1. Limited time only! Sign up for a free 30min personal tutor trial with Chegg Tutors
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Join Physics Forums Today!
The friendliest, high quality science and math community on the planet! Everyone who loves science is here!

Homework Help: Simple harmonic motion trouble

  1. Jul 7, 2005 #1

    Lalasushi

    User Avatar

    hey guys im having trouble figuring out if something is undergoing simple harmonic motion. i know that for an object to be executing simple harmonic motion, its position and velocity must follow a sin curve...but im still having trouble. ok for example, a question on a worksheet said "a basketball player dribbles a ball with a steady period of T seconds. is the motion simple harmonic?" the answer was no. but i dont understand. how do u tell if its postiion and velocity follows a sin curve? can anyone explain to me?
     
    Lalasushi, Jul 7, 2005
  2. jcsd
    Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories on Phys.org
  3. Jul 7, 2005 #2

    MalleusScientiarum

    User Avatar

    When the particle is changing direction, does its velocity go to zero? If so, you're looking at something that could be simple harmonic.
     
    MalleusScientiarum, Jul 7, 2005
  4. Jul 7, 2005 #3

    siddharth

    User Avatar
    Homework Helper
    Gold Member

    If the force on an object is directly propotional to the displacement of an object, but in a direction which is opposite to the displacement, then the object will undergo Simple Harmonic motion.
    ie,
    F=-kx
    Now, can you see why the basketball bouncing is not Simple Harmonic motion?
     
    siddharth, Jul 7, 2005
Share this great discussion with others via Reddit, Google+, Twitter, or Facebook