Chapter 13: Vibrations and Waves

Question 1

Suppose you take your young cousin to a playground and watch her ride on a swing. You estimate her mass, the amplitude of her swinging, and the height of the apparatus. How many of these quantities are needed to compute the period of one of her swings?
Select one:
a. two
b. none
c. one 
d. all three

Answer 1

one

Question 2

A mass on a spring undergoes simple harmonic motion. When the mass passes through the equilibrium position, its instantaneous velocity
Select one:
a. is less than maximum, but not zero
b. is zero
c. cannot be determined from the information given
d. is maximum

Answer 2

is maximum

Question 3

A simple pendulum is suspended from the ceiling of a stationary elevator, and the period is measured. If the accelerates upward, the period
Select one:
a. remains the same
b. decreases
c. None of these
d. increases

Answer 3

decreases

Question 4

An object of mass m is attached to a horizontal spring, stretched to a displacement A from equilibrium and released, undergoing harmonic oscillations on a frictionless surface with period T0. The experiment is then repeated with a mass of 4m. Choose the new period of oscillation.
Select one:
a. T0
b. T0/2
c. 2T0 
d. T0/4

Answer 4

2T0

Question 5

For a simple harmonic oscillator, which of the following pairs of vector quantities can't both point in the same direction? (The position vector is the displacement from equilibrium.)
Select one:
a. position and acceleration 
b. position and velocity
c. velocity and acceleration
d. None of these

Answer 5

position and acceleration

Question 6

The period of a simple pendulum is measured to be T on the Earth. If the same pendulum were set in motion on the Moon, would its period be
Select one:
a. less than T,
b. equal to T?
c. greater than T, or

Answer 6

greater than T

Question 7

The two oscillating systems have periods T1 and T2, with T1 < T2. How are the frequencies of the two systems related?
Select one:
a. f1 > f2 
b. f1 < f2
c. f1 = f2

Answer 7

f1 > f2

Question 8

Which of the following is true for an oscillating spring?
Select one:
a. The total energy is greatest when the spring is the most compressed and the most extended.
b. The kinetic energy is greatest when the spring is the most compressed and the most extended.
c. None of these.
d. The potential energy is greatest when the spring is the most compressed and the most extended.

Answer 8

The potential energy is greatest when the spring is the most compressed and the most extended.

Question 9

You are observing a simple harmonic oscillator. Identify one way you could decrease the maximum velocity of the system.
Select one:
a. Both of these.
b. You could decrease the mass of the object that is oscillating.
c. You could increase the mass of the object that is oscillating.

Answer 9

You could increase the mass of the object that is oscillating.