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

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Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the time period of a car undergoing simple harmonic motion (SHM) after a man exits, with specific parameters provided: a mass of 500 kg and a spring constant of 196,000 N/m.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between mass and spring constant in the context of SHM, questioning the correctness of the formula for the time period. There are attempts to derive the equation and check unit consistency.

Discussion Status

Participants have explored different formulations of the time period equation and have identified potential errors in the derivation process. Some guidance has been offered regarding the correct arrangement of variables in the formula.

Contextual Notes

There are indications of confusion regarding the correct formula for the time period of a mass-spring system, with participants referencing external sources and previous discussions for clarification.

Pao44445
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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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