CHAPTER 10: OSCILLATIONS

I. Describing Oscillation

Oscillation is going back and forth repeatedly between

two positions or states. An oscillation can be a periodic
motion that repeats itself in a regular cycle, such as
a sine wave, the side-to-side swing of a pendulum, or
the up-and-down motion of a spring with a weight. A
special kind of periodic motion occurs in mechanical
systems when the force acting on an object is
proportional to the position of the object relative to
some equilibrium position. If this force is always
directed toward the equilibrium position, the motion is
called simple harmonic motion.
tuned dampers
For a body attached to a spring and displaced from its
equilibrium position, the spring exerts a restoring force
on it, which tends to restore the object to the
equilibrium position. This force causes oscillation of the
system, or periodic motion.

Characteristics of Periodic Motion:

a. Amplitude (A) is the maximum magnitude

of displacement from equilibrium.

b. Period (T) is the time for one cycle.

c. Frequency (f) is the number of cycles per

unit time. SI unit is Hertz (Hz = s-1)

1 1
f = ∧T =
T f

d. Angular frequency () is 2π times the frequency.

ω=2 πf
II. Simple Harmonic Motion

When the restoring force is directly proportional to the displacement from equilibrium, the
resulting motion is called simple harmonic motion (SHM).

An ideal spring obeys Hooke’s law, so the restoring force is F x =− kx which results a simple
harmonic motion.
2
d x −k
F x =ma=−kx a= 2 = x
dt m

The diagram below shows the projection of uniform circular motion into simple harmonic
motion.

The ball’s shadow moves exactly like a body oscillating on an ideal spring.

The angular frequency is

Δθ θ −θ o
ω= =
Δ t t − to

At t=0 ,θ=0
θ 2π
ω= = =2 πf
t T

From the diagram, the position as a function of time is

 x= A cos θ= A cos ωt
Taking the second derivative of x with respect to time

2
d 2 x d ( A cos ωt )
= =− A ω2 cos ωt =−ω 2 x
d t2 d t2

2 −k
−ω x= x
m

2 k
ω=
m

Thus,

and
ω=
√ k
m

f=
1
2π √ k
m
∧T =2 π
m
k √
Displacement, Velocity, Acceleration in Simple Harmonic Motion

If at t=0 , the phasor OQ makes an angle ϕ with the positive x-axis, then at any later time t this
angle is θ=ωt +ϕ . Thus, the displacement as a function of time for SHM with phase angle ϕ is

x= A cos θ= A cos (ωt +ϕ )

It tells us at what point in the cycle the motion was at t=0 (equivalent to where around the
circle the point Q was at t=0 ).

In simple harmonic motion the position is a periodic, sinusoidal function of time. There are
many other periodic functions, but none as simple as a sine or cosine function. The value of the
cosine function is always between -1 and 1, so x is always between − A and A .

Velocity is the time derivative of displacement expressed as

dx d ( A cos (ωt + ϕ) )
vx= = =− ωA sin (ωt +ϕ)
dt dt
Likewise, acceleration is the time derivative of velocity (or the second derivative of
displacement)

d v x d 2 x d ( −ωA sin( ωt+ ϕ) ) 2

a x= = 2= =− ω A cos( ωt+ ϕ)
dt dt dt

The graphs below show x versus t for two values the phase angle ϕ .

0∧π
ϕ=0 ϕ=
2

III. Simple Pendulum

A simple pendulum is an idealized model consisting of a point mass suspended by a massless,

unstretchable string. When the point mass is pulled to one side of its straight-down equilibrium
position and released, it oscillates about the equilibrium position. Familiar situations such as a
wrecking ball on a crane’s cable or a person on a swing can be modeled as simple pendulums.

If the pendulum swings with a small amplitude  with the vertical, its motion is simple
harmonic, where the restoring force is the component of weight along the arc of the motion.

mg
F ( θ )=m aθ=− mg sinθ=− x
L

with
mg
k=
L

Thus,

√
mg
ω=
√
k
m
=
m
L
=
g
L √
The corresponding period and frequency relations are
SOLVED PROBLEMS
f=
1
2π √ g
L √
∧T =2 π
L
g

1. The balance wheel of a watch vibrates with an angular amplitude θ angular frequency ω and
phase angle ф = 0 (a) find expressions for the angular velocity dθ/dt and angular acceleration
d2θ/dt2 as functions of time. (b) find the balance wheel’s angular velocity and angular
acceleration when its angular displacement is θ and when its angular displacement is θ/2 and is
decreasing. (Hint: Sketch a graph of versus t.)

Solution

2. A guitar string vibrates at a frequency of 440Hz. A point at its center moves in SHM with an
amplitude of 3mm and a phase angle of zero. (a) write an equation for the position of the
center of the string as a function of time, (b) what are the maximum values of the magnitudes
of the velocity and acceleration of the center of the string? (c) the derivative of the acceleration
with respect to time is a quantity called the jerk. Write an equation for the jerk of the center of
the string as a function of time, and find the maximum value of the magnitude of the jerk.

Solution:
3. A small block is attached to an ideal spring and is moving in SHM on a horizontal, frictionless
surface. The amplitude of the motion is 0.25m and the period is 3.20s. What are the speed and
acceleration of the block when x = 0.16m.

Solution:

4. A certain simple pendulum has a period on the earth of 1.60 s. What is its period on the
surface of Mars, where g = 3.71 m/s2 ?

Solution: