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Intro to Simple Harmonic Motion (Horizontal Springs) definitions

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  • Simple Harmonic Motion
    A type of periodic motion where the restoring force is directly proportional to the displacement.
  • Mass Spring System
    A system where a mass is attached to a spring, exhibiting oscillatory motion.
  • Spring Constant
    A measure of a spring's stiffness, denoted by K, in the equation F = KX.
  • Displacement
    The distance and direction from the equilibrium position in oscillatory motion.
  • Amplitude
    The maximum displacement from the equilibrium position in oscillatory motion.
  • Equilibrium Position
    The central position where the net force on the mass is zero in a mass spring system.
  • Period
    The time taken to complete one full cycle of oscillation, denoted by T.
  • Frequency
    The number of oscillations per unit time, inversely related to the period.
  • Angular Frequency
    The rate of change of the phase of a sinusoidal waveform, denoted by Omega.
  • Force
    In a spring system, it is the product of the spring constant and displacement.
  • Acceleration
    The rate of change of velocity, proportional to the force in a mass spring system.
  • Velocity
    The speed of the mass in a specific direction, maximum at the equilibrium position.
  • Radians
    A unit of angular measure used in angular frequency calculations.
  • Oscillation
    The repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value.
  • Sinusoidal
    A waveform that describes smooth periodic oscillations, like sine and cosine functions.