CBSE · NCERT · Class 11 Physics · Chapter 13

NCERT Solutions: Class 11 Physics Chapter 13 - Oscillations

13 textbook Q&A13 verifiedFree Content

Chapter-wise NCERT intext questions and exercise answers for Oscillations, grounded in the official textbook.

Questions are taken verbatim from the NCERT textbook; answers were grounded against the chapter's content during generation. Items needing review are marked.
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Exercises 13
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1Exercises13 questions
Q.13.1Which of the following examples represent periodic motion? (a) A swimmer completing one (return) trip from one bank of a river to the other and back. (b) A freely suspended bar magnet displaced from its N-S direction and released. (c) A hydrogen molecule rotating about its centre of mass. (d) An arrow released from a bow.v
Solution

A periodic motion repeats itself after equal intervals of time. The oscillation of a freely suspended magnet repeats, and a rotating hydrogen molecule returns to the same orientation after each revolution. A single return trip by a swimmer is only one event, not a repeated motion. An arrow released from a bow follows a non-repeating projectile path.

Answer:

(b) and (c) represent periodic motion.

Q.13.4Which of the following functions of time represent (a) simple harmonic, (b) periodic but not simple harmonic, and (c) non-periodic motion? Give period for each case of periodic motion (ω is any positive constant): (a) sin ωt – cos ωt (b) sin3 ωt (c) 3 cos (π/4 – 2ωt) (d) cos ωt + cos 3ωt + cos 5ωt (e) exp (–ω2t2) (f) 1 + ωt + ω2t2v
Solution

A single sine or cosine with constant angular frequency represents SHM. Thus $\sin\omega t-\cos\omega t=\sqrt2\sin(\omega t-\pi/4)$ is SHM with period $2\pi/\omega$, and $3\cos(\pi/4-2\omega t)$ is SHM with period $2\pi/(2\omega)=\pi/\omega$. The function $\sin^3\omega t=(3\sin\omega t-\sin3\omega t)/4$ is periodic but contains more than one harmonic component, so it is not a single SHM. Similarly $\cos\omega t+\cos3\omega t+\cos5\omega t$ is periodic with common period $2\pi/\omega$ but is not one SHM. The exponential and polynomial expressions do not repeat.

Answer:

(a) SHM, period $2\pi/\omega$; (b) periodic but not SHM, period $2\pi/\omega$; (c) SHM, period $\pi/\omega$; (d) periodic but not SHM, period $2\pi/\omega$; (e) non-periodic; (f) non-periodic.

Q.13.5A particle is in linear simple harmonic motion between two points, A and B, 10 cm apart. Take the direction from A to B as the positive direction and give the signs of velocity, acceleration and force on the particle when it is (a) at the end A, (b) at the end B, (c) at the mid-point of AB going towards A, (d) at 2 cm away from B going towards A, (e) at 3 cm away from A going towards B, and (f) at 4 cm away from B going towards A.v
Solution

The mean position is the midpoint of AB. In SHM, $a=-\omega^2x$ and $F=ma$, where $x$ is measured from the mean position. At A, $x$ is negative, so $a$ and $F$ are positive; at B, $x$ is positive, so $a$ and $F$ are negative. At the midpoint, $x=0$, so $a=F=0$, and the velocity sign is set by the direction of motion. Points closer to B have positive $x$ and hence negative acceleration and force; points closer to A have negative $x$ and hence positive acceleration and force.

Answer:

(a) $v=0$, $a$ positive, $F$ positive; (b) $v=0$, $a$ negative, $F$ negative; (c) $v$ negative, $a=0$, $F=0$; (d) $v$ negative, $a$ negative, $F$ negative; (e) $v$ positive, $a$ positive, $F$ positive; (f) $v$ negative, $a$ negative, $F$ negative.

Q.13.6Which of the following relationships between the acceleration a and the displacement x of a particle involve simple harmonic motion? (a) a = 0.7x (b) a = –200x2 (c) a = –10x (d) a = 100x3v
Solution

For SHM, acceleration must be proportional to displacement and opposite in direction: $a=-\omega^2x$. Option (c) has this form with $\omega^2=10$. Option (a) has the wrong sign, while (b) and (d) are nonlinear in $x$.

Answer:

Only (c), $a=-10x$, involves simple harmonic motion.

Q.13.7The motion of a particle executing simple harmonic motion is described by the displacement function, x(t) = A cos (ωt + φ ). If the initial (t = 0) position of the particle is 1 cm and its initial velocity is ω cm/s, what are its amplitude and initial phase angle ? The angular frequency of the particle is π s–1. If instead of the cosine function, we choose the sine function to describe the SHM : x = B sin (ωt + α), what are the amplitude and initial phase of the particle with the above initial conditions.v
Solution

At $t=0$, $A\cos\phi=1$. Also $v=-A\omega\sin\phi$, and the given initial velocity is $+\omega\,\text{cm s}^{-1}$, so $-A\sin\phi=1$. Squaring and adding gives $A^2=2$, hence $A=\sqrt2\,\text{cm}$. Then $\cos\phi=1/\sqrt2$ and $\sin\phi=-1/\sqrt2$, so $\phi=-\pi/4$. For $x=B\sin(\omega t+\alpha)$, $B\sin\alpha=1$ and $B\cos\alpha=1$, giving $B=\sqrt2\,\text{cm}$ and $\alpha=\pi/4$.

Answer:

For $x=A\cos(\omega t+\phi)$, $A=\sqrt2\,\text{cm}$ and $\phi=-\pi/4$ (equivalently $7\pi/4$). For $x=B\sin(\omega t+\alpha)$, $B=\sqrt2\,\text{cm}$ and $\alpha=\pi/4$.

Q.13.8A spring balance has a scale that reads from 0 to 50 kg. The length of the scale is 20 cm. A body suspended from this balance, when displaced and released, oscillates with a period of 0.6 s. What is the weight of the body ?v
Solution

A load of $50\,\text{kg}$ stretches the spring by $0.20\,\text{m}$, so $k=50g/0.20=2450\,\text{N m}^{-1}$. For a mass-spring oscillator, $T=2\pi\sqrt{m/k}$, so $m=kT^2/(4\pi^2)=2450(0.6)^2/(4\pi^2)=22.3\,\text{kg}$. Hence weight $mg=22.3\times9.8=2.19\times10^2\,\text{N}$.

Answer:

The weight is about $2.19\times10^2\,\text{N}$, corresponding to a mass of about $22.3\,\text{kg}$.

Q.13.9A spring having with a spring constant 1200 N m–1 is mounted on a horizontal table as shown in Fig. 13.19. A mass of 3 kg is attached to the free end of the spring. The mass is then pulled sideways to a distance of 2.0 cm and released. Determine (i) the frequency of oscillations, (ii) maximum acceleration of the mass, and (iii) the maximum speed of the mass.v
Solution

Here $k=1200\,\text{N m}^{-1}$, $m=3\,\text{kg}$ and $A=2.0\,\text{cm}=0.020\,\text{m}$. The angular frequency is $\omega=\sqrt{k/m}=\sqrt{1200/3}=20\,\text{rad s}^{-1}$. Thus $f=\omega/(2\pi)=20/(2\pi)=3.18\,\text{Hz}$. Maximum acceleration is $\omega^2A=20^2(0.020)=8.0\,\text{m s}^{-2}$, and maximum speed is $\omega A=20(0.020)=0.40\,\text{m s}^{-1}$.

Answer:

(i) $3.18\,\text{Hz}$; (ii) $8.0\,\text{m s}^{-2}$; (iii) $0.40\,\text{m s}^{-1}$.

Q.13.10In Exercise 13.9, let us take the position of mass when the spring is unstreched as x = 0, and the direction from left to right as the positive direction of x-axis. Give x as a function of time t for the oscillating mass if at the moment we start the stopwatch (t = 0), the mass is (a) at the mean position, (b) at the maximum stretched position, and (c) at the maximum compressed position. In what way do these functions for SHM differ from each other, in frequency, in amplitude or the initial phase?v
Solution

From Exercise 13.9, $A=0.020\,\text{m}$ and $\omega=20\,\text{rad s}^{-1}$. If the body is at the mean position at $t=0$ and moves initially in the positive direction, $x=A\sin\omega t=0.020\sin20t$. At maximum stretch, $x=A$ at $t=0$, so $x=A\cos\omega t=0.020\cos20t$. At maximum compression, $x=-A$ at $t=0$, so $x=-A\cos\omega t=-0.020\cos20t$. These are phase-shifted forms of the same SHM.

Answer:

Taking motion through the mean position initially towards positive $x$: (a) $x=0.020\sin20t\,\text{m}$; (b) $x=0.020\cos20t\,\text{m}$; (c) $x=-0.020\cos20t\,\text{m}$. The frequency and amplitude are the same; only the initial phase differs.

Q.13.13Figure 13.21(a) shows a spring of force constant k clamped rigidly at one end and a mass m attached to its free end. A force F applied at the free end stretches the spring. Figure 13.21 (b) shows the same spring with both ends free and attached to a mass m at either end. Each end of the spring in Fig. 13.21(b) is stretched by the same force F. (a) What is the maximum extension of the spring in the two cases ? (b) If the mass in Fig. (a) and the two masses in Fig. (b) are released, what is the period of oscillation in each case ?v
Solution

The spring tension is $F$ in each case, so Hooke's law gives extension $x=F/k$ for both arrangements. In Fig. 13.21(a), the fixed-end spring with mass $m$ has period $T=2\pi\sqrt{m/k}$. In Fig. 13.21(b), the centre of mass remains fixed and the two equal masses move symmetrically. For the relative extension coordinate, the reduced mass is $m/2$, so $T=2\pi\sqrt{(m/2)/k}=2\pi\sqrt{m/(2k)}$.

Answer:

(a) The maximum extension is $F/k$ in both cases. (b) The periods are $2\pi\sqrt{m/k}$ for Fig. 13.21(a) and $2\pi\sqrt{m/(2k)}$ for Fig. 13.21(b).

Q.13.14The piston in the cylinder head of a locomotive has a stroke (twice the amplitude) of 1.0 m. If the piston moves with simple harmonic motion with an angular frequency of 200 rad/min, what is its maximum speed ?v
Solution

The stroke is $2A=1.0\,\text{m}$, so $A=0.50\,\text{m}$. The angular frequency is $200\,\text{rad min}^{-1}=200/60=3.33\,\text{rad s}^{-1}$. Maximum speed in SHM is $v_{\max}=\omega A=3.33\times0.50=1.67\,\text{m s}^{-1}$.

Answer:

$1.67\,\text{m s}^{-1}$.

Q.13.15The acceleration due to gravity on the surface of moon is 1.7 m s–2. What is the time period of a simple pendulum on the surface of moon if its time period on the surface of earth is 3.5 s ? (g on the surface of earth is 9.8 m s–2)v
Solution

For the same pendulum, $T=2\pi\sqrt{l/g}$, so $T_m/T_e=\sqrt{g_e/g_m}$. Therefore $T_m=3.5\sqrt{9.8/1.7}=8.4\,\text{s}$.

Answer:

$8.4\,\text{s}$ approximately.

Q.13.16A simple pendulum of length l and having a bob of mass M is suspended in a car. The car is moving on a circular track of radius R with a uniform speed v. If the pendulum makes small oscillations in a radial direction about its equilibrium position, what will be its time period ?v
Solution

In the non-inertial frame of the car, the bob experiences gravity $Mg$ downward and a centrifugal force $Mv^2/R$ radially outward. The effective acceleration is the vector sum, $g_{\text{eff}}=\sqrt{g^2+(v^2/R)^2}$. For small oscillations about the equilibrium direction, the pendulum period is $T=2\pi\sqrt{l/g_{\text{eff}}}=2\pi\sqrt{l/\sqrt{g^2+v^4/R^2}}$.

Answer:

$T=2\pi\sqrt{\dfrac{l}{\sqrt{g^2+v^4/R^2}}}$.

Q.13.18One end of a U-tube containing mercury is connected to a suction pump and the other end to atmosphere. A small pressure difference is maintained between the two columns. Show that, when the suction pump is removed, the column of mercury in the U-tube executes simple harmonic motion.v
Solution

Suppose one limb rises by $y$ and the other falls by $y$ from the equilibrium level. The level difference is then $2y$, producing pressure difference $\rho g(2y)$. The restoring force on cross-sectional area $A$ is $F=-2\rho gAy$. If $L$ is the total length of mercury in the tube, the moving mass is $\rho AL$. Thus $\rho AL\ddot{y}=-2\rho gAy$, or $\ddot{y}+(2g/L)y=0$. This is the equation of SHM, with angular frequency $\sqrt{2g/L}$ and period $2\pi\sqrt{L/(2g)}$.

Answer:

After the pump is removed, the mercury column executes SHM with period $T=2\pi\sqrt{L/(2g)}$, where $L$ is the total length of the mercury column.