Models of Motion – Spring, 2014-15
Physics Quiz 1 on Week 21 Material
Name:______________________________________________
1) Box A has mass m and is attached to a spring of constant k, undergoing simple harmonic motion. Box B also has
identical mass m and is attached to 2 identical springs also of constant k as shown, also undergoing simple harmonic
motion. Box C also has mass m and is attached to 2 identical springs, also of constant k, but in a different
configuration as shown, also undergoing simple harmonic motion.
A
B
C
Rank, from smallest to largest, the angular frequency of oscillation of each box. Indicate any ties with an equal sign.
Smallest
Largest
2) A simple pendulum with mass 0.500 kg has length 1.00 m.
a) Determine the period of the pendulum for small swings near the surface of the earth.
b) If you were to increase the mass to 0.750 kg but keep everything the same, what would happen to the period of the
pendulum compared to part a)?
increase
remain the same
decrease
not enough information
c) Return to the original pendulum, but go to the surface of the moon. What would happen to the period of the
pendulum compared to part a)?
increase
remain the same
decrease
not enough information
3) A 0.040 kg mass is attached to a vertical spring and lowered slowly until it rests at a new equilibrium position, which
is 0.098 m below the spring’s original equilibrium unstretched length.
a) The system is then set into simple harmonic motion with amplitude 0.0245 m. What is the angular frequency of the
motion?
b) The system brought to rest, and then set into simple harmonic motion again, this time with amplitude 0.049 m.
What happens to the angular frequency of the motion compared to part b)?
increases
remains the same
decreases
not enough information
4) A horizontal-spring mass system (𝑚𝑚 = 0.250 kg) undergoes simple harmonic motion described by
where 𝑥𝑥 is in meters when 𝑡𝑡 is in seconds.
𝑥𝑥(𝑡𝑡) = 0.6 cos(3𝑡𝑡),
a) Write down and/or calculate the amplitude, angular frequency, and period of this motion. Include appropriate units.
b) Determine the maximum speed of the mass.
c) At what time 𝑡𝑡 > 0 does the mass first reach its maximum speed?
d) Determine the total energy.