A mass hangs on a spring held in a physicist's hand. When the mass is pulled down and then released, it oscillates with a period of 2.0 s. This system is taken to the space station orbiting the Earth. The spring is held in an astronaut's hand, and the mass, when pulled down and released, will
A) oscillate with a longer period.
B) oscillate with a shorter period.
C) oscillate with an unchanged period.
D) not oscillate at all.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The period of a spring-mass system only depends on its mass and the spring constant, which do not change in space. Therefore, the period will not change, and the system will oscillate with an unchanged period.

A Mass Hangs on a Spring Held in a Physicist's