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title: "Students attach a thin strip of metal to a table so that the strip is horizontal in relation to the ground. A section of the strip hangs off the edge of the table. A mass is secured to the end of the hanging section of the strip and is then displaced so that the mass-strip system oscillates, as shown in the figure. Students make various measurements of the net force \\( F \\) exerted on the mass as a result of the force due to gravity and the normal force from the strip, the vertical position \\( y \\) of the mass above and below its equilibrium position \\( y \\), and the period of oscillation \\( T’ \\) when the mass is displaced by different amplitudes \\( A \\). Which of the following explanations is correct about the evidence required to conclude that the mass undergoes simple harmonic motion?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/28685/"
date_modified: "2026-08-21T15:33:30+00:00"
---

# Students attach a thin strip of metal to a table so that the strip is horizontal in relation to the ground. A section of the strip hangs off the edge of the table. A mass is secured to the end of the hanging section of the strip and is then displaced so that the mass-strip system oscillates, as shown in the figure. Students make various measurements of the net force \( F \) exerted on the mass as a result of the force due to gravity and the normal force from the strip, the vertical position \( y \) of the mass above and below its equilibrium position \( y \), and the period of oscillation \( T’ \) when the mass is displaced by different amplitudes \( A \). Which of the following explanations is correct about the evidence required to conclude that the mass undergoes simple harmonic motion?

Students attach a thin strip of metal to a table so that the strip is horizontal in relation to the ground. A section of the strip hangs off the edge of the table. A mass is secured to the end of the hanging section of the strip and is then displaced so that the mass-strip system oscillates, as shown in the figure. Students make various measurements of the net force \( F \) exerted on the mass as a result of the force due to gravity and the normal force from the strip, the vertical position \( y \) of the mass above and below its equilibrium position \( y \), and the period of oscillation \( T’ \) when the mass is displaced by different amplitudes \( A \). Which of the following explanations is correct about the evidence required to conclude that the mass undergoes simple harmonic motion?

![Diagram](https://nerd-notes.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Screen-Shot-2024-03-24-at-5.26.04-PM-300x162.png)

- **A.** The period \(T\) of oscillation depends on the amplitude \(A\) of the mass, because the students can directly change this value during the experiment.
- **B.** The net force \( F \) exerted on the mass must be directly proportional to the vertical position \( y \), because the net force exerted on the mass is the restoring force.
- **C.** The mass’s acceleration is proportional to the square of the vertical position \(y\), because the elastic potential energy of the mass-strip system can be modeled by the equation for spring potential energy.
- **D.** The motion of the mass repeats after a specific time interval, because total mechanical energy is considered to be conserved in simple harmonic motion.

*The answer key and step-by-step explanation are available to logged-in users at https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/28685/*