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A2 Daily A Level Physics question

2026-05-02 OCR A Oscillations: SHM, damping & resonance (M5) OCR-A Module 5.2.2 Damped and forced oscillations — resonance curves, effect of damping on peak and bandwidth (qualitative)

An engineer characterises a lightly damped mass–spring system by sweeping the driving frequency and plotting steady‑state amplitude against frequency. She then adds a small fluid damper to increase the damping slightly. Which statement must be true about the new amplitude–frequency response?

  1. A The resonance peak becomes higher and narrower (smaller bandwidth) because the damper helps sustain the motion.
  2. B The peak amplitude is essentially unchanged but the resonant frequency shifts noticeably higher; the bandwidth is unchanged.
  3. C The resonance peak becomes lower and narrower (smaller bandwidth) because extra damping reduces energy losses.
  4. D The resonance peak becomes lower and broader (larger bandwidth); the resonance is less sharp. (correct)

Answer

The correct answer is D.

Correct: D — The resonance peak becomes lower and broader (larger bandwidth); the resonance is less sharp. A is wrong because damping removes energy per cycle, reducing peak amplitude and widening the response rather than raising and sharpening it. B is wrong because increased damping reduces the peak amplitude and typically does not shift the resonant frequency higher; bandwidth also increases. C is wrong because while the peak does drop, damping increases energy losses and makes the resonance less sharp, so the bandwidth grows rather than shrinks. D is correct because added damping lowers the peak and increases the bandwidth, giving a broader, less pronounced resonance.

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