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Water Wave

Theme C - Wave Behaviour 

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Rocket

Theme A - Space, Time & Motion

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Thermometer

Theme B - The Particulate Nature Of Matter

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Magnifying Glass Tilted Right

Theme D - Fields

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Microscope

Theme E - Nuclear & Quantum Physics

Feeling wobbly? Let&#39;s dance with the physics of oscillation!

<ul>
	<li>Imagine a spring bouncing up and down. The way it moves is not random; it&#39;s rhythmic like your favorite song&#39;s beat.</li>
	<li>SHM is a groovy kind of oscillation that traces a sinusoidal (sine or cosine) graph. If you start by pushing the mass upwards, it&#39;s positive, if downwards, it&rsquo;s negative.</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>The force (and so acceleration) size should grow with how far the object is pulled away from its chill spot (equilibrium). Think of it like a rubber band, the more you stretch it, the more it wants to snap back!</li>
	<li>The force (again, and acceleration) should always push or pull the object back towards its chill spot.</li>
</ul>

💡 Newton&#39;s 2nd Law of Motion connects these dots between force and acceleration!

It&#39;s the sweet spot where the mass is perfectly balanced - the weight of the mass and the spring&#39;s tension cancel out. Imagine a seesaw perfectly balanced in the middle.

<ul>
	<li>Remember: F = &minus; kx
	<ul>
		<li>F = Restoring force wanting the spring to chill again.</li>
		<li>k = Spring&#39;s constant, its stiffness.</li>
		<li>x = How much you&#39;ve stretched or compressed the spring.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
	<li>This equation screams: the more you stretch (or compress), the angrier the spring gets!</li>
</ul>

<ul>
	<li>&nbsp;Replacing F, we get: a = &minus; (constant)2&nbsp;&times; x
	<ul>
		<li>This ensures the force and displacement are always in a tug-of-war.</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

🌍 Real World Example:

<ul>
	<li>Electromagnetic Radiation: Ever hear of Heinrich Hertz? This cool dude from the 19th century proved the existence of radio waves but thought, &quot;Eh, probably not that useful&quot;. Little did he know, just 15 years later, Marconi would be sending transatlantic messages using Hertz&#39;s &quot;not-so-useful&quot; discovery. SHM links to these frequencies. Think of radio waves as invisible springs oscillating around us.</li>
</ul>

SHM&#39;s main goal is to get back to the center (equilibrium).

<ul>
	<li>If the mass drifts away, SHM is like a mom yelling at her kid to come back home.</li>
	<li>At the maximum stretch or compression, SHM pushes or pulls the mass back with max speed!</li>
</ul>

A graph plotting acceleration against displacement for SHM is negative. It&#39;s like a downhill ski slope. The further you are from equilibrium, the bigger the push back.

<ul>
	<li>Our defining equation can also be: a = &minus;&omega;2&nbsp;&times; x
	<ul>
		<li>Here, &omega; (omega) links SHM and circular motion. Imagine the oscillations as a shadow of something moving in circles!</li>
	</ul>
	</li>
</ul>

Takeaway: SHM is like life; no matter how much you deviate, there&#39;s always a force trying to bring you back to your center!

&nbsp;

Happy Studying! 🌌📚

Theme C - Wave Behaviour

Understanding Simple Harmonic Motion: From Basics To Electromagnetic Radiation

Table of content

Introduction - what is simple harmonic motion? 🎵

Two must-haves for SHM 🤔

Equilibrium position 🍃

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme C - Wave Behaviour

Understanding Simple Harmonic Motion: From Basics To Electromagnetic Radiation

Table of content

Introduction - what is simple harmonic motion? 🎵

Two must-haves for SHM 🤔

Equilibrium position 🍃

Unlock the Full Content!