I have trouble visualizing simple harmonic motion, and remembering all the related equations. How should I think about it?

The key is to realize that displacement, velocity and acceleration all vary sinusoidally, with the graph of each being displaced relative to the preceding one by 90 degrees; thinking about these three graphs, and how they describe the motion of a horizontal mass-spring system, will give you an intuitive understanding of the dynamics of simple harmonic motion (SHM).Knowing the defining equation of SHM, a = -w2x, and remembering that x, v and a are all sine or cosine functions, you can derive all the equations by simply applying Newton's laws to the system. Do this once, and see how each equation arises from the underlying physics; this will help you remember them, because you'll know what they mean and why they're true.

GC
Answered by Gianluca C. Physics tutor

2151 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Calculate the time taken for 1000L of water at rtp to be heated to 40degrees celsius using a 40kW heater


If one proton is travelling through space at 0.3c, what is it's kinetic energy in MeV?


A ball is thrown out of a window 18m off the ground. It is thrown horizontally at 0.5m/s. Show that it takes about 2s to reach the ground


You have a layer of glass with a refractive index of 1.5 and the glass is surrounded by air. A light ray shines into the glass and Total Internal Reflection occurs at the glass-air boundary. What is the critical angle?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning