Chapter 9 Review Questions
Answers and Explanations can be found in Chapter 13.
Section I: Multiple-Choice
1. Which of the following are characteristics of simple harmonic
motion? Select two answers.
(A) The acceleration is constant.
(B) The restoring force is proportional to the displacement.
(C) The frequency is independent of the amplitude.
(D) The period is dependent on the amplitude.
2. A block attached to an ideal spring undergoes simple harmonic
motion. The acceleration of the block has its maximum magnitude at
the point where
(A) the speed is the maximum
(B) the speed is the minimum
(C) the restoring force is the minimum
(D) the kinetic energy is the maximum
3. A block attached to an ideal spring undergoes simple harmonic
motion about its equilibrium position (x = 0) with amplitude A. What
fraction of the total energy is in the form of kinetic energy when the
block is at position x = A ?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
4. A student measures the maximum speed of a block undergoing
simple harmonic oscillations of amplitude A on the end of an ideal
spring. If the block is replaced by one with twice its mass but the
amplitude of its oscillations remains the same, then the maximum
speed of the block will
(A) decrease by a factor of 4
(B) decrease by a factor of 2
(C) decrease by a factor of
(D) increase by a factor of 2
5. A spring–block simple harmonic oscillator is set up so that the
oscillations are vertical. The period of the motion is T. If the spring
and block are taken to the surface of the Moon, where the
gravitational acceleration is 1/6 of its value here, then the vertical
oscillations will have a period of
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D) T
6. A linear spring of force constant k is used in a physics lab
experiment. A block of mass m is attached to the spring and the
resulting frequency, f, of the simple harmonic oscillations is
measured. Blocks of various masses are used in different trials, and
in each case, the corresponding frequency is measured and recorded.
If f2 is plotted versus 1/m, the graph will be a straight line with slope
(A)
(B)
(C) 4π2k
(D)
7. A simple pendulum swings about the vertical equilibrium position
with a maximum angular displacement of 5° and period T. If the
same pendulum is given a maximum angular displacement of 10°,
then which of the following best gives the period of the oscillations?
(A)
(B)
(C) T
(D) 2T
8. A block with a mass of 20 kg is attached to a spring with a force
constant k = 50 N/m. What is the magnitude of the acceleration of
the block when the spring is stretched 4 m from its equilibrium
position?
(A) 4 m/s2
(B) 6 m/s2
(C) 8 m/s2
(D) 10 m/s2
9. A block with a mass of 10 kg connected to a spring oscillates back and
forth with an amplitude of 2 m. What is the approximate period of
the block if it has a speed of 4 m/s when it passes through its
equilibrium point?
(A) 1 s
(B) 3 s
(C) 6 s
(D) 12 s
10. A block with a mass of 4 kg is attached to a spring on the wall that
oscillates back and forth with a frequency of 4 Hz and an amplitude
of 3 m. What would the frequency be if the block were replaced by
one with one-fourth the mass and the amplitude of the block is
increased to 9 m ?
(A) 4 Hz
(B) 8 Hz
(C) 12 Hz
(D) 24 Hz
Section II: Free-Response
1. The figure below shows a block of mass m (Block 1) that is attached to one
end of an ideal spring of force constant k and natural length L. The block is
pushed so that it compresses the spring to 3/4 of its natural length and is
then released from rest. Just as the spring has extended to its natural length
L, the attached block collides with another block (also of mass m) at rest on
the edge of the frictionless table. When Block 1 collides with Block 2, half of
its kinetic energy is lost to heat; the other half of Block 1’s kinetic energy at
impact is divided between Block 1 and Block 2. The collision sends Block 2
over the edge of the table, where it falls a vertical distance H, landing at a
horizontal distance R from the edge.
(a) What is the acceleration of Block 1 at the moment it’s released from
rest from its initial position? Write your answer in terms of k, L, and m.
(b) If v1 is the velocity of Block 1 just before impact, show that the velocity
of Block 1 just after impact is v1.
(c) Determine the amplitude of the oscillations of Block 1 after Block 2 has
left the table. Write your answer in terms of L only.
(d) Determine the period of the oscillations of Block 1 after the collision,
writing your answer in terms of T0, the period of the oscillations that
Block 1 would have had if it did not collide with Block 2.
(e) Find an expression for R in terms of H, k, L, m, and g.
2. A bullet of mass m is fired from a non-lethal pellet gun horizontally with
speed v into a block of mass M initially at rest, at the end of an ideal spring
on a frictionless table. At the moment the bullet hits, the spring is at its
natural length, L. The bullet becomes embedded in the block, and simple
harmonic oscillations result.
(a) Determine the speed of the block immediately after the impact by the
bullet.
(b) Determine the amplitude of the resulting oscillations of the block.
(c) Compute the frequency of the resulting oscillations.
3. A block of mass M oscillating with amplitude A on a frictionless horizontal
table is connected to an ideal spring of force constant k. The period of its
oscillations is T. At the moment when the block is at position x = A and
moving to the right, a ball of clay of mass m dropped from above lands on
the block.
(a) What is the velocity of the block just before the clay hits?
(b) What is the velocity of the block just after the clay hits?
(c) What is the new period of the oscillations of the block?
(d) What is the new amplitude of the oscillations? Write your answer in
terms of A, k, M, and m.
(e) Would the answer to part (c) be different if the clay had landed on the
block when it was at a different position? Support your answer briefly.
(f) Would the answer to part (d) be different if the clay had landed on the
block when it was at a different position? Support your answer briefly.
