Exam-style question
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In a simple harmonic motion graph, the phase difference between displacement and velocity is observed to be 90 degrees. What does this phase relationship imply about the motion?.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- The 90-degree phase difference implies that when the displacement is at its maximum, the velocity is zero, and vice versa, indicating that the velocity is greatest when the displacement is zero.
Explanation
Why this works
The evidence of a 90-degree phase difference shows that displacement and velocity are out of sync; when one is at its peak, the other is at its lowest point. This implies that the mass moves fastest as it passes through the equilibrium position, where displacement is zero.
Thus, the conclusion is that this phase relationship is characteristic of simple harmonic motion, where kinetic and potential energy continuously convert into each other.
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