13: Simple Harmonic Motion
- Understand how to model the position, velocity, and acceleration of a mass attached to a spring.
- Understand the conditions under which a system undergoes simple harmonic motion.
- Understand how to model the motion of a pendulum when it undergoes simple harmonic motion.
In this chapter, we look at oscillating systems that undergo “simple harmonic motion”, such as the motion of a mass attached to a spring. Many systems in the physical world, such as an oscillating pendulum, can be described by the same mathematical formalism that describes the motion of a mass attached to a spring.
What do the motion of a mass attached to a spring, a cork bobbing in the water, and a pendulum have in common?