Chapter Questions Oscillations

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.

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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

(A) The acceleration is constant.

2. A block attached to an ideal spring undergoes simple

(A) the speed 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

4. A student measures the maximum speed of a block

(A) decrease by a factor of 4

5. A spring-block simple harmonic oscillator is set up so

6. A linear spring of force constant k is used in a physics

7. A simple pendulum swings about the vertical

8. A block with a mass of 20 kg is attached to a spring

9. A block with a mass of 10 kg connected to a spring

10. A block with a mass of 4 kg is attached to a spring on

Section II: Free Response

1. The ﬁgure below shows a block of mass m (Block 1)

(a) What is the acceleration of Block 1 at the moment

(c) Determine the amplitude of the oscillations of Block

(d) Determine the period of the oscillations of Block 1

(e) Find an expression for R in terms of H, k, L, m, and

2. A bullet of mass m is ﬁred from a non-lethal pellet gun

(a) Determine the speed of the block immediately after

(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

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

(c) What is the new period of the oscillations of the

(d) What is the new amplitude of the oscillations? Write

(f) Would the answer to part (d) be diﬀerent if the clay

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