Unit 6: Simple Harmonic Motion

Unit 6: Simple Harmonic Motion in AP Physics 1 explores the repetitive motion of systems where the restoring force is directly proportional to displacement, such as springs and pendulums.

Key concepts include:

Simple Harmonic Oscillators: Systems like mass-spring systems and pendulums that exhibit periodic motion.
Restoring Force: Based on Hooke’s Law (
𝐹
=
−
𝑘
𝑥
F=−kx) for springs, where
𝑘
k is the spring constant and
𝑥
x is the displacement.
Energy in SHM: The interplay between kinetic energy and potential energy during oscillations, with total energy remaining constant.
Equations of Motion:
Period of a spring system:
𝑇
=
2
𝜋
𝑚
𝑘
T=2π
k
m
​

​

Period of a pendulum:
𝑇
=
2
𝜋
𝐿
𝑔
T=2π
g
L
​

​

Graphical Analysis: Representing displacement, velocity, and acceleration as sinusoidal functions of time.