CAIE A-Level Physics A2 17.2.1 The Interchange Between Kinetic and Potential Energy During Simple Harmonic Questions

Describe how kinetic and potential energy interchange during SHM and identify where each energy is at a maximum or minimum.

Exam points

describe the interchange between kinetic and potential energy during simple harmonic motion
identify where kinetic or potential energy is maximum or minimum during an oscillation

[Maximum number: 3]

A small steel sphere is oscillating vertically on the end of a spring, as shown in Fig. 4.1.

Fig. 4.1

The velocity v of the sphere varies with displacement x from its equilibrium position according to

v= \pm 9.7 \sqrt{\left(11.6-x^{2}\right)}

where v is in $\mathrm{cms}^{-1}$ and x is in cm .

Describe, without calculation, the interchange between the potential energy and the kinetic energy of the oscillations.

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