Chapter 13

Periodic Motion
or
Oscillation

Oscillations – motions that repeat themselves

Examples:
9 swinging chandeliers
9 boats bobbing at anchor
9 guitar strings
9 quartz crystals in wristwatches
9 atoms in solids
9 air molecules that transmit sound
9 …

Oscillations in real word are usually damped; that is,

the motion dies out gradually, transferring mechanical
energy to thermal energy

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 Periodic motion
Any motion that repeat itself at regular intervals is
called periodic motion or harmonic motion.

Key characteristics
Period (T) – time required for one cycle of periodic
motion. Units: s (seconds/cycle)
Frequency (f) – number of oscillations that are
completed each second. Units: s-1 (cycle/second) that is
1 hertz = 1 Hz = 1 oscillation per second = 1 s-1

1
f =
T

Periodic motion – Simple harmonic motion

Simple harmonic motion (SHM) – a special case of a periodic
motion when the displacement x of the particle (object) from
the origin is given as a sinusoidal function of time

⎛ 2π ⎞
x (t ) = xm cos⎜ t + φ ⎟ = xm cos(ω t + φ )
⎝ T ⎠

2π
ω= = 2π f
T
SI unit for ω is the radian per second

2
Examples

⎛ 2π ⎞
x (t ) = xm cos⎜ t + φ ⎟ = xm cos(ω t + φ )
⎝ T ⎠

The velocity and acceleration of SHM

The velocity of SHM

= [xm cos(ω t + φ )]
dx(t ) d
v (t ) =
dt dt
v (t ) = −ω xm sin(ω t + φ )

The acceleration of SHM

= [− ω xm sin(ω t + φ )]
dv (t ) d
a (t ) =
dt dt

a (t ) = −ω 2 xm cos(ω t + φ ) = −ω 2 x (t )

3
 Examples

x (t ) = xm cos(ω t + φ )

v (t ) = −ω xm sin(ω t + φ )

a (t ) = −ω 2 xm cos(ω t + φ )

Checkpoint
In simple harmonic motion, the magnitude of the
acceleration is:
A) constant
B) proportional to the displacement
C) inversely proportional to the displacement
D) greatest when the velocity is greatest
E) never greater than g

a (t ) = −ω 2 xm cos(ω t + φ )

4
The force law for simple harmonic motion
From Newton’s second law
F = ma = −m(ω 2 x )
For a SHM – a restoring force that is proportional to
the displacement but opposite in sign

Example: Hook’s law for a spring

F = −kx then k = mω 2

k m
ω= T = 2π
m k

example
Car springs
When a family of four people with a total mass of 200 kg
step into their 1200-kg car, the car springs compress
3.0 cm
(a) What is the spring constant for the car springs,
assuming that they act as a single spring?
(b) How far will the car lower if loaded with 300 kg?
(c) What are the period and frequency of the car after
hitting a bump? Assume the shock absorbers are
poor, so the car really oscillates up and down.

5
 example
Car springs (cont.)
F ( 200.0 kg) ⋅ (9.8 m/s2 )
F = kx then k = = = 6.5 ⋅ 104 N/m
x 0.03 m
if the car loaded with 300.0 kg
F
x= = 4.5 ⋅ 10−2 m
k
m (1200.0 + 300.0)kg
The period T = 2π = 2π = 0.92 s
k 6.5 ⋅ 104 N/m
1
The frequency f = = 1.09 Hz
T

example
Two springs
Suppose that two springs in figure have different spring
constant k1 and k2. What is the frequency of oscillations
of the block?
1 k
F = −kx f =
2π m

1 k1 1 k2
f1 = f2 =
2π m 2π m
Fnet = −k1 x − k2 x = −( k1 + k2 ) x
1 k1 + k2
f = and f = f12 + f 22
2π m

6
 Energy in simple harmonic motion
The potential energy

1 2 1 2
U (t ) = kx = kxm cos2 (ω t + φ )
2 2

The kinetic energy

1 2 1 2 2
K (t ) = mv = kxm sin (ω t + φ )
2 2

The total mechanical energy

1 2
E =U + K = kxm
2

Examples

1 2
U (t ) = kxm cos2 (ω t + φ )
2

1 2 2
K (t ) = kxm sin (ω t + φ )
2

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 example
Problem: energy in SHM
An object of mass m on a a horizontal frictionless surface is
attached to a spring with spring constant k. The object is
displaced from equilibrium of x0 horizontally and given an
initial velocity of v0 back toward the equilibrium position.
(a) What is the frequency of the motion?
(b) What is the initial potential energy?
(c) What is the initial kinetic energy?
(d) What is the amplitude of the oscillation?

example
Problem: energy in SHM
Given : m, k , x0 , v0
Find : f , U 0 , K 0 , xm
m 1
T = 2π and f =
k T
kx02
U0 =
2
mv 2
K0 = 0 x0
2
kxm2
E = U 0 + K0 =
2

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The simple pendulum
The restoring force
F = mg sin(θ )
For small angles
s mg
F ≈ mgθ = mg = s
L L
Comparing to F = −kx

mg
k=
L

m L
T = 2π = 2π
k g

example

An experiment to measure g

L
T = 2π
g

L
g = (2π )2
T2
for L = 1.0 m
39.5
g = 2 m / s2
T

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 Problem: Pendulum

A 2500 kg demolition ball sings

from the end of the crane. The
length of the swinging segment
of cable is 17 m.
(a) Find the period of the
swinging, assuming that the
system can be treated as a
simple pendulum
(b) Does the period depends on
the ball’s mass?

L 17.0m
T = 2π = 2π = 8.3s
g 9.8m / s 2

Example

Two blocks (m=1.0 kg and M=10 kg) and a spring (k=200

N/m) are arranged on a horizontal, frictionless surface.
The coefficient of static friction between the two blocks
is 0.40. What amplitude of simple harmonic motion of the
spring-block’s system puts the smaller block on the verge
of slipping over the larger block?

Fmax = mamax = μs mg
amax = ω 2 xmax
then ω 2 xmax = μs g
μs g μs g (m + M )
and xmax = = = 0.59m
ω2 k

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 Periodic Motion

Any motion that repeat itself

at regular intervals

Restoration force Simple harmonic motion Equations

F = ma = − cx x (t ) = xm cos(ω t + φ ) x(t ) = x m cos(ω t + φ )
c m 2π v (t ) = −ω x m sin(ω t + φ )
ω= T = 2π ω= = 2π f
m c T a (t ) = −ω 2 x (t )

Spring Energy Pendilum

m 1 2 1 2 mg L
F = −kx T = 2π E= mv x + cx F =− x T = 2π
k 2 2 L g

Damped Oscillations
Real-world always have some dissipative (frictional)
forces.
The decrease in amplitude caused by dissipative
forces is called by damping.
Quite often damping forces are proportional to the
velocity of the oscillating object.

Fx = −kx − bv x
Second-order differential equation
d 2x dx
m 2 + b + kx = 0 (we need two initial conditions)
dt dt
x ( t ) = xm e − bt / 2 m
cos(ω ' t + φ )
k b2
ω' = −
m 4m 2

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 A pendulum + periodic external force

Model: 3 forces
• gravitational force
• frictional force is proportional
to velocity
• periodic external force

d 2θ
I 2 = τ g + τ f + τ ext
dt
dθ
τ g = −mgL sin(θ ), τ f = − β ,. τ ext = F cos(ωt )
dt

d 2θ dθ
example 1 = − ω θ − α + f cos(ωt )
2
0 sin( )
dt 2 dt
mgL g β F
ω02 = = , α= 2
, f =
I L mL mL2

d 2θ d 2θ dθ
2
= −ω02 sin(θ ) 2
= −ω02 sin(θ ) − α
dt dt dt
1.2 1.2
1.0 θ(0)=1.0 1.0
θ(0)=1.0, α=0.1
0.8 0.8
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2 0.2
0.0 0.0
θ(t)

θ(t)

-0.2 -0.2
-0.4 -0.4
-0.6 -0.6
-0.8 -0.8
-1.0 -1.0
-1.2 -1.2
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 0 10 20 30 40 50
time time

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 d 2θ
example 2: beats 2
= −ω02 sin(θ ) + f cos(ωt )
dt
When the magnitude of the force is very large – the
system is overwhelmed by the driven force (mode
locking) and the are no beats

When the magnitude of the force is comparable with

the magnitude of the natural restoring force the beats
may occur 2.5

2.0 θ(0)=0.2, α=0.0, f=0.2, ω=1.1

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
θ(t)

-0.5

-1.0

-1.5

-2.0

-2.5
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
time

example 3: resonance
When the frequency of an external force is close to a
natural frequency d 2θ 2
= −ω0 sin(θ ) + f cos(ωt )
dt 2
2.5

2.0 θ(0)=0.2, α=0.0, f=0.1, ω=1.0

1.5

1.0

0.5

0.0
θ(t)

-0.5

-1.0

-1.5

-2.0

-2.5
0 20 40 60 80 100 120
time

13
Oscillations: The Tacoma bridge (1940)

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