Damping of S.H.M.

In practice, simple harmonic variations of a pendulum, will die away as the

energy is dissipated by viscous forces due to the air. The oscillation is then said
to be damped. In the absence of any damping forces the oscillations are said to
be free. Some Damping medium examples are light oil, water or glycerine.
-Many damping forces depend on velocity (sometimes simply being
proportional to velocity).
This occurs because the non-conservative damping force removes energy from
the system, usually in the form of thermal energy. Energy removal by non-
conservative forces is described as Wnc = Δ(KE + PE), where Wnc is work done by
a non-conservative force (here the damping force). For a damped harmonic
oscillator, Wnc is negative because it removes mechanical energy (KE + PE) from
the system.

Figure 1
In this graph of displacement versus time for a harmonic oscillator with a small
amount of damping, the amplitude slowly decreases, but the period and
frequency are nearly the same as if the system were completely undamped.
If you gradually increase the amount of damping in a system, the period and
frequency begin to be affected, because damping opposes and hence slows the
back and forth motion.

Figure 2
Completely undamped system the oscillations will continue indefinitely i.e same
period and frequency
Under damping: the condition in which damping of an oscillator causes it to
return to equilibrium with the amplitude gradually decreasing to zero; system
returns to equilibrium faster but overshoots and crosses the equilibrium
position one or more times as in figure 1
A critically damped system the condition in which the damping of an oscillator
causes it to return as quickly as possible to its equilibrium position without
oscillating back and forth about this position as in Curve A. eg suspension of a
car.

An overdamped system: the condition in which damping of an oscillator causes

it to return to equilibrium without oscillating; oscillator moves more slowly
toward equilibrium than in the critically damped system as shown in Curve B
figure 2

Example
Suppose a 0.200-kg object is connected to a spring as shown in Figure 3, but
there is simple friction between the object and the surface, and the coefficient
of friction μk is equal to 0.0800.
1. What is the frictional force between the surfaces?
2. What total distance does the object travel if it is released 0.100 m from
equilibrium, starting at v = 0? The force constant of the spring is k = 50.0
N/m.

Figure 3. The transformation of energy in simple harmonic motion is illustrated

for an object attached to a spring on a frictionless surface.

Solution to Part 1

Friction is f = μkmg.
Enter the known values into the equation: f = (0.0800) (0 .200 kg) (9 .80 m/ s 2 )
Then f = 0.157 N .
Part 2
Because the motion starts from rest, the energy in the system is initially
1
PEs= 2 kX2 This energy is removed by work done by friction Wnc = −fd,
where d is the total distance traveled and f = μkmg is the force of friction.
When the system stops moving, the friction force will balance the force exerted
1
by the spring, so PEf = 2 kx2 where x is the final position and is given by
F=f
Kx = μkmg
X = μkmg/k
1. By equating the work done to the energy removed, solve for the distance d.
2. The work done by the non-conservative forces equals the initial, stored
elastic potential energy.
1 mgμ
Wnc=Δ(KE+PE)=PEf−PEs = 2 k(( k
)2−X2)
K
3. Recall that Wnc = −fd.
4. Enter the friction as f = μkmg into Wnc = −fd, thus Wnc = −μkmgd.
5. Combine these two equations to find
1 mgμ k 2 2
2
k(( ) −X ) =−μkmgd
K
6. Solve the equation for d:
k mgμk 2
d= 2mgμ (X2−( ))
k K
7. Enter the known values into the resulting equation:
50.0
d = 2(0.08)(0.2)(9.8) ( ( 0.1 ) −( 0.08¿ (0.2)(9.8)¿¿ 50.0 ) )
2 2

8. Calculate d and convert units d = 1.59 m.

This is the total distance traveled back and forth across x = 0, which is the
undamped equilibrium position. The number of oscillations about the
equilibrium position will be more than
d 1.59 m
X
= 0.1 m =15.9
because the amplitude of the oscillations is decreasing with time. At the end of
the motion, this system will not return to x = 0 for this type of damping force,
because static friction will exceed the restoring force. This system is
underdamped. In contrast, an overdamped system with a simple constant
damping force would not cross the equilibrium position x = 0 a single time. For
example, if this system had a damping force 20 times greater, it would only
move 0.0484 m toward the equilibrium position from its original 0.100-m
position.
 Forced oscillations and Resonance
In order to keep a system which has a degree of damping in a continuous
oscillatory motion some outside periodic force (forcing frequency) must be
used.
A B C D E

if all these bobs are of the same weight by applying force to swing bob A, after
some time, all the other bobs will start to oscillate at different frequencies due
to forced oscillations by the air surrounding them.
The bob with the same length as bob A ie bob E will oscillate similar to bob A
hence the two bobs are at Resonance( ie when the forcing frequency is equal
to the natural frequency).
At resonance the current and voltage are in phase. Below resonance the
current leads the voltage by 900. At very high frquencies the current lags by 900.
natural frequency-; the frequency at which a system would oscillate if there
were no driving and no damping forces
resonance -; the phenomenon of driving a system with a frequency equal to
the system’s natural frequency or a phenomenon in which an external force or
a vibrating system forces another system around it to vibrate with greater
amplitude at a specified frequency of operation.

resonate -; a system being driven at its natural frequency.

Forced frequency-; is the frequency due to an outside periodic force.

The less damping a system has, the higher the amplitude of the forced
oscillations near resonance. The more damping a system has, the broader
response it has to varying driving frequencies.

Examples of resonance include Musical Instruments, Swing, Bridge(Group of

soldiers marching on the bridge are asked to break their steps very often
because their rhythmic marching can set extreme vibrations at the bridge’s
natural frequency.)
A resonant frequency is the natural vibrating frequency of an object and is
usually denoted as (f0). Resonance is witnessed in objects that is in equilibrium
with acting forces and could keep vibrating for a long time under perfect
conditions.

Different Types of Resonance

Mechanical Resonance
Mechanical resonance can be defined as the tendency of a mechanical system
to respond at greater amplitude when the frequency of its oscillations matches
the system’s natural frequency of vibration (its resonance frequency or
resonant frequency) than it does at other frequencies.The resonant frequency
of a spring is calculated using the given formula:

2π √
f 0= 1 x k
m
Where,

 m is the mass of the spring

 k is the spring constant

Acoustic Resonance
Acoustic resonance is a phenomenon in which an acoustic system amplifies
sound waves whose frequency matches one of its own natural frequencies of
vibration. Acoustic resonance is an important consideration for instrument
builders as most acoustic instruments such as the length of tube in a flute, the
strings and body of a violin and the shape of a drum membrane use resonators.
Acoustic resonance is also important for hearing.
Electrical Resonance
In a circuit when the inductive reactance and the capacitive reactance are equal
in magnitude electrical resonance occurs. The resonant frequency in an LC
circuit is given by the formula

1
ω= where ω = 2πf,
√ LC
f = frequency of resonance
L = Inductance, Henry
C = Capacitance , farad
 Problems & Exercises

1: How much energy must the shock absorbers of a 1200-kg car dissipate in
order to damp a bounce that initially has a velocity of 0.800 m/s at the
equilibrium position? Assume the car returns to its original vertical position.
384 J

2: If a car has a suspension system with a force constant of 5.00×104 N/m,how

much energy must the car’s shocks remove to dampen an oscillation starting
with a maximum displacement of 0.0750 m?
3: (a) How much will a spring that has a force constant of 40.0 N/m be
stretched by an object with a mass of 0.500 kg when hung motionless from the
spring? (b) Calculate the decrease in gravitational potential energy of the
0.500-kg object when it descends this distance. (c) Part of this gravitational
energy goes into the spring. Calculate the energy stored in the spring by this
stretch, and compare it with the gravitational potential energy. Explain where
the rest of the energy might go.
(a). 0.123 m

(b). −0.600 J

(c). 0.300 J. The rest of the energy may go into heat caused by friction
and other damping forces.

4: Suppose you have a 0.750-kg object on a horizontal surface connected to a

spring that has a force constant of 150 N/m. There is simple friction between
the object and surface with a static coefficient of friction μs=0.100.(a) How far
can the spring be stretched without moving the mass? (b) If the object is set
into oscillation with an amplitude twice the distance found in part (a), and the
kinetic coefficient of friction is μk=0.0850,what total distance does it travel
before stopping? Assume it starts at the maximum amplitude.
5: Engineering Application: A suspension bridge oscillates with an effective
force constant of 1.00×108 N/m. (a) How much energy is needed to make it
oscillate with an amplitude of 0.100 m? (b) If soldiers march across the bridge
with a cadence equal to the bridge’s natural frequency and impart 1.00×104 J of
energy each second, how long does it take for the bridge’s oscillations to go
from 0.100 m to 0.500 m amplitude?
(a)5.00×105 J
(b)1.20×103 s