SUBJECTIVE

QUESTIONS
SIMPLE
HARMONIC
MOTION

QB-08-P-1

EASY QUESTIONS
E
4.

4.

Find the time period of the motion of the particle shown

in figure.(Neglect the small effect of the bend near the
bottom)

T 2t1 2t 2

2h
2h

2
g sin 1
g sin 2 2

2h 1
1

= 35 sec

g sin 1 sin 2

(c)

E
2.

2.

A light spring S is attached to a wall as shown. The

spring constant k is 400 N/m. The mass m = 200
grams shown in the figure initially moves to the left at
a speed of 8.0 m/s. It strikes the spring and becomes
attached to it. (a) How far does it compress the
spring? (b) The system then oscillates back and forth.
What is the amplitude of oscillation? The floor can be
assumed to be smooth.
0.179 m; 0.179 m

E
3.
3.

A 20 kg electric motor is mounted on four vertical springs each having a spring constant of
3000 N/m. Find the period with which the motor vibrates vertically.
0.257 s

E
4.

Two masses m1 and m2 are suspended together by a

massless spring of spring constant k. When the masses
are in equilibrium, m1 is removed without disturbing the
system. Find the angular frequency and amplitude of
oscillation of m2.
m2
m1

4.

k
; m1 g/k
m2

E
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6.

6.

A particle is moving in SIMPLE

a straightHARMONIC
line with simple
harmonic motion of amplitude
a. At a
QB-08-P-2
MOTION
distance S from the centre of motion, the particle receives a blow in the direction of motion,
which instantaneously doubles the velocity. Find the new amplitude.
4a 2 3S 2

E
8.

Prove that in a simple harmonic motion, if f be the acceleration, v, the velocity at any
moment and T the periodic time, then f 2 T2 + 42 v2 is a constant.

E
10.

A particle moving in a straight line has velocity v given by v2 = x2, where and are
constants and x is its distance from a fixed point in the line. Show that the motion of the
particle is simple harmonic and determine its period and amplitude.

10.

;A

E
3.

A point moving in a straight line with SHM has velocities v1 and v2 when its displacements
from the mean position are x1 and x2 respectively. Show that the time period is

x12 x22
.
v 22 v12

E
4.

The spring has a force constant k. The pulley is light

and smooth while the spring and the string are light.
If the block of mass m is slightly displaced vertically
and released, find the period of vertical oscillation.

m
4.

4 m/k

E
6.

6.

A body moving in a straight line OAB with simple harmonic motion has zero velocity when
at the points A and B whose distances from O are a and b respectively, and has velocity
v when half way between them. Find the period of the simple harmonic motion.
(b a )
v

MODERATE QUESTIONS

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1.

1.

HARMONIC
Determine the period SIMPLE
of oscillation
of MOTION
a mass of 200 g of mercury poured
into a bent tube whose right arm forms
an angle of = 30 with the vertical. Crosssectional area of tube = 0.5 cm2.

QB-08-P-3

0.8 s

M
5.
5.

A light wooden rod fixed at one end is kept horizontal. A load of 0.4 kg tied to the free end
of the rod causes that end to be depressed by 2.8 cm. If this load is set into up and down
vibrations, with what frequency will it oscillate?
2.98 Hz

M
7.

A horizontal board is made to perform simple harmonic motion horizontally moving to and
fro through a distance of 20 cm and making 15 complete oscillations per minute. Find the
least value of the coefficient of friction in order that a heavy body placed on the shelf may
not slip.

7.

2
0.025
40g

M
9.

A horizontal shelf moves vertically with simple harmonic motion whose complete period is
T seconds. Show that the greatest amplitude that it can have so that objects resting on the
shelf may always remain in contact with it is gT2/42.

M
1.

1.

A particle moving with SHM in a straight line has a speed of 6 m/s when 4 m from the
centre of oscillations and a speed of 8 m/s when 3 m from the centre. Find the amplitude of
oscillation and the shortest time taken by the particle in moving from the extreme position
to a point midway between the position and the centre.

5m ;
6

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2.

2.

SIMPLE
HARMONIC
A small mass m is fastened
to a vertical
wire, MOTION
which is
under tension T. What will be the natural frequency of
vibration of the mass if it is displaced laterally a slight
distance and then released?
T b c

m bc

1
2

QB-08-P-4

m
c

Hz

M
5.

A particle moves with simple harmonic motion in a straight line. In the first second after
starting from rest, it travels a distance a cm and in the next second it travels a distance
b cm in the same direction. Prove that the amplitude of the motion is 2a2/(3a b).

M
7.

A particle is performing simple harmonic motion of period T about a point O and it passes

through a point P, where OP = x, with velocity V in the direction OP

. Show that the time,
which elapses before, it returns to P again is

T
VT
tan1
.

2x

M
8.

A particle is hanging at one end of a light inextensible string and the upper end of the string
is made to move vertically up and down with a simple harmonic motion of amplitude 3
inches. Find the least period for which the string will never become slack.

8.

2
s
8

M
9.

A particle is attached to the midpoint of an elastic spring AB tightly stretched to tension T

between two fixed points A and B. If the particle is pulled slightly in a direction
perpendicular to AB and let go, show that the period of vibration is

ml
, where m is
T

the mass of the particle and l = AB.

M
10.
10.
M
1.

The vertical motion of a ship at sea is described by the equation x = 4x, where x (meter)
is the vertical height of the ship above its mean position. If it oscillates through a total
distance of 1 m, find the greatest vertical speed and the greatest vertical acceleration.
1 m/s; 2 m/s2
The average speed over a complete oscillation of a particle performing rectilinear simple
harmonic motion is 2 cm/s. If the particle attains this speed when it is at a point P whose
distance from the centre O is 4 cm, determine the amplitude and periodic time of the
motion, expressing your answers in terms of . Show also that the least time taken by the
particle to travel from O to P is given by

1.

4
2

cm,

8
2 4

4
2 4

sin 1

2 4

M
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3.

An elastic string of natural

lengthHARMONIC
2a can just MOTION
support a certain weight when it isQB-08-P-5
stretched
SIMPLE
till its whole length is 3a. One end of the string is now attached to a point on a smooth
horizontal table and the same weight is attached to the other end and can move on the
table. Prove that if the weight is pulled out to any distance and let go, the string will become
slack again after a time

a
.
g

is fixed to a point on
a
a smooth horizontal surface and the other end is attached to a particle of mass m lying on
the surface. The particle is pulled from the fixed point to a distance 2a and released. Find
the time for a complete oscillation of the particle.

4.

One end of an elastic string of natural length a and force constant

4.

2( 2)

am

M
5.

5.

A particle of mass m is attached to one end of a light elastic string of natural length a and
mg
force constant
. The other end of the string is attached to a fixed point X. If the particle
a
is released from rest at X, find the maximum speed of the particle and the time that elapses
before it returns to X.

a
1
cos 1
3ga ,2
2

g
3

M
mg
is attached by one end to a
a
fixed point X on a smooth horizontal table. It passes through a small smooth ring Y fixed to
the table so that XY = a and the other end is attached to a bead of mass m/2 which slides
on a smooth rail on the table, the rail being perpendicular to XY at a distance 2a from X. If
the bead is displaced along the rail, show that it will execute SHM and find its period.

6.

An elastic string of natural length a and force constant

6.

2a
g

M
7.

7.

A string of natural length 2a and force constant k is stretched between two fixed points A
and B on a smooth horizontal table such that AB = 3a. A mass m attached to the midpoint
of the string makes small oscillations in a horizontal line perpendicular to AB. Find the
frequency of these oscillations.
1 k
3m

M
9.

The pulley of radius r shown in Figure has a moment

of inertia I about its axis and mass m. Find the time
period of vertical oscillations of its centre of mass.
The spring has spring constant k and the string does
not slip over pulley.

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9.

2 m
r

2
4k

QB-08-P-6

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

M
10.

10.

Find the frequency of small oscillations of a thin

uniform vertical rod of mass m and length l hinged at
the point O. The combined stiffness of the spring is
equal to k. The mass of the spring is negligible.

1
2

3g
3k

2l
m

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QB-08-P-7

SIMPLE
HARMONIC
MOTION
DIFFICULT
QUESTIONS
D
2.

2.

ABCD is a horizontal square plate of diagonal 2b. A particle of mass m rests on the plate
and is joined to each corner by elastic strings of natural length l and force constant k, which
remain constant throughout the motion. The particle is initially at the centre of the square
and is then drawn aside along the diagonal CA towards A by a small distance and then
released. Show that the subsequent motion of the particle is approximately simple
harmonic along the diagonal and find the time period.
mb
2
2k ( 2b )

D
8.

8.

A spherical ball of mass m and radius r rolls

without slipping in a rough concave surface of
large radius R. It makes small oscillations about
the lowest point. Find the time period.

7(R r )
5g

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