Ain Shams University Freshmen level
Faculty of Engineering Vibrations and Waves
Department of Eng. Phys. & Math. PHM 121s / Fall - 2023
Problem Set # 5
Damped Motion DM
Select the correct answer
1. Relation between the oscillation frequency of a damped system (d), and that of the undamped (free)
system (o) is (both have the same mass m and restoring force constant k):
a) d > o b) d < o c) d = o d) they are not related
2. In a mass-spring system, as friction increases ………….
a) The system goes from under damped to critically damped to over damped.
b) The system goes from over damped to critically damped to under damped.
c) The system goes from critically damped to over damped to under damped.
d) The system goes from over damped to under damped to critically damped.
3. For an oscillator subjected to a damping force proportional to its velocity:
a) the displacement is a sinusoidal function of time.
b) the velocity is a sinusoidal function of time.
c) the frequency is a decreasing function of time.
d) the mechanical energy is constant.
e) none of the above is true.
4. A lightly damped harmonic oscillator, with a damping force proportional to its speed, is oscillating with
an amplitude of 0.500 cm at time t = 0. When t = 8.20 s, the amplitude has died down to 0.400 cm. At
what value of t will the oscillations have an amplitude of 0.250 cm?
a) 18.5 s b) 20.5 s c) 16.5 s d) 25.5 s e) 5.13 s
5. An ideal massless spring with a spring constant of 2.00 N/m is attached to an object of 75.0 g. The
system has a small amount of damping. If the amplitude of the oscillations decreases from 10.0 mm to
5.00 mm in 15.0 s, what is the magnitude of the damping constant b?
a) 0.00693 kg/s b) 0.0462 kg/s c) 0.00762 kg/s d) 0.0100 kg/s e) 0.00857 kg/s
6. A 2.15 kg lightly damped harmonic oscillator has an angular oscillation frequency of 0.261 rad/s. If the
maximum displacement of 2.0 m occurs when t = 0.00 s, and the damping constant b is 0.74 kg/s what is
the object's displacement when t = 4.01 s?
a) 0.50 m b) 0.43 m c) 0.58 m d) 0.65 m e) 0.87 m
Problems
1. A mass undergoes damped oscillation at the x-direction so that:
𝒙 = 𝟗𝒆−𝟎.𝟔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝟒𝝅𝒕 𝒄𝒎
Find:
a) The amplitude of vibration at t = 2s
b) The natural angular frequency
1/2
c) The logarithmic decrement of damping
d) The time required to reduce the amplitude at time t from Ao to 0.37Ao
𝒅𝟐 𝒙 𝒅𝒙
2. The equation of motion for a damped oscillator is given by: 𝟒 𝒅𝒕𝟐 + 𝒃 𝒅𝒕 + 𝟑𝟐𝒙 = 𝟎
For what range of values for the damping constant b will the motion be:
a) underdamped b) overdamped c) critically damped?
3. A 1 kg weight attached to a vertical spring stretches it 0.2m. The weight is then pulled down 1.5m and
released.
a) Is the motion underdamped, overdamped or critically damped?
b) Find the position of the weight at any time if a damping force numerically equal to 14 times the
instantaneous speed is acting.
Additional Problems
1. A mass of 4 kg attached to the lower end of a vertical spring of constant 20 N/m oscillates with a period
of 10 s. Find (a) the natural period; (b) the damping constant; (c) the logarithmic decrement.
Answer: a) 2.8 s b) 17.17 kg/s c) 21.46
2. A mass attached to a spring vibrates with a natural frequency of 20 c/s while its frequency for damped
vibrations is 16 c/s. Determine the logarithmic decrement
3. A 5.0-kg block is attached to an ideal massless spring whose spring constant is 125 N/m. The block is
pulled from its equilibrium position at x = 0.00 m to a position at x = +0.687 m and is released from
rest. The block then executes lightly damped oscillation along the x-axis, and the damping force is
proportional to the velocity. When the block first returns to x = 0.00 m, its x component of velocity is
-2.0 m/s and its x component of acceleration is +5.6 m/s2.
a) What is the magnitude of the acceleration of the block upon release at x = +0.687 m.
b) Find the damping constant b.
Answer: a) 17.2 m/s2 b) 14 kg/s
4. A block of 0.5 kg is attached to a spring k = 15 N/m. The damped frequency is 0.2 % lower than the
natural frequency. Calculate:
a) The damping constant b
b) The critical damping constant
Answer: a) 0.35 kg/s b) 5.477 kg/s
5. A body of mass 150 g is vibrating in a viscus medium with a restoring force constant k= 95 N/m and a
damping constant b = 0.08 kg/s. Determine:
a) The logarithmic decrement
b) The number of cycles elapsing such that the amplitude A would diminish by 80%
Answer: a) 2.71 b) 24.14 cycles
With Best wishes
Physics staff members
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