Simple Harmonic Oscillators 14-15

Question 1

What is the equation for the force exerted by a spring?

Answer 1

F = Kx

K is the spring constant of the spring in Nm^-1and x is the displacment in m.

Question 2

What is the formula for the time period of a mass oscillating on a spring?

Answer 2

T = 2π.(m/k)^1/2

Question 3

What are the two ways to find how much energy is stored in a compressed or stretched spring?

Answer 3

1) You can find how much energy is stored by plotting a force-extension graph - the area under the graph is the elastic potential energy.
2) E = 1/2Kx²

Question 4

What equation gives the period of a pendulum?

Answer 4

T = 2π.(l/g)^1/2

The formula only works for small angles of oscillation - up to about 10^o from the equilibrium point.

Question 5

What equations gives the acceleration of an oscillating spring?

Answer 5

d²x/dt² = -(k/m).x

Question 6

Explain how an irative method can be usd to calculate the velocity/displacement of a sprig at certain times.

Answer 6

Answer/Example on page 15.