Question

When a car drives over a speed bump and oscillates up and down in simple harmonic motion, at which position during the motion is the acceleration of the car the greatest? when a car drives over a speed bump and oscillates up and down in simple harmonic motion, at which position during the motion is the acceleration of the car the greatest? at the equilibrium position, x = 0 at half the maximum amplitude, x = a/2 at the maximum amplitude, x = a none; the acceleration is constant?

Answer 1

Using the second Law of Newton, F = m * a, you know that acceleration is maximum when the force is maximum.


Using Hooke's Law, F = K Δx, you know that the force is maximum when the displacement from the equilibrium (Δx) is maximum.


So the answer is that the acceleration is maximum at the maximum amplitude x = a.