Review e

MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Department of Physics
8.02
Review E: Simple Harmonic Motion and Mechanical Energy

This Worked Example demonstrates the basics of Simple Harmonic Motion (SHO) and
so is included as a review unit.
An object of mass m = 4.0 102 kg sitting on a frictionless surface is attached to one end
of a spring. The other end of the spring is attached to a wall. Assume that the object is
constrained to move horizontally along one dimension. The spring has spring
constant k = 2.0 102 N/ m . The spring is initially stretched a distance 2.0cm from the
equilibrium position and released at rest.
a) What is the position of the mass as a function of time?
b) What is the velocity of the mass as a function of time?
c) What is the time that it takes the mass-spring system to first return to its original
configuration?
d) How do the initial conditions for the position and velocity of the mass-spring
system enter into the solution?
e) What is the kinetic energy of the mass as a function of time?
f) What is the potential energy of the spring-mass system as a function of time?
g) What is mechanical energy of the spring-mass system as a function of time?
Solutions:
a) Choose the origin at the equilibrium position. Choose the positive x -direction to the
right. Define x ( t ) to be the position of the mass with respect to the equilibrium position.
Figure 1 Mass-spring system

E-1
Newtons Second law in the horizontal direction Fx = m ax becomes
k x = m ax = m
d 2x
dt 2
(E.1)
This equation is called the simple harmonic oscillator (SHO) equation. Since the spring
force depends on the distance x , the acceleration is not constant. This is a second-order
linear differential equation in which the second derivative in time of the position of the
mass is proportional to the negative of the position of the mass,
d 2x
x
dt 2
(E.2)
d 2x
k
= x
2
dt
m
(E.3)
The constant of proportionality is k m ,
This equation can be solved directly by more advanced techniques, involving

conservation of energy to obtain the speed vx as a function of position x and separation
of variables. There is an existence and uniqueness theorem from the theory of
differential equations which states that a unique solution exists which satisfies a given set
of initial conditions x0 x ( t = 0 ) and v0 v ( t = 0 ) where x0 and v0 are constants. A
second approach is to guess the solution and then verify that the guess satisfies the SHO
differential equation. The guess for the solution takes the form
x ( t ) = A cos ( t ) + B sin ( t )
(E.4)
The term is called the angular frequency (unfortunately the same symbol is used for
angular velocity in circular motion but it should be clear that for a mass-spring system
there is no circular motion). In order for the guess to satisfy the SHO equation, the
angular frequency must satisfy
= k m
(E.5)
Proof: To verify the guess, take the first and second derivatives of the guess and
substitute the second derivative into the SHO equation,
dx dt = A sin ( t ) + B cos ( t )
d 2 x dt 2 = 2 A cos ( t ) 2 B sin ( t ) = 2 ( A cos ( t ) + B sin ( t ) ) = 2 x (t )
(E.6)
(E.7)
E-2
The last equality follows from substituting in our guess, x ( t ) = A cos ( t ) + B sin ( t ) .
Thus the SHO equation becomes
d 2x
k
= 2 x = x
2
dt
m
(E.8)
This is satisfied providing

= k m
(E.9)
QED
The graph of position x ( t ) vs. time t described by our solution is shown in Figure 2 .
Figure 2 Graph of position x(t ) vs. time (with A = B = 1 and = 1 rad/s .)

b) The velocity of the object at time t is then obtained by differentiating the solution,
v ( t ) = dx dt = A sin ( t ) + B cos ( t )
(E.10)
The graph of velocity v ( t ) vs. time t is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3 graph of velocity v ( t ) vs. time (with A = B = 1 and = 1 rad/s .)

E-3
c) The mass-spring system oscillates and returns back to its initial configuration for the
first time at a time t = T where the T is called the period and is defined by the condition
T = 2
(E.11)
since cos ( 0 ) = cos ( 2 ) = 1 , and sin ( 0 ) = sin ( 2 ) = 0

Therefore the period is
T = 2 = 2
k m = 2 k / m
(E.12)
d) The guess for the solution takes the form

x ( t ) = A cos ( t ) + B sin ( t )
(E.13)
where A and B are constants determined by the specific initial conditions
A = x0 and B =
v0
(E.14)
Proof: To find the constants A and B , substitute t = 0 into the guess for the solution.
Since cos ( 0 ) = 1 and sin ( 0 ) = 0 , the initial position at time t = 0 is
x0 x ( t = 0 ) = A
(E.15)
v0 = v ( t = 0 ) = A sin ( 0 ) + B cos ( 0 ) = B
(E.16)
The velocity at time t = 0 is
Thus
A = x0 and B =
v0
(E.17)
QED
Then the position of the spring-mass system is
x ( t ) = x0 cos
k mt +
v0
sin
k m
k mt
(E.18)
and the velocity of the spring-mass system is
E-4
v ( t ) = k m x0 sin
k m t + v0 cos
k mt
(E.19)
In the example, the angular frequency is

=
k
2.0 102 N/ m
=
= 7.1101 rad/ s
m
4.0 102 kg
(E.20)
A = x0 = 2.0 102 m
B=
(E.21)
v0
=0
(E.22)
So the position is
x ( t ) = x0 cos
k mt
(E.23)
and the velocity is
k mt
1
1
m v 2 = k x02 sin 2
2
2
1 2 1 2
k x = k x0 cos 2
2
2
v ( t ) = k m x0 sin
(E.24)
k mt
(E.25)
k mt
(E.26)
e) The kinetic energy is
f) The potential energy is
g) The total mechanical energy is

E = K +U =
( (
1
1
1
m v 2 + k x 2 = k x02 cos 2
2
2
2
k m t + sin 2
k mt
)) = 12 k x
2
0
(E.27)
Since x0 is a constant, the total energy is constant!

For our example the total energy is
E=
2
1 2 1
k x0 = ( 2.0 102 N/ m )( 2.0 102 m ) = ( 2.0 102 J )
2
2
(E.28)
E-5

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MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

Review E: Simple Harmonic Motion and Mechanical Energy

Figure 1 Mass-spring system

Newtons Second law in the horizontal direction Fx = m ax becomes

The constant of proportionality is k m ,

This equation can be solved directly by more advanced techniques, involving

This is satisfied providing

Figure 2 Graph of position x(t ) vs. time (with A = B = 1 and = 1 rad/s .)

The graph of velocity v ( t ) vs. time t is shown in Figure 3.

Figure 3 graph of velocity v ( t ) vs. time (with A = B = 1 and = 1 rad/s .)

since cos ( 0 ) = cos ( 2 ) = 1 , and sin ( 0 ) = sin ( 2 ) = 0

d) The guess for the solution takes the form

where A and B are constants determined by the specific initial conditions

The velocity at time t = 0 is

Then the position of the spring-mass system is

and the velocity of the spring-mass system is

In the example, the angular frequency is

and the velocity is

e) The kinetic energy is

f) The potential energy is

g) The total mechanical energy is

Since x0 is a constant, the total energy is constant!

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