In the given figure, a body of mass M is held between two massless springs, on a smooth inclined plane. The free ends of the springs are attached to firm supports. If each spring has spring constant k, the frequency of oscillation of given body is:
(A)2π12mk
(B)2π1Mgsinαk
(C)2π1M2k✓ Correct
(D)2π1Mgsinα2k
Answer: (C)
Solution
The component Mgsinα of the weight along the incline is already balanced by the springs at the equilibrium position, so it only fixes where that position lies and drops out of the equation of motion. For a displacement x from equilibrium along the incline, one spring is compressed by x while the other is stretched by x, and both act back towards equilibrium:
F=−(kx+kx)=−2kx
The effective stiffness is 2k, so ω=M2k and the frequency of oscillation is
f=2π1M2k
JEE Main · 2021 · 24 Feb 2021 · Shift 2 · Single correct option