14.

OSCILLATIONS
  Periodic Motion
 Periodic Functions
 Simple Harmonic
Motion(SHM) and its Equation
14.  Phase

Oscillations 


Oscillations of a loaded spring
Energy in S.H.M
 Simple pendulum
 Free, Forced and Damped
oscillations
 Resonance
 • Any motion that repeats itself over and over again
at regular intervals of time is called periodic or
harmonic motion.
• Eg: (i) The motion of any planet around the sun.
(ii) The motion of Halley’s comet around the sun.
• Oscillation: One complete back and forth motion of
a particle starting and ending at the same point is
called a cycle or oscillation or vibration.
• Time period(T): The time taken by a particle to
complete one oscillation is called its time period.
 Periodic motion
• Frequency(ν): It is defined as the number of
oscillations completed per unit time by a particle.
Frequency, ν = 1/T
The S.I unit of frequency = s-1 = cps = Hz
• The displacement as a function of time: The
displacement of the particle from mean position in a
particular direction at any instant of time is known
as instantaneous displacement.
• At time t the instantaneous displacement,
x = A cos ωt
 Periodic functions
• Any function that repeats itself at regular intervals of its argument is
called a periodic function.
• The function f(t) is periodic with period T,
 Simple harmonic motion(S.H.M)
• A particle is said to execute simple harmonic motion if it moves to and fro about a mean
position under the action of a restoring force which is directly proportional to its
displacement from the mean position and is always directed towards the mean position.
Restoring force(F) α Displacement(x)
F = -kx
here ‘-’ shows that F and x are opposite
in direction and k is called force constant
or spring factor.
• Force constant(k): The restoring force
produced per unit displacement.
• The S.I unit of k is Nm-1.
• F = ma = -kx
a = -(k/m)x
a αx
 • Examples of S.H.M:
(i) Oscillations of a loaded spring
(ii) Vibrations of a tuning fork.
(iii) Vibrations of the balance wheel of a watch.
• Important features of S.H.M:

SIMPLE HARMONIC (i) The motion of the particle is periodic.

MOTION . . . . (ii) It is the oscillatory motion of simplest kind.

(iii) Restoring force acting on the particle is
proportional to its displacement from the mean
position.
(iv) The force acting on the particle always
opposes the increase in its displacement.
(v) A S.H.M can always be expressed in terms
of a single harmonic function of sine or cosine.
SIMPLE
HARMONIC
MOTION . . .
..
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION
OF SHM:
 SIMPLE HARMONIC
MOTION . . . . .

• Phase(Φ): The phase of a vibrating particle

at any instant gives the state of the particle
as regards its position and the direction of
motion at that instant.
• Suppose a simple harmonic equation is
represented by
x = A cos(ωt + Φ0)
Then phase of the particle is Φ = ωt + Φ0
• The phase is a function of time.
• Initial phase or epoch(Φ0): The phase of
vibrating particle corresponding to time t=0 is
called initial phase or epoch.
At t=0, Φ = Φ0
 Simple harmonic motion . . . . .

Time period of SHM: The motion repeats after time interval 2ϖ/ω.

The Phase relation between x, v and a:

 Phase relation between

Displacement, velocity and acceleration:
 Energy in SHM
• The energy of a harmonic oscillator is partly kinetic and partly potential.
• The total mechanical energy E = K + U (for any conservative force)
Energy in SHM . . . . .
 Energy in SHM . . . . .
• Thus the total energy is conserved and independent of time or
displacement.
 Simple Pendulum
• An ideal simple pendulum consists of a point mass suspended by a flexible, inelastic and weightless
string from a rigid support of infinite mass.
• At any instant during oscillation,
the bob lies at position B when its
displacement is AB = x and the thread
makes angle θ with the vertical.
• From the FBD as shown,
The restoring force, F = -mg sinθ
If θ is small, then sinθ = θ = x/l
F = -mg(x/l) or ma = -mg(x/l)
a = -(g/l)x = - ω2x
Hence for small oscillations, the motion
of the bob is simple harmonic.

• The time period of a simple pendulum depends on its length l and acceleration due to gravity g but is
independent of the mass m of the bob.
  Free, forced and damped oscillations
• (a) Free(undamped) oscillations: If a body, capable of oscillation, is slightly
displaced from its position of equilibrium and left to itself, it starts oscillating with
its own frequency. Such oscillations are called free oscillations.
• The frequency with which a body oscillates freely is called natural frequency and
is given by ν0 =(1/2ϖ)(k/m)1/2.
• In the absence of dissipative forces, such a body vibrates with a constant
amplitude and fixed frequency.
• Ex: (i) The vibrations of the prongs of tuning fork.
(ii) The vibrations of the string of a sitar.
(ii)The oscillations of the bob of a pendulum.
Free, forced and damped oscillations . . . . .
• (b)Damped oscillations: The oscillations in which the amplitude
decreases gradually with the passage of time are called damped
oscillations.
• In most of the oscillations, a part of the energy of the oscillating
system is lost in the form of heat due to resistive forces.
• Ex:
(i) A mass suspended from a spring and vibrating in a liquid.
(ii) The oscillations of a swing in air.
 Free, forced and damped oscillations .....
• (c) Forced oscillations: When a body oscillates under the influence of an
external periodic force, not with its own natural frequency but with the
frequency of the external periodic force, its oscillations are said to be forced
oscillations.
• Ex: (i) When the stem of a vibrating tuning fork is pressed against a table, a
loud sound is heard. This is because the particles of table are forced to vibrate
with the frequency of the tuning fork.
(ii) The sound boards of all stringed musical instruments like sitar, violin, etc.
execute forced oscillations and the frequency of oscillation is equal to the
natural frequency of the vibrating string.
 Resonance
• Resonance: It is a particular case of forced oscillations in which
the frequency of the driving force is equal to the natural
frequency of the oscillator itself and the amplitude of oscillations
is very large. Such oscillations are called resonant oscillations
and phenomenon is called resonance.
• Ex:
(i) An aircraft passing near a building shatters its window
panes, if the natural frequency of the window matches the
frequency of the sound waves sent by the aircraft’s engine.
(ii) The air-column in a resonance tube produces a loud sound
when its frequency matches the frequency of the tuning fork.
(iii) A glass tumbler or a piece of china-ware on shelf set into
resonant vibrations when some note is sung or played.
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