In a simple harmonic oscillator, if the mass is increased while keeping the spri

Practice Questions

Q1
In a simple harmonic oscillator, if the mass is increased while keeping the spring constant the same, what happens to the period?
  1. Increases
  2. Decreases
  3. Remains the same
  4. Doubles

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

In a simple harmonic oscillator, if the mass is increased while keeping the spring constant the same, what happens to the period?
  • Step 1: Understand what a simple harmonic oscillator is. It consists of a mass attached to a spring that moves back and forth.
  • Step 2: Know the formula for the period (T) of a simple harmonic oscillator: T = 2π√(m/k), where m is the mass and k is the spring constant.
  • Step 3: Identify that in this question, the spring constant (k) remains the same while the mass (m) is increased.
  • Step 4: Recognize that increasing the mass (m) will affect the value inside the square root in the formula.
  • Step 5: Realize that as mass (m) increases, the value of √(m/k) also increases because k is constant.
  • Step 6: Conclude that since T is directly proportional to √(m/k), an increase in mass (m) will lead to an increase in the period (T).
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