PHY 210

CHAPTER 3:
PERIODIC MOTION
LESSON
CONTENT
Periodic Motion (CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO3)
• 3.1 Simple Harmonic Motion (amplitude,
frequency, displacement, velocity,
acceleration)
• 3.2 Conservation of Energy in SHM
• 3.3 Simple Pendulum and Spring
 LESSON
At the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
1. Write and apply Hooke’s Law for objects moving with

CONTENT
simple harmonic motion.
2. Write and apply formulas for finding the frequency f,
period T, velocity v, or acceleration a in terms of
displacement x or time t.
3. Understand the concept and know to apply formula of
energy in the Simple Harmonic Oscillator
4. Understand the concept of Simple Pendulum and spring
 Periodic Motion
Simple periodic motion is that motion in which a body moves back and
forth over a fixed path, returning to each position and velocity after a
definite interval of time.
A very common type of periodic motion is called simple
harmonic motion (SHM)

Example: The simple pendulum and mass and spring system is a useful model
for a periodic system

Simple Pendulum Horizontal spring Vertical spring

oscillation oscillation
 Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM):
Definition
• Simple harmonic motion is periodic motion in the
absence of friction and produced by a restoring force
that is directly proportional to the displacement and
oppositely directed.

A restoring force, F, acts in the direction

opposite the displacement of the
oscillating body.
x F = -kx
F
where
F = restoring force (N)
F
k = spring constant (N/m)
x x = displacement (m)
 Horizontal Spring
A good example of SHM is an object with mass m attached
to a spring on a frictionless surface, as shown below:

a) When uniform spring is initially

compress over a distance, x = -A, the
spring exert a force (F) on the mass
that pushes it toward the equilibrium
position.

b) Then, the spring is released, it passes

the equilibrium position with
considerable speed. As the mass
reaches the equilibrium position, the
F on it decreases to zero BUT its
speed at this point is a maximum,
vmax.
 Horizontal Spring

c) As the mass move farther to the right,

the force on it acts to slow it down, and
it stops momentarily at x=A.

d) Then, the spring begin moving back in

the opposite direction, accelerating
until it reach zero speed at the original
starting point, x =-A.

e) It then repeats the motion, moving

back and forth, between x = A and
x= -A.

The spring exerts a force on the object that acts in the direction of
returning the object to the equilibrium position, is called
restoring force, F.
 Horizontal Spring

• When a system is moving in SHM, a force (restoring force,

F) is trying to return the object to its equilibrium position.
• So, the force exerted by the spring depends on the displacement
according to equation below,

𝐹 =− 𝑘𝑥 Hooke’s Law

Where:
k is the spring stiffness/ spring constant
x is the displacement from its equilibrium position.

• The minus sign on the force indicates that the restoring force is always
in the direction opposite to the displacement, x.
6
Hooke’s Law: In a spring, there is a restoring
force that is proportional to the displacement.

F  kx
x The spring constant k is defined by:

F F
m k  x
 Horizontal Spring
At equilibrium position:
• Any spring has a natural length at which it exerts no force on
the mass, m
• The position of the mass at this point is called equilibrium
position

Fs  kx
 k (0)
When x = 0, the spring is unstretched, the spring  0N
force is zero.
 Horizontal Spring

When x is positive, the spring When x negative, the spring

stretched, the spring force is compressed, the spring force is
negative(opposite direction) positive (opposite direction).

Fs  kx Fs  kx
 k (  k (x)
x)  kx
 kx
Vertical Spring
If the spring is hung
vertically, the only change is
the equilibrium position,
which is at the point where
the spring force equals the
gravitational force.

 F  0  mg  kx 0

So,
x 0  mg
k
 Variables in SHM
• Displacement (x) : the distance travelled by the mass
(measured from the equilibrium point)
- Unit: metre (m)
• Amplitude (A) : maximum displacement
- Unit: metre (m)
• A cycle : a full to- and fro- motion (from x = -A to x = A)
• Period (T) : time taken for one complete cycle.
- Unit: second (s)
• Frequency (f) : the number of complete cycles in one second.
- Unit: Hertz (Hz) or cycle s-1 or s-1

1 𝜔
𝑓= 𝑓=
𝑇 2𝜋 𝜔=2 𝜋 𝑓
 Force Law in SHM
An object that undergoes SHM obeys Newton’s Second Law of Motion.

Fnet = ma

From equation, a = -2x

Substitute, Fnet = m(-2x)
= -(m2)x → Equation (i)

From equation (i), since m2 is a constant it can be deduced that

Fnet   x
Fnet   kx
where

k = proportionality constant

√
= mω2
𝑘
Thus, it can be shown that,  
k 2 𝜔=
m 𝑚
 Kinematics in SHM
The movement of the spring can be traced and produce sinusoidal graph.

Vertical position versus time:

Period T

Period T
 Kinematics in SHM

Sinusoidal graph
For a sinusoidal curve (such as cosine or sine), and if its height is the
amplitude A, equation can be written as a function of time, t as:

y= A sin(ωt) y= A cos (ωt)

Sine function graph cosine function graph

Variables in SHM

cosine function graph

 Displacement of SHM
Case 1: SHM with NO initial phase angle/ phase constant of
• If the starting point is at equilibrium position (no phase angle,
at t = 0 s), the equation can be written as

x  A sin t  Amplitude

A =Amplitude = the maximum

displacement from the position of
equilibrium.
ω = Angular frequency (rad/s)

Take Note!
Make sure your
calculator in ‘rad’
 Displacement of SHM
Case 2: SHM with initial phase angle/ phase constant of
• The motion does not start at ZERO point
• The general equation for displacement as a function of time in SHM is
given by,

x  A sin(.t  0 ) Eq. 1

where
A = Amplitude = Maximum displacement from
the equilibrium position (m)
(t + ) = Phase of motion at any time t (rad)
 = Phase of motion at t = 0 s (Phase
constant)
 = Angular frequency (rads-1)
Displacement of SHM
 Kinematics in SHM

Example
1. An oscillator undergoes SHM described by equation,
x = 3.0 sin(0.5t)
(a) Determine the amplitude (A), angular velocity (ω), and
period (T) of the system.
(b) Draw the displacement vs time graph of the system.

Displacement, x (m)

The general equation,

)
3.0

Hence,
A = 3.0 m 0
Time, t (s)

ω = 0.5 rad s-1

3.2 6.3 9.5 12.7

T = 6.3 s
-3.0
 Velocity of SHM
• The velocity can be found by differentiating the
displacement:

S.I Unit :m/s

Velocity at certain displacement:

Maximum velocity of the object is when cos(t+) =1 :

• Also, as 𝑣 𝑚𝑎𝑥 = 𝐴
• If  = 0 , equation becomes,
𝑘
𝑚 √
 Acceleration of SHM
• The acceleration of an object undergoing SHM is obtained by
differentiating velocity equation with respect to t.

S.I Unit :m/s

Maximum acceleration of the amax  A 2

• If  = 0 , equation becomes, a   A 2 sin t
• Also, as
 Kinematics in SHM

Summary
At t=0 s, x=0 m or At t=0 s, x=A m

x(t) = [A]sin(t) x(t) = [A]cos(t)

v(t) = [A]cos(t)
OR v(t) = -[A]sin(t)

a(t) = -[A2]sin(t) a(t) = -[A2]cos(t)

x
x
A
xmax = A A

t
0 vmax = A 0
t

-A -A
amax = A2
 Example 1
The suspended mass makes 30 complete oscillations in
15 s. What is the period and frequency of the motion?

F
x
 Example 2:
• A 4-kg mass suspended from a spring produces a
displacement of 20 cm. What is the spring constant?

20 cm F
m
 Kinematics in SHM

Example 3:
1. An oscillator undergoes SHM described by equation,
x = 3.0 sin(0.5t)
(a) Determine the amplitude (A), angular velocity (ω), and
period (T) of the system.
(b) Draw the displacement vs time graph of the system.

The general equation,

)
Hence,
A = 3.0 m
ω = 0.5 rad s-1
T = 12.57 s
 Kinematics in SHM

Example 4:
2. An oscillator undergoes SHM described by equation,
x = 1.60sin(1.30t – 0.75)
Determine the amplitude (A), angular velocity (ω) and phase
constant (ϕ).

The general equation,

)
Hence,
A = 1.60 m
Ω = 1.30 rad s-1
Φ = -0.75 rad
Example 5:
A 1.2 kg block sliding on a horizontal frictionless surface is attached to a horizontal spring
with k = 480 Nm-1. At t = 0, the block passes through equilibrium position with a velocity 5.2
ms-1. Calculate:
a. angular frequency and

b. amplitude of the block’s motion.

c. Write an expression for velocity as a function of time and determine the velocity at
equilibrium position.

m• 1.2 kg b)Vmax  A c)v  Vmax cos t

5.2  A(20) v  5.2 cos 20t
k  480 Nm 1
A  0.26 m
t  0, v  5.2 ms 1

k
a) 
m
480
  20 rads 1
1.2

(20 rad s-1, 0.26 m, v = 5.2 cos 20t, 5.2 ms-1)

Example 6:
At time f second, the displacement y meter of an object of mass m exhibiting SHM is given by

y =5 sin 1.2t

where t is in second and y is in meter. Derive as a function of time the expressions for
a. The velocity of the object.
b. The acceleration of the object.

y  5sin1.2t
dv
y  A sin t a
dy
dt
v d (6 cos1.2t )
dt 
d (5sin1.2t ) dt

dt a  (5)(1.2) 2 sin1.2t
v  (5)(1.2) cos1.2t
v  7.2sin1.2t
v  6 cos1.2t
Example 7:
The displacement of an oscillating object as a function of time is shown in
figure below. From the graph, determine for these oscillations
a. the amplitude, the period and the frequency,
b. the angular frequency,
c. the equation of displacement as a function of time,
d. the equation of velocity and acceleration as a function of time.
ZSMAHMUD/UiTMCawanganPerak/PHY210
Example 8:

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Example 9:

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Example 10:
A large motor in a factory causes the floor to vibrate at a
frequency of 10 Hz. The amplitude of the floor’s motion near
the motor is about 3.0 mm. Estimate the maximum
acceleration of the floor near the motor.

Assuming the motion is simple harmonic,

 Kinematics in SHM

Example 11:
1. A block of mass m = 680 g is fastened to a spring whose spring constant k = 65
Nm-1. The block is pulled a distance x = 11 cm from its equilibrium position and
released from rest.
a) What force does the spring exert on the block just before it is released?
b) What are the angular frequency, the frequency and the period of oscillation?
c) What is the amplitude of oscillation?
d) What are the maximum speed and acceleration of the block?

( a ) From Hooke' s law, F  kx (c) Amplitude  0.11 m

 (65)(0.11)  7.2 N
(d ) v max  A  (9.78)(0.11)  1.1 ms 1
k 65
( b)     9.78 rads 1
m 0.68 a max   2 A  9.782 (0.11)  11 ms 1
 9.78
f    1.56 Hz
2 2
1 1
T   0.64 s
f 1.56
Example 12:

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Example 13:

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Example 14 :
A spring stretches 0.150 m when a 0.300-kg mass is gently attached to it. The spring is then
set up horizontally with the 0.300-kg mass resting on a frictionless table. The mass is
pushed so that the spring is compressed 0.100 m from the equilibrium point, and released
from rest. Determine:
(a) the spring stiffness constant k and angular frequency ω;
(b) the amplitude of the horizontal oscillation A;
(c) the magnitude of the maximum velocity vmax;
(d) the magnitude of the maximum acceleration amax of the mass;
(e) the period T and frequency f;
(f) the displacement x as a function of time; and (g) the velocity at t = 0.150 s.
Solution:
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