The displacement of an ideal mass-spring oscillator is described by

PHYSICS · Single correct · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Oscillations · Oscillations

Problem

x=A\cos(\omega t)

, where

\omega

is the angular frequency. Which of the following time dependences could represent the oscillator’s elastic potential energy

U(t)

? (a)

U=U_{\max}\cos(2\omega t)

(b)

U=U_{\max}\cos^{2}(\omega t)

(c)

U=U_{\max}\cos(\omega t)

(d)

U=U_{\max}\sin^{2}(\omega t)