STANDARD Physics Simple Harmonic Motion MCQ Question
A particle is acted simultaneously by mutually perpendicular simple harmonic motions x = a cos ωt and y = a sin ωt. The trajectory of motion of the particle will be
an ellipse
a parabola
a circle
a straight line
Correct Answer
Detailed Explanation
Given x = a cos ωt and y = a sin ωt, squaring and adding these equations gives x² + y² = a²(cos²ωt + sin²ωt) = a². This is the equation of a circle, indicating the trajectory is circular.
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