Problems for Module 3, Physics 2, Mechanical Oscillations and Waves

1) Mention two familiar harmonic oscillators and establish the formulae for their periods.
2) Give a definition of physical pendulum and establish the formula for the period of its harmonic oscillation.
3) Show that the total mechanical energy of a simple harmonic oscillator is a constant of motion and is
proportional to the square of the amplitude.
4) Why is the real oscillation of any oscillating system damped? Write the equation of position as a function of
time for a damped oscillation and the corresponding formula for angular frequency. Give an example of damped
oscillations.
5) Write the formula for the amplitude of a compulsory oscillation. What is the Q factor? Give the formula for
it.
6) What is the resonant phenomenon? Explain how it occurs.
7) Give a definition of mechanical wave. How to distinguish between transverse and longitudinal waves? Give
some examples.
8) What is a sound wave? How does this wave propagate? What are the main factors affecting the speed of
sound waves.
9) Give definitions of sound intensity and sound level and write the corresponding formulae (if any).
10) Describe three basic properties of sound waves.
11) Give the statement of the superposition principle and apply this principle to explain constructive and
destructive types of wave interference.
12) A body oscillates in SHM according to the equation

x = 5.0 cos(0.40 t + 0.10) (m)

where each term is measured in SI units. What are

(a) the amplitude,
(b) the frequency and period,
(c) the initial phase at t = 0, and
(d) the displacement at t = 2.0 s?
Ans.: (a) 5.0 m; (b) 0.064 Hz, 16 s; (c) 0.10 rad (d) 3.1 m

13) A spring is hanging from a support without any object attached to it and its length is 500 mm. An object of
mass 250 g is attached to the end of the spring. The length of the spring is now 850 mm. Given g = 9.8 m/s2.
(a) What is the spring constant?
The spring is pulled down 120 mm and then released from rest.
(b) What is the oscillation’s amplitude?
(c) What are the natural frequency of oscillation and period of motion?
(d) Describe the motion on the object attached to the end of the spring.
Ans.: (a) k = 7.0 N/m; (b) A = 0.120 m; (c) f = 0.84 Hz, T = 1.2 s

14) An 11.0 gram block attached to the right-end of a horizontal spring (on a frictionless surface) undergoes
simple harmonic motion. The equation of motion of the block relative to the spring’s equilibrium position is
given by
x(t) = (76.0 mm)sin{(2.80 rad/s)t – 0.630 rad}

(a) What are the initial velocity and position of the block relative to the spring’s unstretched position?
(b) How long does it take the block to move from its initial position to a position where the spring is
maximally compressed?
(c) What is the maximum force that the spring exerts on the block?
(d) How much work did it take to set the block in motion if the spring was initially unstretched?
Ans.: (a) xo = –44.8 mm; vo = 17.2 cm/s; (b) tB = 1.91 s; (c) Fmax = 6.55 mN; (d) E = 2.49 X 10-4 J

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15) The bottom of a vertical, massless spring is 88.0 cm above the floor. When a 660 gram can of beans is hung
on the end of the spring and moved to equilibrium, the end of the spring is stretched until it is 76.0 cm above the
floor. The beans are then lifted up from their equilibrium position until the top of the can is 80.0 cm above the
floor and released.
(a) What is the spring constant of the spring?
(b) Determine the equation for the velocity of the can of beans as a function of time.
(c) At what height above the floor will the acceleration of the beans be equal to acceleration of gravity?
(d) How fast are the beans moving exactly 3.80 seconds after they are released? At that time are the
beans above or below the equilibrium position?
(e) How much work did it take to set the beans in motion?
(f) How long does it take the beans to move from lowest position above the floor to their highest
position above the floor?
(g) What is the speed of the beans when they are 73.0 cm above the floor?
Ans.: (a) 53.9 N/m; (b) v = 36.1cos (9.04t – π) (cm/s); (c) The acceleration will never be equal to
gravity; (d) v = 7.79 cm/s, x = 3.91 cm; (e) 0.043 mJ; (f) t = T/2 = 34.8 ms; (g) v = ±23.9 cm/s

16) A simple pendulum is used in a physics laboratory experiment to obtain an experimental value for the
gravitational acceleration, g. A student measures the length of the pendulum to be 0.510 meters, displaces it 10o
from the equilibrium position, and releases it. Using a stopwatch, the student determines that the period of the
pendulum is 1.44 s. Determine the experimental value of the gravitational acceleration.
Ans.: g = 9.71 m/s2, which is within 1% of the correct value 9.8 m/s2.

17) A 10 kg object is attached to a spring and placed on a frictionless table as shown below. The spring has a
natural length of 20 cm. When a 10 N force is applied to the object, it extends the spring to a new length of
25 cm.

(a) Calculate the spring constant of the spring.

(b) The 10 N force is removed. Assuming no friction, calculate the frequency of the resulting motion, and
hence the period.
(c) Using the information above, sketch an accurately labeled graph to show the displacement of the object
versus time.
(d) Now consider the real situation where there is friction between the table and the object. If the friction is
described by a damping constant b = 2.0 kg s-1, calculate the new frequency of this motion. Compare this value
with that found in (b) and comment.
(e) For the situation in (d) how long would it take for the amplitude of the oscillation to drop to half its
initial value?
Ans.: (a) k = 200 Nm-1; (b) f = 0.71 Hz, T = 1.4 s; (c); (d) fd = 0.71 Hz, to 2 significant figures, this figure
is the same as for the undamped case, so there is a negligible decrease in the oscillation frequency; (e) 6.93 s

18) Consider a tractor driving across a field that has undulations at regular intervals. The distance between two
adjacent bumps is about 4.2 m. Because of safety reasons, the tractor does not have a suspension system but the
driver’s seat is attached to a spring to absorb some of the shock as the tractor moves over rough ground. Assume
the spring constant to be 2×104 N.m-1 and the mass of the seat to be 50 kg and the mass of the driver to be 70
kg. The tractor is driven at 30 km.h-1 over the undulations. Will an accident occur?

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 m = (50 + 70) kg = 120 kg

k = 2x104 N.m-1

v = 30 km.h-1 ∆x = 4.2 m

Ans.: The time interval between hitting the bumps (∆x = 4.2 m) is ∆t = ∆x/v = 0.51 s.
Therefore, the frequency at which the tractor hits the bumps and energy is supplied to the oscillating
system of spring-seat-person f = 1/∆t = 1/0.51 = 2.0 Hz. The natural frequency of vibration of the spring-seat-
person is f0 = 2.1 Hz. Since the driving frequency (due to hitting the bumps) is very close to the natural
frequency of the spring-seat-person, the result will be large amplitude oscillations of the person and which may
lead to an unfortunate accident.

19) For a sound wave of frequency 440 Hz, what is the wavelength?
(a) In air (propagation speed, v = 3.3 x 102 m/s).
(b) In water (propagation speed, v = 1.5 x 103 m/s).
Ans.: (a) λair = 0.75 m; (b) λwater = 3.41 m

20) A travelling wave is described by the equation

y(x, t) = (0.003)cos(20 x + 200 t)

where y and x are measured in metres and t in seconds. Calculate the following physical quantities:
1 wave number,
2 wavelength,
3 angular frequency,
4 frequency,
5 period,
6 wave speed,
7 amplitude,
8 particle velocity when x = 0.3 m and t = 0.02 s,
9 particle acceleration when x = 0.3 m and t = 0.02 s.
Ans.: 1) k = 20 m-1; 2) λ = 0.31 m; 3) ω = 200 rad.s-1; 4) f = 32 Hz; 5) T = 0.031 s; 6) v = 10 m.s-1;
7) A = 0.003 m; 8) vp = +0.33 m.s-1; 9) ap = +101 m.s-2

21) A wave propagates through a piece of silicon. For this wave ω = 1.5 x 1014 s-1, while k = 1.25 x 1010 m-1.
(a) Calculate the wavelength of the wave.
(b) How does the answer in (a) compare to the wavelength of visible light?
(c) Calculate the speed of the wave.
(d) How does the wave speed compare to the speed of light in vacuum?
Ans.: (a) λ = 0.503 nm; (b) λ/λlight = 1/1000 (taking λlight = 500 nm); (c) v = 1.2x104 m/s;
(d) v/c = 1.2x10 -5

22) A point source of sound waves emits a disturbance with a power of 50 W into a surrounding homogeneous
medium. Determine the intensity of the radiation at a distance of 10 m from the source. How much energy
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arrives on a little detector with an area of 1.0 cm2 held perpendicular to the flow in one second? Assume no
losses.
Ans.: I = 4.0 x 10 -2 W.m-2; E = 4.0 x 10-6 J

23) A point sound source produces sound energy in all directions at a rate of 1.0 kilowatt.
(i) Describe (in words) how the intensity varies with distance from the source,
(ii) Calculate the intensity in W.m-2 at a distance of 50 m from the source,
(iii) Calculate the sound level in decibels at this position.
Ans.: (i) The intensity varies as 1/r2 with distance r from the source;
(ii) I = 0.032 W.m-2; (iii) β = 105 dB

24) Two small loudspeakers emit pure sinusoidal waves that are in phase. The speed of sound in the air is
vsound = 344 m.s-1.
(a) What frequencies does a loud sound occur at a point P, as shown in the below figure?
(b) What frequencies will the sound be very soft?

2.00 m

3.50 m
P
2.50 m

Ans.: (a) Loud sound (constructive interference), f = 1.27 kHz, 2.55 kHz, 3.82 kHz, … , 19.1 kHz;
(b) Very soft sound (destructive interference), f = 0.63 kHz, 1.91 kHz, 3.19 kHz,… , 19.7 kHz