A mass m hanging on a spring with a spring constant k has simple harmonic motion with a period T. If the mass is doubled to 2m, the period of oscillation
A) increases by a factor of 2.
B) decreases by a factor of 2.
C) increases by a factor of
D) decreases by a factor of
E) is not affected.

Question

A mass m hanging on a spring with a spring constant k has simple harmonic motion with a period T. If the mass is doubled to 2m, the period of oscillation
A) increases by a factor of 2. 
B) decreases by a factor of 2. 
C) increases by a factor of 
D) decreases by a factor of 
E) is not affected.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The period of oscillation of a spring-mass system is given by T=2π√(m/k). 
If the mass is doubled (m→2m), the period becomes T'=2π√(2m/k)=√2 T.
Therefore, the period increases by a factor √2, which is approximately 1.41, or 11eaa4be_8520_eb9a_9e4a_4b5165ed53c4_TB6080_11. So, the correct answer is C.

A Mass M Hanging on a Spring with a Spring