Oscillations and Waves (Part 1)

Dr. Sourav Marik

Ph.D, UCM Madrid, Spain
Assistant Professor, TIET, Patiala
 Oscillations and Waves
What is oscillation?
It is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about
a central value (point of equilibrium) or between two or more
different states.

 electronic oscillator – Electrical

 tuning fork – Mechanical
 beating of the human heart – Life Science
 periodic firing of nerve cells in the brain – Life Science
 business cycles – Economics
 geothermal geysers – Geology
 vibration of strings in guitar and other string instruments
Ref. Wikipedia
 Oscillations and Waves
What is a wave?
Disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more fields such that the
field values oscillate repeatedly about a stable equilibrium value

Ref. Wikipedia
 Oscillations and Waves
What is a wave?
Disturbance (change from equilibrium) of one or more fields such that the
field values oscillate repeatedly about a stable equilibrium value

To explain many phenomena in nature, we must understand the concepts of

oscillations and waves Ref. Wikipedia
 Contents

 Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)—Spring Oscillations

 Mathematical Representation of Simple Harmonic Motion
 The Simple Pendulum
 Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion
 Damped Oscillations
 Forced Oscillations
 Contents

 Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)—Spring Oscillations

 Mathematical Representation of Simple Harmonic Motion
 The Simple Pendulum
 Energy in Simple Harmonic Motion
 Damped Oscillations
 Forced Oscillations
 Periodic motion
A special type of motion called periodic motion. It is a repeating
motion of an object in which the object continues to return to a
given position after a fixed time interval.
Examples: Pendulum and a beach ball floating on the waves

We will focus our attention on a special case of periodic motion

called simple harmonic motion (SHM). We shall find that all
periodic motions can be modelled as combinations of simple
harmonic motions. Thus, simple harmonic motion forms a basic
building block for more complicated periodic motion.
Simple Harmonic Motion – Spring Oscillations
x=0
m If an object vibrates or
oscillates back and forth over
𝑭 the same path, each cycle
taking the same amount of
m time, the motion is called
periodic. The mass and spring
𝑭 x>0
system is a useful model for a
m periodic system.

x<0
 Simple Harmonic Motion – Spring Oscillations
𝑭
v =0 x=0  Displacement is measured from the
x = -A equilibrium point
v =+vmax
 Amplitude is the maximum
𝑭 displacement
v =0
 A cycle is a full to-and-fro motion;
x=A this figure shows half a cycle
v = - vmax
 Period is the time required to
complete one cycle
𝑭
 Frequency is the number of cycles
v =0
x = -A completed per second
x=0
 Simple Harmonic Motion – Spring Oscillations
x=0
m  We assume that the surface is frictionless.
 There is a point where the spring is neither stretched
m nor compressed; this is the equilibrium position.
x>0
m  We measure displacement from that point (x = 0)

The force applied by the spring depends on the displacement:

𝑭 =−𝒌𝒙
 The minus sign on the force indicates that it is a restoring force—it is directed to
restore the mass to its equilibrium position.
 k is the spring constant

Any vibrating system where the restoring force is proportional to the negative of
the displacement is in simple harmonic motion (SHM), and is often called a simple
harmonic oscillator.
 Simple Harmonic Motion – Spring Oscillations

x=0
m
Applying Newton’s second law:
F = ma
m So, - kx = ma ;
x>0 a = -kx/m
m
x<0

So, an object moves with simple harmonic motion whenever its acceleration is
proportional to its position and is oppositely directed to the displacement from
equilibrium
 Mathematical Representation
ⅆ 𝒗 ⅆ𝟐 𝒙 𝒌𝒙
𝒂= = and 𝒂=−
ⅆ 𝒕 ⅆ 𝒕𝟐 𝒎

………………. (1)
 Mathematical Representation
ⅆ 𝒗 ⅆ𝟐 𝒙 𝒌𝒙
𝒂= = and 𝒂=−
ⅆ 𝒕 ⅆ 𝒕𝟐 𝒎

………………. (1)

𝝎𝟐 ω is the angular frequency of the oscillator

 Mathematical Representation
ⅆ 𝒗 ⅆ𝟐 𝒙 𝒌𝒙
𝒂= = and 𝒂=−
ⅆ 𝒕 ⅆ 𝒕𝟐 𝒎

………………. (1)

𝝎𝟐 ω is the angular frequency of the oscillator

………………. (2)
 Mathematical Representation
ⅆ 𝒗 ⅆ𝟐 𝒙 𝒌𝒙
𝒂= = and 𝒂=−
ⅆ 𝒕 ⅆ 𝒕𝟐 𝒎

………………. (1)

𝝎𝟐 ω is the angular frequency of the oscillator

………………. (2)

Differential eqn. of SHM

 Mathematical Representation
ⅆ 𝒗 ⅆ𝟐 𝒙 𝒌𝒙
𝒂= = and 𝒂=−
ⅆ 𝒕 ⅆ 𝒕𝟐 𝒎

………………. (1)

𝝎𝟐 ω is the angular frequency of the oscillator

………………. (2)

Differential eqn. of SHM

The mathematical solution to Equation 2 is a function x(t) that satisfies this second-order
differential equation.
x (t) =A cos (ωt+Φ), where A, ω and Φ are constants
 Displacement v/s time

√
𝒙 𝒎
𝑻 =𝟐 𝜫
𝒌
𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 ( 𝑨)
𝒕

√
𝑬𝒒𝒎.𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕
𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒅 (𝑻 ) 𝟏 𝟏 𝒌
𝒇= =
𝑻 𝟐𝜫 𝒎
 Displacement, velocity and acceleration v/s time
𝒙 𝑻
x (t) =A cos (ωt+Φ)
𝑨 𝒕
ⅆ𝒙
𝒗= =−  A   sin  ( ωt + Φ )
ⅆ𝒕
𝒗 vmax
ⅆ𝒗 𝟐
𝒂= =− 𝝎 A   cos  ( ωt + Φ ) 𝒕
ⅆ𝒕

vmax= A  =
𝒌
𝒎
𝟐
A
𝒌
√ 𝒂 amax

𝒕
a max =𝝎 A  = A
𝒎
 SHM: Summary

Application of SHM?
To keep track of time
Following Equations form the basis of the mathematical representation of simple
harmonic motion.
𝒙
kx
ⅆ𝟐 𝒙 𝟐
𝟐
=− 𝝎 𝒙
ⅆ𝒕 𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒆 ( 𝑨)
x (t) =A cos (ωt+Φ) 𝒕

𝑻 =𝟐 𝜫
√
𝒎
𝒌
𝟏
𝒇= =
𝟏
𝑻 𝟐𝜫 √ 𝒌𝑬𝒒𝒎.𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕
𝒎
𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒅 (𝑻 )