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Which of the following does NOT describe a system that can undergo simple harmonic oscillator motion?

a) Mass attached to a spring

b) Pendulum

c) Mass sliding on a frictionless surface

d) Oscillating fan

User Gre Hahn
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

A mass sliding on a frictionless surface does not describe a system that can undergo simple harmonic motion because it lacks a restoring force to induce oscillation.

Step-by-step explanation:

The option that does NOT describe a system that can undergo simple harmonic oscillator motion is c) Mass sliding on a frictionless surface. Simple harmonic motion is characterized by a restoring force that is proportional to the displacement and directed towards an equilibrium position. Systems that exhibit simple harmonic motion include a mass attached to a spring and a pendulum, as both have identifiable restoring forces (spring force and gravitational force respectively). However, a mass sliding on a frictionless surface does not experience a restoring force that would cause it to oscillate about an equilibrium position. An oscillating fan might not seem like a traditional simple harmonic oscillator, but it can mirror such motion if we are concerned only the back-and-forth movement of the blades; although real-world friction and drag forces would dampen this motion over time.

User Sachin Dubey
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