Topic 13

Question 1

What are the two conditions required for an object to oscillate with SHM

Answer 1

1. The restoring force is directly proportional to the displacement
2. The restoring force always acts towards the equilibrium position

Question 2

What is angular frequency

Answer 2

Angular frequency is a measure of the rate of rotation of an object

Question 3

Give two equations for angular frequency

Answer 3

ω = 2π/T
ω = 2πf

Question 4

What are the two types of oscillations that an object can experience

Answer 4

1. Free oscillations

2. Forced oscillations

Question 5

What is the frequency of a freely oscillating object equal to

Answer 5

Freely oscillating object will vibrate at their natural frequency

Question 6

What is resonance

Answer 6

Resonance is where the amplitude of oscillations of an object drastically increase due to gaining an increased amount of energy from the driving force.
This occurs when the driving frequency equals the natural frequency of the object.

Question 7

What can be said about an object undergoing resonance

Answer 7

The object will be oscillating at its maximum amplitude and the rate of energy transfer is at a maximum

Question 8

What is damping

Answer 8

Damping occurs when energy is lost from an oscillating system due to an external force acting on it

Question 9

What are the three types of damping

Answer 9

1. Light Damping
2. Critical Damping
3. Heavy Damping

Question 10

What is critical damping

Answer 10

Critical damping is when the damping causes the object to return to the equilibrium position in the quickest time possible without oscillating

Question 11

State the equation for the total energy stored in a simple harmonic oscillator

Answer 11

Energy stored = 1/2 kA^2

Where k is the spring constant, and A is the amplitude

Question 12

What is the difference between free and forced oscillations

Answer 12

When an object oscillates without any external forces being applied, it oscillates at its natural frequency. This is known as free oscillations.
Forced oscillation occurs when a periodic driving force is applied to an object, which causes it to oscillate at a particular frequency

Question 13

How can time period be calculated for a mass-spring system and a pendulum respectively

Answer 13

T = 2π√(m/K) - for a mass-spring system where m is mass, kg, and k is the spring constant, N/m.

T = 2π√(l/g) - for a pendulum where L is the string length, m, and g is the gravitational field strength, m/s^2.