Simple Harmonic Motion
The time for one complete cycle of an oscillation.
What is the period?
In a spring‑block system, the restoring force is given by this law.
What is Hooke's law?
At maximum displacement, all mechanical energy is in this form.
What is potential energy?
For a simple pendulum with small swings, the period depends on length and this acceleration.
What is g (acceleration due to gravity)?
This force, often proportional to velocity, gradually reduces the amplitude of an oscillator.
What is a damping force?
The number of oscillations per second, measured in hertz.
What is the frequency?
In SHM, acceleration is proportional to displacement and this sign.
What is negative (or opposite sign)?
At the equilibrium point, all mechanical energy is in this form.
What is kinetic energy?
A swinging apple on a long thread is an example of this kind of pendulum.
What is a simple pendulum?
When an external driving frequency equals the natural frequency, the amplitude can become very large; this phenomenon is called.
What is resonance?
In SHM, the maximum displacement from equilibrium.
What is the amplitude?
The hallmark equation for SHM: a = – (this) · x.
What is ω²?
The total mechanical energy of an undamped SHM oscillator is constant and equals ½ k times this squared.
What is amplitude?
If you quadruple the length of a simple pendulum, the period does this.
What is doubles?
In damped SHM, the mechanical energy decreases with time according to this type of mathematical function.
What is an exponential decay?
The argument of the cosine in the SHM displacement function, ωt + φ.
What is the phase?
A stiffer spring (larger k) makes the oscillation frequency do this.
What is increase?
When displacement is half the amplitude, this fraction of total energy is kinetic (common result: 3/4).
What is three‑quarters?
A pendulum whose mass is not concentrated at a single point is called this.
What is a physical pendulum?
If damping is small, the angular frequency of a damped oscillator is approximately equal to this undamped value.
What is ω (the natural angular frequency)?
The constant φ in x = x_m cos(ωt + φ), which determines where the object is at t = 0.
What is the phase constant (or phase angle)?
For a linear oscillator, angular frequency ω equals the square root of k divided by this.
What is mass (m)?
The sum of kinetic and potential energy in an undamped oscillator is called this.
What is mechanical energy (or total energy)?
The torsion constant κ plays the role of this quantity in the angular version of Hooke's law.
What is the spring constant (k)?
Resonance occurs when the driving angular frequency ω_d equals this frequency of the system.
What is the natural angular frequency?