Physics › Section K · Oscillations and waves › Topic K.2
Simple harmonic motion
When the restoring force obeys Hooke's law, an oscillator moves in the simplest and most regular way possible. Its period depends only on mass and stiffness, never on how far it swings, and its motion traces out a perfect cosine curve.
In this topic
- The simplest oscillation
- Period does not depend on amplitude
- What sets the period
- Worked example: a cart on a spring
- Worked example: weighing an astronaut
- Position as a cosine
- Angular frequency, velocity and acceleration
- Worked example: the extremes of the motion
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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