Introduction to Simple Harmonic Motion

Contributed by:

Jonathan James Fri, Jan 21, 2022 05:52 PM UTC

• Simple Harmonic Motion revision
• Displacement, velocity, and acceleration in SHM
• Energy in SHM
• Damped harmonic motion
• Forced Oscillations
• Resonance

1. PHY 102: Waves & Quanta
Topic 1
Oscillations
John Cockburn (j.cockburn@... Room E15)

2. •Simple Harmonic Motion revision
•Displacement, velocity and acceleration in SHM
•Energy in SHM
•Damped harmonic motion
•Forced Oscillations

3. Simple Harmonic Motion
Object (eg mass on a spring, pendulum bob) experiences
restoring force F, directed towards the equilibrium position,
proportional in magnitude to the displacement from equilibrium:
F  kx Solution:
d 2x x(t) = 
m 2  kx
dt
2
d x 2
2
  x
dt
k

m

4. Example: Simple Pendulum (small amplitude)
(NOT SHM for large amplitude)

5. SHM and Circular motion
Light
Displacement of oscillating object = projection on
x-axis of object undergoing circular motion
y(t) = Acos
For rotational motion with angular frequency ,
displacement at time t:
y(t) = Acos(t + )
= angular displacement at t=0 (phase constant)
A = amplitude of oscillation (= radius of circle)

6. Velocity and acceleration in SHM
Displacement : x(t )  A cos(t   )
dx
Velocity : v(t )  
dt
d 2x
Acceleration : a (t )  2 
dt

7. Velocity and acceleration in SHM
Displacement : x(t )  A cos(t   )
dx
Velocity : v(t )   A sin(t   )
dt
d 2x
Acceleration : a(t )  2   2 A cos(t   )
dt

8. Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion
Potential energy:
Work done to stretch spring by an amount dx = Fdx = -kxdx
Total work done to stretch spring to displacement x:
W stored potential energy 
So, at any time t, the potential energy of the oscillator is given by:
PE 

9. Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion
Kinetic Energy:
At any time t, kinetic energy given by:
2
1 2 1  dx 
KE  mv  m  
2 2  dt 
Total Energy at time t = KE + PE:
E

10. Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion
Total energy in SHM is constant
1 2 2 1 2
E  m A  kA
2 2
Throughout oscillation, KE continually being transformed into PE and
vice versa, but TOTAL ENERGY remains constant

11. Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion

12. Damped Oscillations
In most “real life” situations, oscillations are always damped
(air, fluid resistance etc)
In this case, amplitude of oscillation is not constant, but
decays with

13. Damped Oscillations
For damped oscillations, simplest case
is when the damping force is
proportional to the velocity of the
oscillating object
In this case, amplitude decays
exponentially:
x(t )  Ae  ( b 2 m ) t cos( ' t   )
d 2x dx
Equation of motion: m 2  kx  b
dt dt

14. Damped Oscillations
NB: in addition to time dependent amplitude, the damped oscillator also has
modified frequency:
k b2   2 b2 
 '       0 
2 

2 
 m 4m   4m 
Light Damping Heavy Damping Critical Damping
(small b/m) (large b/m)
k b2
 2
m 4m

15. Forced Oscillations & Resonance
If we apply a periodically varying driving force to an oscillator (rather than just
leaving it to vibrate on its own) we have a FORCED OSCILLATION
Free Oscillation with damping:
Amplitude  A0 e  (b 2 m )t
d 2x dx
m 2  b  kx 0 k b2   2 b2 
dt dt Frequency  '       0 
2 

2 
 m 4m   4m 
Forced Oscillation with damping:
d 2x dx F0
m 2  b  kx F0 cos  D t Amplitude 
dt dt  k - m   b  
D
2 2 2
D
2
MAXIMUM AMPLITUDE WHEN DENOMINATOR MINIMISED:
k = mD2 ie when driving frequency = natural frequency of the UNDAMPED
k
 D 0 
m

16. Forced Oscillations & Resonance
When driving frequency =
natural frequency of
oscillator, amplitude is
maximum.
We say the system is in
RESONANCE
“Sharpness” of resonance
peak described by quality
factor (Q)
High Q = sharp resonance
Damping reduces Q

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