Chapter 13: Oscillations
Introduction to Oscillations
Types of Motion
Non-repetitive motions:
Motions that do not repeat, like:
o A car moving along a straight road.
o A ball following a projectile path.
Periodic motions:
Motions that repeat at regular intervals of time, like:
o The orbit of planets around the Sun.
o A pendulum swinging in a clock.
Oscillatory Motion
A specific type of periodic motion where the object moves to and fro about a mean
position.
Examples of oscillatory motion:
o A child swinging on a swing.
o The pendulum of a wall clock.
o A boat bobbing up and down in a river.
Importance of Oscillatory Motion
Oscillations are found in many real-world systems:
o Musical instruments: Vibrating strings on a guitar or sitar.
o Drums: Vibrating membranes create sound waves.
o Sound waves: Air molecules vibrate, allowing sound to travel.
o Electric circuits: Alternating current (AC) oscillates between positive and
negative voltages.
Fundamental Concepts of Oscillatory Motion
To describe oscillations, we need to understand:
Period T: The time taken for one complete oscillation.
Frequency ν: How often the motion repeats in one second.
Amplitude A: Maximum displacement from the mean position.
Phase: Describes the position of the oscillating particle at any point in time.
Periodic Motion
Definition: A motion that repeats itself at regular intervals of time.
o Example: An insect climbing and falling identically in a repetitive manner (as
shown in Fig. 13.1).
o Graphs of height vs. time for periodic motion often follow predictable
patterns.
Oscillatory Motion
A specific type of periodic motion where a body moves back and forth around a
mean (equilibrium) position.
o Example: A ball placed in a bowl will oscillate around the bottom if displaced
slightly.
Equilibrium Position
The equilibrium position is where the net external force on the body is zero.
o If the body is displaced slightly, a restoring force arises, pulling it back
toward the equilibrium.
o This restoring force leads to oscillations or vibrations.
Oscillations vs. Vibrations
There’s no strict difference, but generally:
o Oscillations are used for motions with lower frequencies (e.g., a tree branch
swaying).
o Vibrations refer to high-frequency oscillations (e.g., vibrating guitar strings).
Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)
Definition: The simplest form of oscillatory motion where the restoring force is
directly proportional to displacement:
F=−kx
o The force always points towards the mean position.
Key property: The displacement in SHM follows a sinusoidal pattern (like a wave).
Damped and Forced Oscillations
Damped oscillations: Over time, friction or resistance causes oscillations to reduce
and eventually stop.
Forced oscillations: An external periodic force (e.g., a vibrating motor) can maintain
or amplify oscillations despite damping.
Coupled oscillators: Many oscillators in a system can work together to create waves.
o Examples of waves include:
Water waves
Sound waves
Electromagnetic waves
13.2.1 Period and Frequency
Periodic Motion: A motion that repeats itself at regular intervals of time.
Period T: The time taken for one complete cycle of motion. (Unit: seconds)
Frequency ν: The number of oscillations per second. (Unit: Hertz (Hz))
13.2.2 Displacement
Definition: Displacement is the change in position of an object relative to a reference
point (often the equilibrium position).
Types of Displacement:
o For a spring-mass system (Fig. 13.2(a)), the displacement is measured from
the mean position.
o For a simple pendulum (Fig. 13.2(b)), the displacement is the angular
deviation from the vertical.
Displacement Variables:
Displacement is not always measured in terms of distance. It can represent:
Voltage in an AC circuit: The changing voltage over time can be a displacement
variable.
Pressure variations in sound waves: Changes in air pressure can represent
oscillations.
Displacement Function:
Displacement in periodic motion can be described using a cosine or sine function:
Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) and Uniform Circular
Motion
Connection Between SHM and Circular Motion
A particle performing uniform circular motion can be projected onto a diameter of the
circle. This projection follows Simple Harmonic Motion.
Visualization Experiment:
Tie a ball to a string and spin it in a circle at a constant speed in a horizontal plane.
Observation:
o Viewed from the side (edge-on view), the ball’s motion appears as SHM along
a straight line.
o The projection of the ball on a wall (perpendicular to the circle) also shows
SHM.
Section 13.8: The Simple
Pendulum
Introduction:
A simple pendulum consists of a
small bob of mass mmm suspended by a light,
inextensible string of length LLL fixed to a
pivot point. When displaced from its equilibrium position and released, the bob oscillates
back and forth, demonstrating periodic motion.