ASSIGNMENT ON WAVES AND VIBRATIONS

1. A particle moving with simple harmonic motion passes through points P and Q with the
same velocity. Having taken 2s in passing from P to Q, it returns to Q after another 2s. The
time period is
(a) 2
(b) 4
(c) 6
(d) 8

𝑑2𝑦
2. The angular frequency of motion whose equation is 4 + 9𝑦 = 0 is
𝑑𝑥 2

(a) 9/4
(b) 4/9
(c) 3/2
(d) 2/3

2𝜋𝑡
3. The equation of a wave is given by 𝑦 = 10 sin ( + 𝛼). If the displacement is 5cm at t=0,
30
then the total phase at t = 7.5 sec will be:

2𝜋 𝜋 2𝜋
(a) 𝑟𝑎𝑑 (b) 𝑟𝑎𝑑 (c) 𝜋 (d) 𝑟𝑎𝑑
3 2 5

4. When a harmonic wave is propagating through a medium, the displacement y of a particle in

2𝜋
that medium is 𝑦 = 10 sin (1800𝑡 − 𝑥). The time period will be
5

1 1
(a) 𝑠 (b) 𝑠 (c) 36 s (d) 360 s
360 36

5. A particle executes simple harmonic motion between x = - A and x = + A. The time taken
for it to go from 0 to A/2 is 𝑇1 and A/2 to A is 𝑇2 , then

(a) 𝑇1 < 𝑇2 (b) 𝑇1 > 𝑇2 (c) 𝑇1 = 𝑇2 (d) 𝑇1 = 2𝑇2

6. A particle , which is constrained to move along x – axis, is subjected to a force in the same
direction which varies with the distance x of the particle form the origin as 𝐹(𝑥) = −𝑘𝑥 +
𝑎𝑥 3 . Here k and a are positive constants. 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑥 ≥ 0, the functional form of the potential
energy U(x) of the particle is

7. A mass of 1 kg suspended from a spring whose force constant is 400 N/m, executes simple
harmonic oscillation. The total energy of the oscillator is 2J, the maximum acceleration
experienced by the mass will be

(a) 2𝑚/𝑠 2 (b) 4𝑚/𝑠 2 (c) 40 𝑚/𝑠 2 (d) 400 𝑚/𝑠 2

8. Two blocks each of mass m are connected to the ends of a massless rod of length 2l, which
is rotated in a horizontal plane about its vertical axis symmetry. The maximum frequency
with the system can be rotated without exceeding the breaking tension T for the rod is :

1 1 1 1
1 𝑇 2 1 𝑚𝑙 2 1 2𝑇 2 1 𝑇 2
(a) ( )
2𝜋 𝑚𝑙
(b) (
2𝜋 𝑇
) (c) (
2𝜋 𝑚𝑙
) (d) (
2𝜋 2𝑚𝑙
)

9. The period of oscillation of a mass, M suspended from a spring of negligible mass is T. If

along with it another mass M is also suspended the period of oscillation will now be
 𝑇
(a) T (b) (c) 2T (d) √2𝑇
√2

10.A spring of force – constant k is cut into two pieces such that one piece is double the length
of the other. The long piece will have a force constant of

(a) 0.67k (b) 1.5 k (c) 3k (d) 6k

11.In the case of suspension shown in the given figure , the ratio of time period of three Simple
Harmonic Oscillator will be :

1
(a) √2 ∶ 1 ∶
√2
1
(b) 2 ∶ 1 ∶
2
1
(c) ∶ 1 ∶ 2
2
1
(d) ∶ 1 ∶ √2
√2

12. An ideal spring with spring constant k is hung from the ceiling and a block of mass M is
attached to its lower end. The mass is released with the spring initially unstretched. Then the
maximum extension in the spring is

4𝑀𝑔 2𝑀𝑔 𝑀𝑔 𝑀𝑔
(a) (b) (c) (d)
𝑘 𝑘 𝑘 2𝑘
13.A simple pendulum attached to the ceiling of a stationary lift has a time period T. When the
𝑚
lift moves upward with distance covered as 𝑦 = (1 2 ) 𝑡 2 , the time period of the pendulum
𝑠
will be equal to

4 5 5 6
(a) √ 𝑇 (b) √ 𝑇 (c) √ 𝑇 (d) √ 𝑇
5 6 4 5

14.A simple pendulum of time period T is taken to a place where the value of g be 0.8% more
than the value of g on the earth surface, the percentage change in the time period of simple
pendulum is

(a) 0.1% (b) 0.2% (c) 0.3% (d) 0.4%

15.A mass m attached to a spring is oscillating in water. If the spring constant is k and frictional
force is 𝑅𝜓̇, then which of the following is correct?

(a) 𝑚𝜓̈ = 𝑅𝜓̇ + 𝑘𝜓

(b) 𝑚𝜓̈ = 𝑅𝜓̇ − 𝑘𝜓
(c) 𝑚𝜓̈ = − 𝑅𝜓̇ + 𝑘𝜓
(d) 𝑚𝜓̈ = − 𝑅𝜓̇ − 𝑘𝜓

16. Which of the figure(s) represent(s)

damped harmonic oscillator?

(a) Figure 1 alone

(b) Figure 2 alone
(c) Figure 4 alone
(d) Figure 3 and 4
17. A spring oscillating in water is acted upon by an external force 𝐵𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜔𝑡. With the passage of
time the frequency of the spring tends to be

(a) Greater than 𝜔

(b) Less than 𝜔
(c) Equal to 𝜔
(d) Decreasing exponentially

18.A damped simple harmonic oscillator of frequency 𝑓1 is constantly driven by an external

periodic force of frequency 𝑓2 At steady state the oscillator frequency will be

𝑓1 +𝑓2
(a) 𝑓1 (b) 𝑓2 (c) 𝑓1 + 𝑓2 (d)
2

19.In the case of forced simple harmonic vibrations, the body generally vibrates with

(a) Its natural frequency of vibration and its amplitude is small

(b) Its natural frequency of vibration and amplitude is large
(c) The frequency of the external force with a small amplitude
(d) The frequency of the external force with large amplitude

20.The four curves shown in the given figure represent the variation of amplitude (A) with
driving frequency (𝜔) for different values of damping constants. The curve which represents
zero damping constant is

(a) W
(b) X
(c) Y
(d) Z
21. The graph shown, the average power 𝑃𝑎𝑣
against the frequency of the driving force
acting on an oscillator. Consider the
following statements
(i) The sharpness of the peak at
resonance is determined by the
damping constant.
(ii) The sharpness of the resonance is
𝜔 −𝜔
defined by 2 1
𝜔0
(iii) The peak occurs at the frequency of velocity resonance when the power absorbed by
the oscillator from the driving force is maximum.
Which of these statements are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 1 and 3
(d) 1, 2 and 3

22.The maximum amplitude in the case of a forced oscillator occurs at the

(a) A natural frequency of the oscillator

(b) The frequency of the force
(c) Frequency greater than the natural frequency of the oscillator
(d) Frequency less than the natural frequency of the oscillator.

23.The frequency response curve of a damped forced oscillator will be of the form (R =
amplitude and 𝜈𝑅 = frequency)
 2𝜋𝑥 2𝜋𝑥
24. When two waves 𝑦1 = 𝐴 sin( − 𝜔𝑡) and 𝑦2 = 𝐵 sin ( − 𝜔𝑡 ) interfere, the
𝜆 𝜆
amplitude of the resulting wave is

(a) |𝐴 + 𝐵|
1
(b) |𝐴2 − 𝐵2 |2
1
(c) |𝐴2 + 𝐵2 |2
(d) None of these

25.The amplitude of the vibrating particle due to superposition of 2 SHMs 𝑦1 =

𝜋
sin (𝜔𝑡 + ) and 𝑦2 = sin 𝜔𝑡 is:
3

(a) 1 (b) 1.414 (c) 1.732 (d) 2

26. Two travelling waves 𝑦1 = 0.65 sin(0.4𝑥 − 800𝑡) and 𝑦2 = −0.65 sin(0.4𝑥 − 800𝑡) are
suspended in a medium. For the resultant wave at the point 𝑥 = 2.5𝜋 m, the maximum
displacement will be

(a) 0 (b) 1.3 m (c) 0.65 m (d) 0.91 m

27.A particle of mass m describes an elliptical orbit. The motion can be shown to the sum of
two simple harmonic motions at right angles to each other having

(a) The same frequency but different amplitudes

(b) The same frequency and same amplitude
(c) Different frequencies and different amplitudes
(d) Different frequencies but same amplitudes

28.Two harmonic vibrations𝑥 = 𝑎 sin(𝜔𝑡 + 𝜙) and 𝑦 = 𝑏 sin 𝜔𝑡 represents the displacement

𝜋
of a particle along x and y axis respectively. If 𝜙 = , then the trajectory of the particle will
2
be

(a) Ellipse (b) straight line with positive slope (c) circle (d) parabola
 𝜋
29.Two simple harmonic waves of the same amplitudes and frequency differ by a phase .
2
When they are fed simultaneously to the X and Y plates of CRO, the screen would display
the trace of

(a) Circle (b) ellipse (c) an straight line (d) a square

30.Lissajous figure shown in the diagram corresponds to which of the following?

𝜋
(a) Phase difference and period 1:1
4
𝜋
(b) Phase difference and period 1:1
2
3𝜋
(c) Phase difference and period 1:1
4
(d) Phase difference 𝜋 and period 1:1

𝑥
31.A transverse wave is described by the equation 𝑦 = 𝑦0 sin 2𝜋 (𝑓𝑡 − ). The maximum
𝜆
particle velocity is equal to the four times the wave velocity if

𝑦0 𝑦0
(a) 𝜆 = 𝜋 (b) 𝜆 = 𝜋 (c) 𝜆 = 𝜋𝑦0 (d) 𝜆 = 2𝜋𝑦0
4 2

32.The vibration of a string can be described by the equation

2𝜋
𝑦 = (0.75 𝑐𝑚) {cos ( ) 𝑥} sin{(60𝜋𝑡 )}
5
The speed of the waves travelling in the string is

(a) 24 cm/s 9b) 0.3 cm/s (c) 450 cm/s (d) 150 cm/s
33.A plane progressive wave is travelling with wave vector 𝑘 ⃗ ; 𝑛̂ is the unit vector in the
direction of amplitude. If the wave is longitudinal which one of the following is correct ?

⃗
(a) 𝑛̂ × 𝑘 ≠0 ⃗
⃗ ; 𝑛̂. 𝑘 =0
⃗
(b) 𝑛̂ × 𝑘 = ⃗0; 𝑛̂. 𝑘⃗ =0
⃗
(c) 𝑛̂ × 𝑘 = ⃗0; 𝑛̂. 𝑘⃗ ≠0
⃗
(d) 𝑛̂ × 𝑘 ≠ ⃗0; 𝑛̂. 𝑘⃗ ≠ 0

34.An open pipe is suddenly closed at one end with the result that the frequency of second
harmonic of the closed pipe is found to be higher by 100 Hz than the fundamental frequency
of the open pipe. The fundamental frequency of the open pipe is

(a) 200 Hz (b) 300 Hz (c) 240 Hz (d) 480 Hz

35.An organ pipe 𝑃1 closed at one end vibrating in its first harmonic and another pipe 𝑃2 open
at both ends vibrating in its third harmonic are in resonance with given tuning fork. The ratio
of the length of 𝑃1 to that of pipe 𝑃2 is

(a) 8/3 (b) 3/8 (c) 1/6 (d) 1/3

36.The extension in a string, obeying Hooke’s law, is x. The speed of sound in the stretched
string is v. If the extension in the string is increased by 1.5x, the speed of sound will be

(a) 1.22v (b) 0.61v (c) 1.5v 0.75v

37.Two vibrating strings of the same material but lengths L and 2L have their radii 2r and r
respectively. They are stretched under the same tension. Both the strings vibrate in their
fundamental nodes, one of length L with frequency 𝑓1 and another with frequency 𝑓2 . The
𝑓1
ratio is given by
𝑓2

(a) 2 (b) 4 (c) 8 (d) 1

38.If the dispersion relation for EM waves of a wave vector 𝑘 ⃗ in the ionosphere is 𝜔2 = 𝜔02 +
𝑐 2 𝑘 2 , then the relation between phase velocity 𝑣𝑝 and group velocity 𝑣𝑔 is

(a) 𝑣𝑔 = 𝑐 2 𝑣𝑝
(b) 𝑣𝑝 = 𝑐 2 𝑣𝑔
(c) 𝑣𝑝 𝑣𝑔 = 𝑐 2
(d) 𝑣𝑝 − 𝑣𝑔 = 𝑐 2

1
39.If waves in an ocean travels with a phase velocity 𝑣𝑝 = 𝐴𝜆−2 , then the group velocity 𝑣𝑔 of
the wave packet of these waves are

3
(a) 𝑣𝑔 = ( ) 𝑣𝑝
2
5
(b) 𝑣𝑔 = 𝑣𝑝
2
2
(c) 𝑣𝑔 = 𝑣𝑝
3
2
(d) 𝑣𝑔 = 𝑣𝑝
5

40.One end of a string is connected to an electrically maintained vibrating bar while the other
end is made to pass over a frictionless pulley. The free end is then loaded so that the string is
under tension 𝑇1 . The string vibrates in 𝑥1 segments as the bar vibrates in transverse mode.
If the tension is changed to 𝑇2 the string vibrates in 𝑥2 segments. Then

(a) 𝑥1 √𝑇1 = 𝑥2 √𝑇2

(b) 𝑥2 √𝑇1 = 𝑥1 √𝑇1
(c) 𝑇1 √𝑥2 = 𝑇2 √𝑥1
(d) 𝑇1 √𝑥1 = 𝑇2 √𝑥2