Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
The following figure gives the x-t plot of a particle executing one-dimensional simple harmonic motion. Give the signs of position, velocity and acceleration variables of the particle at t = 0.3 s, 1.2 s, – 1.2 s.

Advertisements
Solution
Negative, Negative, Positive (at t = 0.3 s)
Positive, Positive, Negative (at t = 1.2 s)
Negative, Positive, Positive (at t = –1.2 s)
For simple harmonic motion (SHM) of a particle, acceleration (a) is given by the relation:
a = – ω2x ...(i)
where ω is the angular frequency and x is the displacement from the equilibrium position.
The velocity is the derivative of displacement with respect to time `v = dx/dt` ...(ii)
At time t = 0.3 s, x is negative. Thus, the slope of the x-t plot will also be negative. Therefore, both position and velocity are negative.However, according to equation (i), the acceleration of the particle is positive.
At time t = 1.2 s, x is positive. Thus, the slope of the x-t plot will also be positive. Therefore, both position and velocity are positive. However, using equation (i), acceleration of the particle comes to be negative.
At time t = –1.2 s, x is negative. Thus, the slope of the x-t plot will also be negative. Since both x and t are negative, according to equation (ii), the velocity is positive. As the position is negative, according to equation (i), the acceleration is positive.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
A car moving along a straight highway with a speed of 126 km h–1 is brought to a stop within a distance of 200 m. What is the retardation of the car (assumed uniform), and how long does it take for the car to stop?
Two trains A and B of length 400 m each are moving on two parallel tracks with a uniform speed of 72 km h–1 in the same direction, with A ahead of B. The driver of B decides to overtake A and accelerates by 1 m/s2. If after 50 s, the guard of B just brushes past the driver of A, what was the original distance between them?
A player throws a ball upwards with an initial speed of 29.4 m s–1.
- What is the direction of acceleration during the upward motion of the ball?
- What are the velocity and acceleration of the ball at the highest point of its motion?
- Choose the x = 0 m and t = 0 s to be the location and time of the ball at its highest point, vertically downward direction to be the positive direction of x-axis, and give the signs of position, velocity and acceleration of the ball during its upward and downward motion.
- To what height does the ball rise and after how long does the ball return to the player’s hands? (Take g = 9.8 m s–2 and neglect air resistance).
A ball is dropped from a height of 90 m on a floor. At each collision with the floor, the ball loses one tenth of its speed. Plot the speed-time graph of its motion between t = 0 to 12 s.
The velocity of a particle is towards west at an instant. Its acceleration is not towards west, not towards east, not towards north and towards south. Give an example of this type of motion .
A train starts from rest and moves with a constant acceleration of 2.0 m/s2 for half a minute. The brakes are then applied and the train comes to rest in one minute. Find the total distance moved by the train.
A car travelling at 60 km/h overtakes another car travelling at 42 km/h. Assuming each car to be 5.0 m long, find the time taken during the overtake and the total road distance used for the overtake.
A ball is projected vertically upward with a speed of 50 m/s. Find the time to reach the maximum height .
A stone is thrown vertically upward with a speed of 28 m/s. change if the initial speed is more than 28 m/s such as 40 m/s or 80 m/s ?
A healthy youngman standing at a distance of 7 m from a 11.8 m high building sees a kid slipping from the top floor. With what speed (assumed uniform) should he run to catch the kid at the arms height (1.8 m)?
A ball is dropped from a height of 5 m onto a sandy floor and penetrates the sand up to 10 cm before coming to rest. Find the retardation of the ball is sand assuming it to be uniform.
A ball is thrown horizontally from a point 100 m above the ground with a speed of 20 m/s. Find the velocity (direction and magnitude) with which it strikes the ground.
A ball is thrown at a speed of 40 m/s at an angle of 60° with the horizontal. Find the maximum height reached .
Find the average velocity of a projectile between the instants it crosses half the maximum height. It is projected with a speed u at an angle θ with the horizontal.
A person is standing on a truck moving with a constant velocity of 14.7 m/s on a horizontal road. The man throws a ball in such a way that it returns to the truck after the truck has moved 58.8 m. Find the speed and the angle of projection as seen from the truck .
A person is standing on a truck moving with a constant velocity of 14.7 m/s on a horizontal road. The man throws a ball in such a way that it returns to the truck after the truck has moved 58.8 m. Find the speed and the angle of projection as seen from the road.
A river 400 m wide is flowing at a rate of 2.0 m/s. A boat is sailing at a velocity of 10 m/s with respect to the water, in a direction perpendicular to the river. Find the time taken by the boat to reach the opposite bank.
A man is standing on top of a building 100 m high. He throws two balls vertically, one at t = 0 and other after a time interval (less than 2 seconds). The later ball is thrown at a velocity of half the first. The vertical gap between first and second ball is +15 m at t = 2 s. The gap is found to remain constant. Calculate the velocity with which the balls were thrown and the exact time interval between their throw.
