AP Physics: Simple Harmonic Motion
Task
Lesson Purpose Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) is a special type of periodic motion widely used to model the variation of real-world variables. Since SHM is one of the rare instances in high school physics requiring students to work with sinusoidal functions, the primary goal of this task is to help students develop comfort and fluency with these functions. Narrative In the context of designing a juicer, the task presented here allows students to: Visualize simple harmonic motion as a sinusoidal function. Deepen their understanding of key concepts associated with SHM, such as time period and amplitude. Fit a sinusoidal function to a given SHM, and interpret the parameters of the model in context. Interpret velocity as the slope of the tangent line to the graph of displacement versus time in the context of SHM. Standard Overall, the task definitively achieves a clearly stated goal of the AP Physics 1 curriculum, which is as follows: 7.3.A.3: Properties of SHM can be determined and analyzed using graphical representations. How Tuva Enhances the Lesson By allowing for opportunities to manipulate and visualize data, Tuva allows for a deeper understanding of sinusoidal functions and SHM concepts that are usually inaccessible to students through abstract algebra or pure reasoning alone.
In physics class, things can sometimes feel disconnected from the real world. After all, where do you actually see a block oscillating on a frictionless tabletop with a spring attached? Yet, we study this exact system to understand Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM). Why? The secret is this: While the setup may not be real, the characteristics of SHM are everywhere! By learning to identify those specific characteristics, we can better describe countless real-world systems and make powerful predictions about them. That’s exactly what we’ll focus on in this investigation. Let’s dive in! ![]320
Topics and standards: Physics, Motion, Grades 9-12, AP Sciences, AP Physics, Assessment