Understanding Simple Harmonic Motion

What type of motion does a pendulum on a grandfather clock exhibit?

• Circular motion

• Random motion

• Periodic motion

• Linear motion

What happens to a block attached to a spring when it is released after being pulled?

• It moves in a straight line

• It remains stationary

• It vibrates back and forth

• It falls to the ground

What is the maximum kinetic energy of the block attached to the spring?

• When the spring is least compressed

• When the spring is most compressed

• When the block is in the middle and moving the fastest

• When the block stops moving

What does the graph of the position of the block against time resemble?

• A hyperbola

• A sinusoidal curve

• A parabola

• A linear line

What law describes the force that a spring can exert?

• Ohm's Law

• Hooke's Law

• Pascal's Law

• Newton's First Law

What is the unit of the spring constant?

• Newtons per second

• Kilograms per meter

• Meters per second

• Newtons per meter

What type of energy is at a maximum when the spring is most or least compressed?

• Kinetic energy

• Thermal energy

• Elastic potential energy

• Gravitational potential energy

What factor is unique to a particular spring and affects its motion?

• Air resistance

• Gravity

• Mass of the block

• Spring constant

What is the expression for the elastic potential energy of a spring?

• kx/m

• 1/2 mv^2

• mgx

• 1/2 kx^2

What kind of potential energy is involved in the motion of a pendulum?

• Kinetic energy

• Chemical energy

• Gravitational potential energy

• Elastic potential energy