Time Period of SHM | 500kg Car w/ 196,000 N/m

AI Thread Summary
To find the time period of a car undergoing simple harmonic motion (SHM), the correct formula is T = 2π√(M/k), where M is the mass and k is the spring constant. In this case, with a mass of 500 kg and a spring constant of 196,000 N/m, the calculation yields a time period of approximately 0.317 seconds. Initial confusion arose from an incorrect equation that swapped the mass and spring constant. The error was clarified, leading to the correct application of the formula. The final answer is consistent with the expected results for a mass-spring oscillator.
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Homework Statement



a man sits in a car that makes the center gravity of the car is pulled down by 0.3 cm. After he gets out of the car, find the time period of the car while it is moving in SHM

Mass of the car = 500kg
Spring constant = 196,000 N/m

Homework Equations


?

The Attempt at a Solution


I know that mass and the spring constant, both affect the time period of the object but how is their equation?
 
Last edited:
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The mass and spring constant are given data, not relevant equations.

Check your course text or notes or simply search the web for the period of a mass-spring oscillator.
 
gneill said:
The mass and spring constant are given data, not relevant equations.

Check your course text or notes or simply search the web for the period of a mass-spring oscillator.
sorry, I've edited it.
I found this equation
T=2π(SQRT*K/M) but I don't know if it correct or not. I plugged the the spring constant and the mass in the equation, I got about 124.33 s, I think it is too high for the time period
 
Presumably you meant:
$$T = 2 \pi \sqrt{\frac{k}{M}}~~~~~~~~\text{(which is not correct)}$$
You should be able to check an equation to see if the units make sense. Remember that a Newton (N) can be broken down as ##N = kg~m~s^{-2}## (which should be obvious from Newton's second law, f = ma).

In this case I think you'll find that the k and M should switch positions. Where did you find your version of the equation?
 
gneill said:
T=2π√kM (
gneill said:
Presumably you meant:
$$T = 2 \pi \sqrt{\frac{k}{M}}~~~~~~~~\text{(which is not correct)}$$
You should be able to check an equation to see if the units make sense. Remember that a Newton (N) can be broken down as ##N = kg~m~s^{-2}## (which should be obvious from Newton's second law, f = ma).

In this case I think you'll find that the k and M should switch positions. Where did you find your version of the equation?
14322768_893995810745305_4438087625792457269_n.jpg

I got it from another physics group
 
Pao44445 said:
View attachment 105777
I got it from another physics group
Can you not see the error in the very last step?
 
haruspex said:
Can you not see the error in the very last step?
When he converted ω is equal to 2π/T?
then it should be

ω = (SQRT*k/M)
2π/T = (SQRT*k/M)
T = 2π / (SQRT*k/M)

am I right? I used this equation an I got about 0.317 s
 
That works. The answer looks good.

The formula is usually written as ##T = 2 \pi \sqrt{\frac{M}{k}}##.

In the scanned page that you attached in post #5 there was an error in the final step of the derivation, as pointed out by @haruspex. It resulted in the argument under the square root being the reciprocal of what it should.
 
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