A particle executes simple harmonic motion along a horizontal line.The graph of

Question

A particle executes simple harmonic motion along a horizontal line.The graph of the particle's position as a function of time is shownin the diagram below. Note thatthe x displacement of the particle is plotted onthe vertical axis and time is plotted on the horizontal axis. (a) What is the amplitude of motion for this particle? m (b) What is the period of oscillation for this motion? s (c) What is the equation that correctly describes the motion ofthis particle? Use appropriate numerical valuesfor A and T; use tfor t and (pi) for ? whereappropriate. x =

Explanation / Answer

You're really close. You have a cosine function for thebase of your equation. Notice that the graph starts off at x= 0 when t = 0. This is a problem, becuase in your equation,cos(0) = 1, so we can't have that. Change the "cos" to a"sin" to fix this (sin(0) = 0). Also, notice that the graph starts going down at thebeginning, whereas a sine function starts to become positive when tmoves away from zero. Add a "-" sign in front of yourfunction to account for the negative attribute seen on thegraph.

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse A
• Subjects

---

---

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.