Concept:In Simple Harmonic Motion, maximum acceleration occurs at the points of maximum displacement (the amplitude), where the restoring force is strongest.
Formula:$$ F = ma $$
$$ F = kx $$
$$ a = \frac{kx}{m} $$
Solution:- We are given: Mass \( m = 10 \text{ kg} \), Spring constant \( k = 20 \text{ N/m} \).
- The maximum displacement (amplitude) is given in centimeters. Convert it to standard SI units (meters): \( x = 20 \text{ cm} = 0.2 \text{ m} \).
- Plug the values into the acceleration formula:
- \( a = \frac{20 \times 0.2}{10} \).
- \( a = \frac{4}{10} = 0.4 \text{ m s}^{-1} \).
Why other options are incorrect:Option B (4) happens if a student forgets to divide by the mass (10 kg). Option A and C result from not converting centimeters to meters.
Quality & Fidelity Assurance:
Every question on BeambePrep is rigorously curated against the official PMDC syllabus with zero filler, zero out-of-syllabus content, and zero typos. When an authentic past paper originally contained a historical mistake or ambiguity from the examining board (such as UHS or NUMS), BeambePrep faithfully reflects the original paper while detailing the nuance and scientific consensus in the autopsy above.