The mass in the figure slides on a frictionless surface. If m = 2 kg, k₁ = 800 N/m and k₂ = 500 N/m, the frequency of oscillation (in Hz) is approximately A) 6 B) 2 C) 4 D) 8 E) 10

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The frequency of oscillation can be found using the formula: f = (1/2π)√(k/m) where k is the effective spring constant and m is the mass of the object. In this case, the effective spring constant k can be found by combining the two springs in parallel: 1/k = 1/k₁ + 1/k₂ 1/k = 1/800 + 1/500 k = 307.7 N/m Plugging in the values, we get: f = (1/2π)√(307.7/2) ≈ 4 Hz Therefore, the best choice is (C) 4, as it is the closest to the calculated frequency.

The Mass in the Figure Slides on a Frictionless Surface