Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 1]PhysicsSimple Harmonic Motion
A spring-mass system undergoes oscillation inside a car. If the car accelerates along a horizontal road, the oscillation frequency will
Options
- Aincrease
- Bdecrease
- Cbecome zero
- Dremain the same
Correct answer
D. remain the same
Step-by-step solution
The frequency of oscillation of a spring-mass system is given by f = 1 2 k m , where k is the spring constant and m is the mass of the block. The frequency depends only on the mass of the block and the force constant of the spring. It is independent of the acceleration of the frame of reference. When the car accelerates horizontally, a constant pseudo force acts on the mass. This constant force only shifts the equilibrium position of the system but does not change the restoring force constant k . Since the restorin