Circular Motion,

Rotational Dynamics &

Simple Harmonic Motion
Questions
Circular Motion
Core skills
Circular motion 1 ................................................. 1
Circular motion 2 ................................................ 2
Circular motion 3 ................................................ 3
Basic exam questions
1. Rubber bunger practical (June 1996 AEB)…..... 4
Challenging exam questions
1. Banking airplane………...................................... 6
2. Toy car loop .……………………………………………….. 6
Olympiad problems
1. Particle orbit……………....................................... 7
Comprehension questions
1. The centrifuge…………....................................... 8
Extended writing questions
1. Cornering cyclist .......................................... 9
2. Space station …………………………………………… 9
Answers…………..………………….......................................... 10

Rotational motion
Core skills
Rotational motion 1 ............................................. 12
Rotational motion 2 ............................................. 13
Rotational motion 3 ............................................. 14
Rotational motion 2 ............................................. 15
Rotational motion 3 ............................................. 16
Basic exam questions
1. Engine flywheel (Jan 1997 AEB) ……………….. 17
2. Drill bit (Jan 1996 AEB) …………………………….. 18
3. Helicopter (Jan 1998 AEB) ………………………… 18
4. Flywheel (Jun 1998 AEB) …………………………. 19
Challenging exam questions
1. Clutch plates ……………………………………………….. 19
2. Flywheel & cord ………………………………………….. 20
3. Lawn mower ……………………………………………….. 20
Olympiad problems
1. Turntable ……..….………………............................. 21
2. Horizontal bar ….………………............................. 21
3. Velocity selector ………………............................. 21
Comprehension questions
1. Hubble Gyroscope …........................................ 22
Extended writing questions
1. Earth’s rotation ........................................... 23
2. Space station ………………………………………….. 23
Answers…………..…………………........................................... 24
Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)
Core skills
Simple harmonic motion 1 .................................. 26
Simple harmonic motion 2 .................................. 27
Simple harmonic motion 3 ........................…………29
Basic exam questions
1. Pendulum (Jan 1998 AEB) …………………….……30
2. Loudspeaker (June 1997 AEB)…………………….31
3. Mass-spring (Jan 2005 AQA)……………………….32
Challenging exam questions
1. Washing machine…………….………………….………...34
2. Mass-spring ………………..........................……….…34
Olympiad problems
1. Pendulums 1…..………..........................…………35
2. Pendulums 2………………………………………………35
Comprehension questions
1. Periodicity …..………….............................…………36
Extended writing questions
1. Mass-spring …….....................................…….37
Answers…………..…………………............................................38
Simple harmonic motion 1
1. (i) Define simple harmonic motion for a particle moving in a straight line.
(ii) Use your definition to explain how shm can be represented by the differential
equation:
ñ^™
= −|^ ™
ñ´ ^
(iii) A mechanical system is known to perform shm. What quantity must be
measured in order to determine w for the system?

2. A particle moves with shm in a straight line with amplitude 0.05 m and period 12 s.
Find (a) the maximum speed, (b) the maximum acceleration of the particle. At
which positions in the motion will each of these occur?
3. A body of mass 200 g is executing shm with an amplitude of 20 mm. The maximum
force acting on it is 0.64 N. Calculate (a) its maximum acceleration, (b) its maximum
velocity, (c) the period of the motion.
4. A particle moves with shm between two points which are 10 cm apart. At the
instant the particle is 2.0 cm from one of these points, its acceleration is 48 cm s-2.
Find (a) its velocity at the same instant, (b) its period, (c) its maximum velocity.
5. A cork stands upright on the rim of a 20 cm record rotating at 30 rpm (revolutions
per minute). A horizontal parallel beam of light casts the shadow of the cork on a
vertical screen., so that the shadow moves back and forth with shm. (a) What is the
time period of the motion seen on the screen? (b) What is the amplitude of the
shm? (c) What is the displacement of the shadow from the centre position 0.25 s
after it passes the centre? (d) Where is the shadow 0.5 s after passing the centre?
6. A light helical spring hangs from a rigid support with a load of 200 g attached to ist
lower end. It is known that a force of 4.0 N will extend the spring by 100 mm. (a)
What is the static extension of the spring under the 200 g load? (b) The load is
depressed by 20 mm and then released. It then moves with shm. Find the period of
its motion.
7. A scale pan of mass 1.0 kg is attached to a spring and causes it to extend 5.0 cm. A
mass of 2.0 kg is placed in the pan which is released. Find (a) how far the pan will
descend, (b) the tension in the spring when the scale pan is at ist lowest position,
(c) the period of oscillation of the pan with the 2.0 kg mass on it.
8. A small piece of metal suspended from a light spring produces an extension of 7.9
cm. It is then displaced vertically so that it performs shm. 100 vibration occuring
every 57 s. What value does this give for the acceleration due to gravity?

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Simple harmonic motion 2
1. A pendulum has a time period of 2.0 s and a mass vibrating on the end of a spring
also has a period of 2.0 s. If these two were taken to the Moon, what would their
periods be? (g on the Moon = 1/6 g on Earth)
2. A small piece of cork in a ripple tank oscillates up and down as ripples pass it. If the
ripples travel at 0.20 ms-1 and have a wavelength of 15 mm and an amplitude of 5.0
mm, what is the maximum velocity of the cork?
3. Some sand is sprinkled on a horizontal membrane which can be made to vibrate
vertically with shm. When the amplitude is 0.10 cm, the sand just fails to make
continuous contact with the membrane. Why does this phenomenon occur?
Calculate the frequency of vibration of the membrane.
4. A small body rests on a horizontal diaphragm which is making vertical shm
vibrations through a distance of 0.40 cm. What is the maximum number of
vibrations that can be made per second if the body is not to lose contact with the
diaphragm?
5. A spring of constant 30 Nm-1 has a mass of 0.30 kg suspended from it. It is given an
initial displacement of 0.015 m. The mass is then released ad the spring performs
shm. Calculate (a) the maximum kinetic energy of the mass, (b) the maximum and
minimum values of the tension in the spring during its motion.
6. For a body performing shm in a straight line in which the displacement is zero at
time t = 0, sketch graphs of:
(a) Displacement against time
(b) Velocity against time
(c) Acceleration against time
(d) Kinetic energy against time
(e) Potential energy against time
(f) Kinetic energy against displacement
(g) Potential energy against displacement
(h) Force against displacement
(i) Acceleration against displacement
(j) Total energy against displacement
(k) Total energy against time (assuming no damping of the motion)
7. A particle describes shm in which the displacement is given by x = (0.050)sin(2pt).
(a) What is the amplitude of the motion?
(b) What is the period of the motion?
(c) What is the maximum velocity of the particle?
(d) What is the maximum acceleration of the particle?

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 Simple harmonic motion 3
12

13

14

15

16

10 Fig.4.32

11

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Basic exam question 1 (Jan 98 AEB)

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Basic exam question 2 (Jun 97 AEB)

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Basic exam question 3 (Jan 05 AQA)

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 Challenging exam question 1

Challenging exam question 2

(a) (i) Define simple harmonic motion.

(ii) Show the equation y = asin(wt+e) represents such a motion and explain the meaning of the
symbols y, a, w and e.

(iii) Draw with respect to a common time axis graphs showing the variation with time t of the
displacement, velocity and kinetic energy of a heavy particle that is describing such a motion.

(b) When a metal cylinder of mass 0.20 kg is attached to the lower end of a light spring the upper end of
which is fixed, the spring extends by 0.16 m. The metal cylinder is then pulled down a further 0.08 m.

(i) Find the force that must be exerted to keep it there, if Hooke’s law is obeyed,

(ii) The cylinder is then released. Find the period of vertical oscillations, and the kinetic energy the
cylinder possesses when it passes through its mean position.

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Simple harmonic motion : Olympiad 1

Simple harmonic motion : Olympiad 2

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Periodic motions
French, A.P. 1971 Vibrations and waves, Van Nostrand Reinhold (UK), Wokingham

The vibrations or oscillations of mechanical systems constitute one of the most important fields
of study in all physics. Virtually every system possesses the capability for vibration, and most
systems can vibrate freely in a large number of ways. Broadly speaking, the predominant
natural vibrations of small objects are likely to be rapid, and those of large objects are likely to
be slow. A mosquito’s wings, for example, vibrate at hundreds of times per second and produce
an audible note. The whole Earth, after being jolted by an earthquake, may continue to vibrate
at a rate of one oscillation per hour. The human body itself is a treasure-house of vibratory
phenomena: as one writer has put it:
“After all, out hearts beat, our lungs oscillate, we shiver when we are cold, we sometimes
snore, we can hear and speak because our eardrums and larynges vibrate. The light waves
which permit us to see entail vibration. We move by oscillating our legs. We cannot even say
‘vibration’ properly without the tip of our tongue oscillating… Even the atoms of which we
are constituted vibrate.” – R.E.D Reid, 1965 Vibration, CUP.
The feature of all such phenomena have in common is periodicity. There is a pattern of
movement or displacement that repeats itself over and over again. This pattern may be simple
or complicated. Figure 1 shows an example of each; the rather complex cycle of pressure
variations inside the heart of a cat (below left), and the almost pure sine wave of the vibrations
of a tuning fork (below right). In each case the horizontal axis represents the steady advance of
time, and we can identify the length of time – the period T – within which one complete cycle of
vibration is performed.

Periodic motions: questions

1. Describe when the author meant by the term periodicity.

2. What is the order of magnitude of the frequency of oscillation of an earthquake, according to

this author?

3. The period of a pendulum does not depend on the mass of the plumb-bob.
Explain how this is consistent with the author’s assertion that the “natural vibration of small
objects are likely to be rapid”.
4. Microwave ovens use radiation of approximately 12 cm wavelength to excite water
molecules dipole oscillations. Calculate the time period of water molecules’ dipole
oscillations.

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Extended writing 1: Spring-mass (AQA Specimen paper)
A spring, which hangs from a fixed support, extends by 40 mm when a mass of 0.25 kg is suspended
from it. An additional mass of 0.44 kg is then placed on the spring. When the system is set into
vertical oscillation it oscillates at a frequency of 1.5 Hz.
With both masses still in place, the spring is now suspended from a horizontal support rod that can
be made to oscillate vertically, as shown in Figure 1, with amplitude 30 mm at several difference
frequencies.

The response of the masses suspended from the spring to the vertical oscillations of the support rod
varies with frequency. Describe and explain, as fully as you cn, the motion of the masses when the
support rod oscillates at a frequency of (i) 0.2 Hz, 1.5 Hz and (iii) 10 Hz.

The quality of the written answer will be assessed in this question. (6 marks)

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Simple harmonic motion - Answers
SHM 1
1. (iii) time period, T 2. centre 2.6x10-2 ms-1 extreme 1.4x10-2 ms-2
3. 8x 10-2 ms-1, 1.57s 3.2x10-1 ms-2 4. 0.16 ms-1, 1.57 s, 0.20 ms-1
5. 2s, 10 cm, 7 cm, 10 cm 6. 50 mm, 0.44 s, 0.236 ms-1, 4.1 ms-2
7. 20 cm, 50 N, 0.77 s 8. 0.57 s, 9.6 ms-2

SHM 2
1. 4.9 s, 2.0 s 2. 0.42 ms-1
3. Acceleration >= g, 15.9 Hz 4. 11 vibrations s-1
5. 3.4 x10-3 J, 3.45 N, 2.55 N 7. 0.05 m, 1 s, 0.314 ms-1, 1.97 ms-2

SHM 3 8

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Basic exam 1
(a)

(b) (i) 0.41 Hz (ii) 0.11 ms-1

(c) Fixed mass (control variable); set oscillating at small amplitude;
use stopwatch; measure at least 20 oscillations;
use fiduciary point; plot T against k.
Basic exam 2
(a) (i) Fixed period independent of amplitude
(ii) decreasing amplitude
(b) (i) 0.80 ms, 1250 Hz (ii) 3.7x 105 ms-2 (ii) see above right
(c) (i) (ii) see right
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Basic exam 3

Challenge 1 (a) (i) frequency of unforced/free oscillations OR with no external forces acting (ii) 490 Nm-1

(b) (i) imbalanced/off-centre load in inner drum requires springs (to generate forces required to accelerate imbalanced
mass and maintain drum’s circular motion) (ii) 30 rpm (iii) Resonance Q-curve

(iv) Lower mass = higher resonant frequency, larger amplitude of oscillation

Challenge 2 (a) (i) oscillation where acceleration is proportional to displacement and directed back to equilibrium

ín ∞
(ii) Differentiate y by t twice to show = −|^± (iii) v at 90 ° and acceleration at 180° phase difference to y
í° n

(b) (i) 0.98 N (2 sf) (ii) 0.80 s, 0.039 J

Olympiad 1

Olympiad 2
(a) ((c)

(b)

Comprehension: Periodic motion

1. A repeated pattern of motion and/or displacement. 2. 2.8x10-4 Hz

3. While period of endulum oscillation does not depend on mass (restoring force, the tangential component of weight,
is proportional to the mass) but does depend on the length of the pendulum.

4. 4.0x10-10 s

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Extended writing 1

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