P professor Member Joined Dec 21, 2002 Messages 194 Location Garbage bin May 18, 2003 #1 Simple Harmonic Motion for accerleration...is it always that it is negative or wat??
wogboy Terminator Joined Sep 2, 2002 Messages 653 Location Sydney Gender Male HSC 2002 May 18, 2003 #2 If you let a = acceleration; and x = displacement, a < 0 (i.e. is negative), when x > 0 (i.e. is positive). Similarly a > 0 when x < 0; and a = 0 when x = 0. This is because the general formula for SHM is: a = -n^2 * x and since -n^2 is always < 0, you can see that a has the opposite sign to x. Basically, the motion is just going back and forth repeatedly (oscillating).
If you let a = acceleration; and x = displacement, a < 0 (i.e. is negative), when x > 0 (i.e. is positive). Similarly a > 0 when x < 0; and a = 0 when x = 0. This is because the general formula for SHM is: a = -n^2 * x and since -n^2 is always < 0, you can see that a has the opposite sign to x. Basically, the motion is just going back and forth repeatedly (oscillating).
P professor Member Joined Dec 21, 2002 Messages 194 Location Garbage bin May 18, 2003 #3 oh, i get it now...thx a million