for a particle moving in a circular path. Units are rad/s. |
| How is a vertical mass-spring system analyzed differently from a horizontal one? | It is analyzed the same way. Gravity causes extra stretching to reach a new equilibrium, but at that equilibrium gravity and the restoring force cancel (F_net = mg − kx = 0), so Hooke's law still applies normally. |
| What forces act on a vertical mass-spring system? | Gravity (downward, constant) and the spring's restoring force (upward). There is no normal force since the mass is hanging. |
| What is a simple pendulum? | A point mass hanging from a string of negligible mass that oscillates about a fixed point. The two forces acting on it are gravity and string tension. |
| What is the restoring force in a pendulum? | The horizontal component of gravity: F = mg·sin(θ). For small angles, the pendulum approximates simple harmonic motion. |
| What variables does the period of a pendulum depend on? What does it NOT depend on? | Period depends only on string length (L) and gravitational acceleration (g). It does NOT depend on mass or amplitude. |
| What is elastic potential energy and how is it calculated? | Energy stored in a stretched or compressed spring. U = ½kx², where k is the spring constant and x is displacement from equilibrium. |
| What is the total mechanical energy of a simple harmonic oscillator? | ME = KE + U = ½mv² + ½kx². Total mechanical energy remains constant (assuming no friction). |
| What happens to kinetic and potential energy at maximum displacement? | Potential energy is maximum (ME = ½kA²); kinetic energy = 0. |
| What happens to kinetic and potential energy at equilibrium? | Kinetic energy is maximum (ME = ½mv²_max); potential energy = 0. |
| How does energy shift between maximum displacement and equilibrium? | Moving toward equilibrium: potential energy decreases, kinetic energy increases. Moving away from equilibrium: kinetic energy decreases, potential energy increases. |
Created by:
smurtab