Simple harmonic motion (SHM)

1. A block of mass hangs in equilibrium with the help of two springs as shown in the figure. Find the
time period of vertical oscillation of the block. Take m  10kg and K  50N / m : (in second)

(A) 1.57s (B) 3.72s (C) 5.73s (D) 8.25s

Ans: A
16K
Sol: K eq 
5
m
Use T  2
K eq


2. The equation of a particle executing SHM is given by x  3cos   t cm, where t is in second. Find
2  
the distance travelled by the particle in the first 8.5s

(A) 15.72cm (B) 18.76cm (C) 24.88cm (D) 27.25cm

Ans: C
Sol: In one oscillation, distance covered  4  3  12cm
2
Here,    T  4s
T

Now, 8.5  4  2  0.5

    3 
24   3  3cos  0.5    27 
2  cm   27  1.5  1.414  cm  24.88cm
   27 
3. Two particle performs simple harmonic motion with time period of 6second and 7second
respectively. At t = 0 both were in their mean position and moving in the same direction. After what
minimum non zero time they will be in phase again.

(A) 21sec (B) 42sec (C) 63sec (D) 84sec

Ans: B

Sol: w1t  w 2 t  n  2 
For minimum t, n  1
T1T2
t  42s
T2  T1
  
4. For a damped oscillator which follow the equation F  Kx  bV the mass of the block is 100gm
K  100N / M and the damping constant is 20gm/sec. Then find the time taken for its mechanical
energy to drop to one-fourth of its initial value.

K
m

(A) 1.73 (B) 3.46 (C) 6.93 (D) 13.84

Ans: C

1
Sol: E  KA 2 .   bt / m 
2
1 Et  t
   e  bt/ m
4 E  t  0
2  0.693
Taking log and solving we get t   6.93sec
b/m
5. A block of mass m is connected to an ideal spring of stiffness K1 on left hand side and to an elastic
string of stiffness K 2 on right hand side as shown in figure. The time period of motion if mass m is
displaced by ‘x’ as shown in figure.

K1 K2
m

(A) 2 m / K1 (B) 2 m /  K1  K 2 

 m m 
(C) 2 m  K1  K 2  / K1K 2 (D)    
 K1  K 2 K1 
Ans: D

Tleft Tright m m
Sol: T    
2 2 K1  K 2 K1

Note string becomes slack when mass pushes the string

6. A massless rod AB is hinged at point A. At point P, it is connected by a spring of stiffness K1 and at

point B it is connected to another spring of stiffness K 2 connected to mass m as shown in figure.
The length of rod AB is  and point P is at a distance b from point A. If mass m is displaced by a
distance x from its mean position as shown in figure then the time period of SHM of mass is

K2 m
B

smooth x
K1 P
L

m  K 2 b 2  K1L2  m  K 2 L2  K1b 2 
(A) 2 (B) 2
K1K 2 b 2 K1K 2 b 2

m  K1K 2 b 2  m  K 2 L2  K1b 2 
(C) 2 (D) 2
K 2 b 2  K1L2 K 2b 2
Ans: B
X 2 X1
Sol:  1
b 
Torque equation about Hinge
K 2  x  x1    K1x 2 b  2
Substituting X 2 from equation (1) & on
K 2 L2 x
X1 
 K 2 L2  K1b 2 
Equation of mass F  ma  K 2  x  x1 
K1K 2 b 2 x 2
On solving  a 
m  K 2 L2  K1b 2 
 x1 K2
m

x2 x

K1 q
b

7. A block of mass M is kept in gravity free space and touches the two springs as shown in the figure.
Initially springs are in its natural length. Now, the block is shifted   0 / 2  from the given position in
such a way it compresses a spring and released. The time-period of oscillation of mass will be

k M 4k
0 2 0

 M M 3 M M
(A) (B) 2 (C) (D) 
2 K 5K 2 K 2K

Ans: C

 M 1 M  3 M
Sol: T     
 K 2 K 2 K

8. A 2kg block moving with 10m/s strikes a spring of constant 2 N/m which is attached to 2kg block
at rest kept on a smooth horizontal floor. The time for which rear moving block remain in contact
with spring is

1
(A) 2 sec (B) sec (C) 1sec (D) 1/2sec
2

Ans: C


Sol: T  2 
k

2
T  T  2sec


T T T
Required time     1sec
4 4 2
 2205
9. A certain ideal spring stretches 20cm when m1  40gm mass is hung from it. If a mass of m 2 
32
gm is hung instead of 40gm at its end pulled out 20cm from equilibrium and released at t  0 sec .
Choose the correct option(s).  g  10m / s 2 
(A) The magnitude of acceleration of the m 2 mass when it is 2.5cm from the equilibrium position is
64
m / s2
45
(B) The magnitude of acceleration of the m 2 mass when it is 2.5cm from the equilibrium position is
32
m / s2
45

(C) At t  sec . m 2 mass is 10cm from equilibrium position
8

(D) At t  sec . m 2 mass is 10cm from equilibrium position
2
Ans: BC
mg 40  103  9.8
F
Sol: k = stiffness of string     1.96N / m
x max x max 20 102
2205
When we replace the mass 40gm by the mass m2  gm , we have
32
m 3
T  2  sec
k 8
2 k 16
   rad / sec
T m 3
16
x  x 0 cos t  0.2 cos t
3
16 16
v   x 0  sin t  sin t
15 3
256 16
a   x 02 cos t   cos t
45 3
16 1  16    3n  
If x  10cm  cos t   cos    t   2nx   t   sec
3 2 3 3  3  8 8



2x  
B
10. The F.B.D. of wire PQ is the force due to surface tension  FST  2T  2AD tan 
For wire to be in equilibrium figure (a)

FST   2T  2AD tan  FST   2T  2  AD  x  tan 

x mean position
P Q P Q

mg mg
Figure (a) Figure (b)

4TAD tan   mg i

If the wire PQ is at a distance x below the mean position, the restoring force on the wire is
(Figure(b))
 ma  4T tan   AD  x   mg  4T tan x

Hence, the wire PQ executes SHM

Ans:
4T
Sol: a   tan x
m
Comparing with a  2 x , we get
4T
2  tan 
m

m 1103 
Or T  2  2 3
 s
4T tan  4  25 10 5
11. A disc of mass M = 2m and radius R is pivoted at its centre. The disc is free to rotate in the vertical
plane about its horizontal axis through its centre O. A particle of mass m is stuck on the periphery of
the disc. The frequency of small oscillations of the system about its equilibrium position.

1 g 1 g 1 g 1 g
(A) (B) (C) (D)
2 R 2 2R  2R  R
Ans: B
Sol: In equilibrium the particle is at the lowest position. Consider the system at an angular position  .
  mgR sin   mgR (for small  )



1 2 2
 2  2m  R  mR    mgR

 g  1 g
     f 
 2R  2 2R

12. A trough has two identical inclined segments and a horizontal segment. A ball is released on the top
one inclined part and it oscillated inside the through. Friction is large enough to prevent slipping of
the ball. Time period of oscillations is T. Now the linear dimension of each part of the through is
enlarged four times. Then new time period will be
(A) T (B) 2T (C) 3T (D) 4T
Ans: B
Sol: Let acceleration on inclined part (while going up as well as while going down) be a. Length of
inclined part be 1 and that of flat part be  2
Total time period is given as
 2 1 2 21 
T   2
 a 2a 1 a 

If 1 and  2 is made 4times, the time period doubles.

13. A uniform rod is placed on two spinning wheels as shown in figure. The axes of the wheels are
50
separated by a distance   m , the coefficient of friction between the rod and the wheels is   0.1
2
The rod performs harmonic oscillations. The period of these oscillations is 10x sec. Find the value
of x.

Ans: 1
Sol:
N1 N2
x

f1 f2
mg

F    f1  f 2 
   N1  N 2 
   N1  N 2 
N1  N 2  mg 1
mg   / 2  x   N 2   0  2
mg mg   
 N2   / 2  x     x
  2 
 mg    mg   
F   x   x 
  2   2 
mg
   2x 

2
  10sec
g

14. Spring is in its natural length. Collision of the block with the ring fixed with the horizontal surface
and wall is perfectly elastic. Find the time period of oscillation of block if at t  0 , a velocity
k
v 0  5 0 is given to the block.
m
ring v0
k
m

fixed 3 0 4 0

m  m m 3 m
(A) 2 (B) (C)  (D)
k 2 k k 2 k
Ans: C
 k k
Sol: v 0  A  A  5 0
m m
A  5 0
x  A sin t
 k   37  m
3 0  5 0 sin  t1  , t1   
 m   180  k
 k   53  m
4 0  5 0 sin  t 2  , t 2   
 m   180   k
So, time period of oscillation
 90 m  m
T  2  t1  t 2   2     
 180 k   k 
15. In the arrangement as shown if the block is slightly displaced from its equilibrium position and then
n k
released, the frequency of small oscillation of the block is . Find the value of ‘n’. (All the
2 m
springs and pulleys are ideal)

2k 2k

m
Ans: 4
d2 x
Sol: m  16kx
dt 2
d2 x  16k 
2
  x
dt  m 
1 16k 4 k
 Frequency of small oscillations f  
2 m 2 m
n  4
Passage:16 & 17
A small object of mass 2kg is placed on the x-axis in a potential field which potential energy is
define as U  16  x 2  2x  where position on x-axis x is in meter and potential energy U is in joule. If
the object is released from origin i.e x  0 . Then answer the following questions.

16. Angular frequency of oscillations is:

(A) 2rad/sec (B) 4rad/sec (C) 8rad/sec (D) 12rad/sec
Ans: B
dU
Sol: ma  F   32  x  1
dx
a  16  x  1    4rad / sec

17. Maximum kinetic energy during oscillations:

(A) 8Joule (B) 12 Joule (C) 16 Joule (D) 20 Joule
Ans: C
Sol: At mean position a  0  x  1 mean position 
Applying conservation of mechanical energy
0  16  K.E max  K.E max  16 Joule

18. A mass m is performing linear simple harmonic motion, then graph for square of acceleration f 2
and corresponding square of linear velocity v2 is

v2 v2

(A) f2 (B) f2

v2 v2

(C) f 2
(D) f2
Ans: B
Sol: For y  a sin t, v  a cos t
 Acceleration f  a2 sin t
f2
2
 v 2  a 2 2

19. A block of mass M is performing SHM with amplitude A on a smooth horizontal surface. At the
extreme position a small block of mass m falls vertically and sticks to M. New amplitude of
oscillation will be
M M Mm
(A) A (B) A (C) A (D) A
Mm Mm m
Ans: C
Sol: At extreme position velocity of M will be zero.
20. In the adjacent figure, a block of mass m is rigidly attached to two identical spring of stiffness K
each. The other ends of the spring are connected to the fixed wall. When the block is in equilibrium,
length of each spring is b, which is greater than the natural length  of the spring. The time – period
of the oscillation of the block if it is displaced by small distance X perpendicular to the length of the
spring and released.(neglect gravity)

K K
m

b b
mb mb m b   m b  
(A) 2 (B) 2 (C) 2 (D) 2 
k b   2k  b    kb 2kb
Ans: B
mb
Sol: 2
2k  b   
21. If M1 & M 2 are free to oscillate together. If M1 is fixed, and only M 2 oscillates horizontally about
T2 M
their centre of mass, then time period then time period is T2 is T1 . If  3 then 2 is ______
T1 M1

M1 M2
M1 M2

Frictionless surface M1 fixed

Ans: 8
K M
Sol:   T  2
M K
M1M 2 M2
T1  2 T2  2
K  M1  M 2  K
2
M1  M 2  T2  M  M2 1  M2
  9 1 
M1  T1  M1 M1
M
 2 8
M1
22. A particle of mass m is executing SHM as shown in diagram (1) and (2). In diagram (2) a force F is
applied on the particle in the upward direction F  mg . If their velocities are same at mean position
and let A1 and A 2 be their amplitudes and T1 and T2 be their time periods respectively then,

k
m
m F

(i) (ii)
(A) A1  A 2 , T1  T2 (B) A1  A 2 , T1  T2
(C) A1  A 2 , T1  T2 (D) A1  A 2 , T1  T2
Ans: A
Sol:  x  L
If v be the velocity at mean position in two cases then
1 1 m
mv2  kA12 and T1  T2  2
2 2 k
A1  A 2

23. A block of mass m attached to a spring executes SHM with angular frequency 0 . The spring is cut
m
into 4 equal parts and another block with mass is attached to the two pieces in parallel
2
combination. The angular frequency of oscillations of the mass will be
(A) 20 (B) 40 (C) 2 20 (D) 0 / 4
Ans: B
K 8K
Sol: 0  , '   40
m m/2

24. If x, v and a denote the displacement, the velocity and the acceleration of a particle executing simple
harmonic motion of time period T, then, which of the following does not change with time?
aT aT
(A) a 2T2  42 v 2 (B) (C) aT  2v (D)
x v
Ans: B
aT 2 xT 42 4 2
Sol:   2 T  = constant
x x T T
25. A tunnel is made across the earth passing through its centre. A ball is dropped from a height h in the
tunnel. The motion will be periodic with time period
R 2h 2R h
(A) 2  (B) 2 4
g g g g
R 2h 2R h
(C) 2  4 (D) 2 
g g g g
Ans: C
2h
Sol: T  TSHM  4
g