In a harmonic oscillator, if the mass is doubled while keeping the spring consta

Practice Questions

Q1
In a harmonic oscillator, if the mass is doubled while keeping the spring constant the same, how does the frequency change? (2021)
  1. Increases
  2. Decreases
  3. Remains the same
  4. Becomes zero

Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions

In a harmonic oscillator, if the mass is doubled while keeping the spring constant the same, how does the frequency change? (2021)
  • Step 1: Understand the formula for frequency of a harmonic oscillator, which is f = (1/2π)√(k/m).
  • Step 2: Identify the variables in the formula: f is frequency, k is the spring constant, and m is the mass.
  • Step 3: Note that in this scenario, the spring constant (k) remains the same.
  • Step 4: Recognize that if the mass (m) is doubled, we replace m with 2m in the formula.
  • Step 5: Substitute 2m into the frequency formula: f = (1/2π)√(k/(2m)).
  • Step 6: Simplify the equation: f = (1/2π)√(k/2m) = (1/2) * (1/2π)√(k/m).
  • Step 7: Conclude that the new frequency is (1/√2) times the original frequency, which means the frequency decreases.
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