#AP Physics 1: Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) - The Night Before 🚀

Hey there, future physics master! Let's get you prepped for SHM. This unit is all about periodic motion, think pendulums and springs. It's a smaller part of the exam (~2-4%), but mastering it will boost your confidence and show off your understanding of forces and energy!

#Big Ideas at Play

• Big Idea #3: Force Interactions - Forces describe how objects interact. SHM is a great example of forces at work, like the restoring force of a spring.
• Big Idea #5: Conservation - Energy transforms but is always conserved. In SHM, we see kinetic and potential energy constantly trading places.

#🔗 Key Concepts

• Period (T) - Time for one full cycle.
• Amplitude - Max displacement from equilibrium.
• Frequency (f) - Cycles per second.
• Equilibrium Point - The resting position.
• Kinetic Energy (K) - Energy of motion.
• Potential Energy (Ug ,Usp) - Stored energy (gravitational or spring).

#🧮 Key Equations

#6.1 ⏱️ Period of Simple Harmonic Oscillators

#What is a Simple Harmonic Oscillator?

A simple harmonic oscillator (SHO) is anything that moves back and forth with a consistent rhythm. Think of a pendulum swinging or a mass bouncing on a spring. The key is that they follow Hooke's Law: the force pulling them back to the center is proportional to how far they've moved from that center. It's like the system is always trying to get back to its happy place.