JEE Main · Physics · Oscillations

Energy in SHM: JEE Main previous year questions

Name: Energy in SHM: JEE Main previous year questions
Creator: Lumi

21 questions in the 108 JEE Main shifts Lumi analysed, in 7 of 8 years. Pattern: Asked most years. 5 came in 2024–26. Here is how it is asked and which ideas come back.

Questions: 21; in 20 of 108 shifts
Years asked: 7/8; last asked 2026
Chance in a shift: 19%; calibrated model, how we compute it
Weighted estimate: 0.2; model; history: 0.2 a shift on average, typically 0.1–0.3

Key findings

01
Asked in 7 of 8 years with analysed shifts and in 20 of 108 shifts: 21 questions, #138 of 196 topics. The years that asked it were 1.5 apart on average.
02
65% of its questions since 2020 tested an idea no earlier year had asked; 4 repeated an idea from the year before.
03
The most repeated idea is Fractional Energy Displacements, asked 3 times in 3 shifts (2021, 2023), most often as “energy ratio at half amplitude”.
04
JEE Main has asked 12 of the 56 ideas in this topic; 41 have never been asked, directly or inside another question.
05
Mostly asked as single correct (48%); 33% need a numerical answer, 43% are easy and 0% hard. It went down from 0.3 to 0.1 questions a shift since 2024.
06
The skill tested most is calculation (43%), then data or graph (19%).

Questions a shift, year by year

Out of the 25 Physics questions in a shift. Years differ in how many shifts Lumi analysed, so each year is scaled to one shift.

Raw count: 2017: 1 in 1 shift · 2020: 1 in 12 shifts · 2021: 7 in 24 shifts · 2022: 2 in 24 shifts · 2023: 5 in 12 shifts · 2024: 4 in 18 shifts · 2025: 0 in 8 shifts · 2026: 1 in 9 shifts.

Up to 2023: 0.3; a shift, of 25
Since 2024: 0.1; -0.2
Usual gap: 1.5 yrs; between years asking it
Shifts with it: 20/108; 19% of analysed shifts

How it is asked

Difficulty, format and skill

Across all 21 questions on Energy in SHM since 2017.

Difficulty

QUESTIONS

912

Easy9 · 43%
Medium12 · 57%
Hard0 · 0%

Format

Single correct · 10 Q48%
Numerical value · 7 Q33%
Diagram based · 3 Q14%
Other · 1 Q5%

Skill tested

Calculation · 9 Q43%
Data or graph · 4 Q19%
Conceptual · 3 Q14%
Multi-step · 2 Q10%
Application · 2 Q10%
Diagram reading · 1 Q5%

Repeats

New idea, or one asked before?

Each column is a year. Blue questions tested an idea no earlier year had asked; navy ones went back to an idea from an earlier year. 2017 is the first year, so everything in it counts as new. Heights are question counts, and Lumi analysed 1 to 24 shifts a year, so compare the split inside a column rather than heights across years.

’17’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

Idea asked for the first time
Idea asked in an earlier year

Coverage of the topic

JEE Main has asked 12 of the 56 ideas in this topic. 41 have never been asked yet.

1241

Asked directly12 · 21%
Touched inside another question3 · 5%
Never asked41 · 73%

Ideas come from Lumi’s JEE syllabus map. A never-asked idea is not a safe skip: across all of JEE Main, 22% of questions since 2024 tested an idea no earlier year had asked.

Drill down

Idea, year, question

Every idea JEE Main tested in this topic, with its eight years. Open one to read the questions.

ideaAskedShareYears’17’20’21’22’23’24’25’26

OpenRepeated3 · 14%14%2/82
- 12 Apr ’23 S1 · Q40
  A particle is executing simple harmonic motion (SHM). The ratio of potential energy and kinetic energy of the particle when its…
  easySingle correct
- 25 Jul ’21 S2 · Q10
  In a simple harmonic oscillation, what fraction of total mechanical energy is in the form of kinetic energy, when the particle is midway…
  easySingle correctNew idea
- 17 Mar ’21 S1 · Q16
  For what value of displacement the kinetic energy and potential energy of a simple harmonic oscillation become equal ?
  easySingle correctNew idea
OpenRepeated3 · 14%14%3/8
Open2 · 10%10%1/82
OpenRepeated2 · 10%10%2/8
OpenRepeated2 · 10%10%2/8
OpenRepeated2 · 10%10%2/8
OpenRepeated2 · 10%10%2/8
Open1 · 5%5%1/8
Open1 · 5%5%1/8
Open1 · 5%5%1/8
Open1 · 5%5%1/8
Open1 · 5%5%1/8

Squares are the 8 years with analysed shifts, 2017 to 2026. A number is the questions that year when there is more than one; the shade is scaled to one shift, so a year with more analysed shifts (1 to 24 a year) does not look darker. Share is of the level above.

Ideas

Every idea inside this topic

12 different ideas were tested; 7 came more than once.

Fractional Energy Displacements3×
energy ratio at half amplitude
Single correct · 3 shifts
Mass Dropped at Mean Position3×
amplitude ratio after mass added at mean
Single correct · 3 shifts · 1 numerical
Total Mechanical Energy2×
frequency and energy of vertical spring mass
Single correct · 2 shifts
Kinetic Energy in SHM2×
amplitude from kinetic and potential energy
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 2 numerical
Kinetic to Potential Energy Ratio2×
energy ratio at given shm displacement
Numerical value · 2 shifts · 1 numerical
Energy-Displacement Graphs2×
graph of kinetic energy vs displacement in shm
Diagram based · 2 shifts
Energy-Time Graphs in SHM2×
graph interpretation of ke versus time in shm
Single correct · 2 shifts
Velocity-Displacement from Energy Conservation1×
displacement from speed in shm
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numerical
Energy Change from Instantaneous Impulse1×
new amplitude after sudden velocity change
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numerical
Average Energy Values1×
count correct statements on energy in shm
Other · 1 shift
Maximum Kinetic and Potential Energy Equivalence1×
time when kinetic equals potential energy in shm
Numerical value · 1 shift · 1 numerical
Phase Space Energy Ellipse1×
identify position-momentum curve for shm
Diagram based · 1 shift

Idea	Times	Shifts	Format	Numerical
Fractional Energy Displacementsenergy ratio at half amplitude	3	3	Single correctCalculation	–
Mass Dropped at Mean Positionamplitude ratio after mass added at mean	3	3	Single correctApplication	1
Total Mechanical Energyfrequency and energy of vertical spring mass	2	2	Single correctConceptual	–
Kinetic Energy in SHMamplitude from kinetic and potential energy	2	2	Numerical valueCalculation	2
Kinetic to Potential Energy Ratioenergy ratio at given shm displacement	2	2	Numerical valueCalculation	1
Energy-Displacement Graphsgraph of kinetic energy vs displacement in shm	2	2	Diagram basedData or graph	–
Energy-Time Graphs in SHMgraph interpretation of ke versus time in shm	2	2	Single correctData or graph	–
Velocity-Displacement from Energy Conservationdisplacement from speed in shm	1	1	Numerical valueCalculation	1
Energy Change from Instantaneous Impulsenew amplitude after sudden velocity change	1	1	Numerical valueMulti-step	1
Average Energy Valuescount correct statements on energy in shm	1	1	OtherConceptual	–
Maximum Kinetic and Potential Energy Equivalencetime when kinetic equals potential energy in shm	1	1	Numerical valueCalculation	1
Phase Space Energy Ellipseidentify position-momentum curve for shm	1	1	Diagram basedDiagram reading	–

Times and shifts count every analysed shift. Across JEE Main, 78% of questions since 2024 went back to an idea an earlier year had asked; the rest were new. All repeated ideas

Every question

Energy in SHM questions, year by year

The opening words of each question as it appeared in the official paper, with the idea it tested. Open one for its options and the official answer.

Questions from the official JEE Main Paper 1 shifts published by NTA (CBSE for 2017). Questions NTA dropped are left out. Topic and idea tags, counts and notes are Lumi’s.

Key findings

Questions a shift, year by year

Difficulty, format and skill

Difficulty

Format

Skill tested

New idea, or one asked before?

Coverage of the topic

Idea, year, question

Every idea inside this topic

Energy in SHM questions, year by year

JEE Main 20261 question in 1 shift

JEE Main 20244 questions in 4 shifts

JEE Main 20235 questions in 4 shifts

JEE Main 20222 questions in 2 shifts

JEE Main 20217 questions in 7 shifts

JEE Main 20201 question in 1 shift

JEE Main 20171 question in 1 shift

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