Exam

Name___________________________________

MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.

1) The figure shows a graph of the position x as a function of time t for a system undergoing simple 1)
harmonic motion. Which one of the following graphs represents the velocity of this system as a
function of time?

A) graph a B) graph b C) graph c D) graph d

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2) The figure shows a graph of the velocity v as a function of time t for a system undergoing simple 2)
harmonic motion. Which one of the following graphs represents the acceleration of this system
as a function of time?

A) graph a B) graph b C) graph c D) graph d

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3) The figure shows a graph of the position x as a function of time t for a system undergoing simple 3)
harmonic motion. Which one of the following graphs represents the acceleration of this system
as a function of time?

A) graph a B) graph b C) graph c D) graph d

4) An object attached to an ideal spring executes simple harmonic motion. If you want to double its 4)
total energy, you could
A) double both the amplitude and force constant (spring constant).
B) double the mass.
C) double both the mass and amplitude of vibration.
D) double the force constant (spring constant) of the spring.
E) double the amplitude of vibration.

5) An object that hangs from the ceiling of a stationary elevator by an ideal spring oscillates with a 5)
period T. If the elevator accelerates upward with acceleration 2g, what will be the period of
oscillation of the object?
A) T/2 B) 4T C) T D) T/4 E) 2T

6) A mass on a spring undergoes SHM. When the mass is at its maximum distance from the 6)
equilibrium position, which of the following statements about it are true? (There could be more
than one correct choice.)
A) Its elastic potential energy is zero.
B) Its speed is zero.
C) Its acceleration is zero.
D) Its total mechanical energy is zero.
E) Its kinetic energy is a maximum.

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 7) A ball swinging at the end of a massless string, as shown in the figure, undergoes simple 7)
harmonic motion. At what point (or points) is the magnitude of the instantaneous acceleration of
the ball the greatest?

A) A and D B) A and C C) B D) A and B E) C

8) Identical balls oscillate with the same period T on Earth. Ball A is attached to an ideal spring and 8)
ball B swings back and forth to form a simple pendulum. These systems are now taken to the
Moon, where g = 1.6 m/s 2, and set into oscillation. Which of the following statements about
these systems are true? (There could be more than one correct choice.)
A) On the Moon, ball A will execute more vibrations each minute than ball B.
B) On the Moon, ball A will take longer to complete one cycle than ball B.
C) On the Moon, ball B will take longer to complete one cycle than ball A.
D) Both systems will have the same period on the Moon as on Earth.
E) On the Moon, ball B will execute more vibrations each minute than ball A.

9) A pendulum of length L is suspended from the ceiling of an elevator. When the elevator is at rest 9)
the period of the pendulum is T. How does the period of the pendulum change when the
elevator moves upward with constant acceleration?
A) The period increases if the upward acceleration is more than g/2 but decreases if the
upward acceleration is less than g/2.
B) The period increases.
C) The period becomes zero.
D) The period decreases.
E) The period does not change.

10) A pendulum of length L is suspended from the ceiling of an elevator. When the elevator is at rest 10)
the period of the pendulum is T. How does the period of the pendulum change when the
elevator moves upward with constant velocity?
A) The period does not change.
B) The period decreases.
C) The period becomes zero.
D) The period increases.
E) The period increases if the upward acceleration is more than g/2 but decreases if the
upward acceleration is less than g/2.

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11) A simple pendulum and a mass oscillating on an ideal spring both have period T in an elevator 11)
at rest. If the elevator now accelerates downward uniformly at 2 m/s2, what is true about the
periods of these two systems?
A) The period of the pendulum would decrease but the period of the spring would stay the
same.
B) Both periods would decrease.
C) Both periods would remain the same.
D) Both periods would increase.
E) The period of the pendulum would increase but the period of the spring would stay the
same.

12) A pendulum of length L is suspended from the ceiling of an elevator. When the elevator is at rest 12)
the period of the pendulum is T. How would the period of the pendulum change if the
supporting chain were to break, putting the elevator into freefall?
A) The period does not change.
B) The period decreases slightly.
C) The period becomes infinite because the pendulum would not swing.
D) The period increases slightly.
E) The period becomes zero.

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Answer Key
Testname: UNTITLED1

1) B
2) B
3) A
4) D
5) C
6) B
7) A
8) A, C
9) D
10) A
11) E
12) C