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A mass on a spring vibrates in simple harmonic motion at a frequency of 4.0 Hz and an amplitude of 4.0cm. If a timer is started when it's displacement is a maximum (hence x=4cm when t=0), what is the speed of the mass when t=3s ?

User Delehef
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1 Answer

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Since the frequency is 4 Hz, it completes one cycle in 1/4 seconds (its period, T, is 1/4 sec).

f = 1/T

Let's draw a graph of the displacement of the mass along time.

This pattern repeats, with each crest (high point) at every 1/4 second. This means that at t = 3, which is a multiple of 1/4, the mass is at its high point.

Notice that when the spring reaches its high or low point, it changes direction.

At this instant when it changes direction, its speed momentarily becomes 0.

That means that each multiple of 1/8 seconds, the speed is momentarily 0.

The speed of the mass is 0 at t = 3.

A mass on a spring vibrates in simple harmonic motion at a frequency of 4.0 Hz and-example-1