Why is the total mechanical energy of a harmonic oscillator constant?
AThe force is conservative
BThe force is convertible
CThe force is contractible
DThe force is compressible
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. The force is conservative
1. Energy is conserved only for certain kinds of force.
2. The restoring force in this motion is one of them.
3. The total energy is independent of time, as expected for motion under any conservative force.
4. So the force being conservative is the reason.
_Source: NCERT Class XI Physics Part II, Ch 13 'Oscillations'_
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