Final answer:
The period of oscillation when the bucket is half full is 1.03 s. The rate at which the period is changing with respect to time is 2.00 g/s. The period is getting shorter as the mass of the system decreases.
Step-by-step explanation:
Part A:
When the bucket is half full, the mass of water in it is 12.0 kg / 2 = 6.0 kg.
The effective mass of the system is the sum of the mass of the bucket and the mass of the water, which is 2.50 kg + 6.0 kg = 8.50 kg.
The period of oscillation can be calculated using the formula:
T = 2π√(m/k)
Where T is the period, m is the effective mass of the system, and k is the force constant of the spring.
T = 2π√(8.50 kg / 450 N/m) = 1.03 s
Part B:
To find the rate at which the period is changing concerning time, we need to find the derivative of the period concerning time.
The rate at which the period is changing concerning time is equal to the rate at which the effective mass is changing concerning time.
Since water is leaking out of the bucket at a steady rate of 2.00 g/s, the rate at which the effective mass is changing is also 2.00 g/s.
Part C:
The period is getting shorter as the mass of the system decreases due to the water leaking out of the bucket.
Part D:
The shortest period this system can have is when the bucket is empty and the effective mass of the system is equal to the mass of the bucket, which is 2.50 kg. Using the same formula as in part A, the period can be calculated as:
T = 2π√(2.50 kg / 450 N/m) = 0.31 s