7.

Coupled Oscillators
Fa  mxa
L L
mg
 xa  k xa  xb  D   mxa
L

..
Fb  mxb  D 
..
a k b mg
m m
 xb  D   k xb  D   xa   mxb  D 
L
D coupled equations of motion

0 x
 Normal Modes : motions where all bodies move at the same frequency.

mg
Sum:  xa  k xa  xb  D   mxa
L
mg ..
 xb  D   k xb  D   xa   mxb  D 
+ L
..
mg
 xa  xb  D  -0  mxa  xb  D 
L
qa b  xa  xb  D  g
Normal Coordinate 1: Normal Frequency 1: a b 
L
 mg
Difference:  xa  k xa  xb  D   mxa
L
..
mg
 xb  D   k xb  D   xa   mxb  D 
L
mg
 xa  xb  D   k 2 xa  2xb  D   mxa  xb  D 
L
g 2k
 xa  xb  D   xa  xb  D   xa  xb  D
 
L m

 g 2k 
   xa  xb  D   xa  xb  D
 
L m 

Normal Coordinate 2: qa b  xa  xb  D 

g 2k
Normal Frequency 2:  a b  
L m
 Normal Mode Solutions :

 g    g 2k  
qa  b  Aa b cos t  a b  qa  b  Aa b cos   t  a b 
 L   L m  
“Abnormal” motion:

Initial Conditions:

qa b  D  A0 qa b   D  A0 q a b  0 q a b  0

g
 Aa b sin a b   0
L
a b  0
D Ao Aa b cos0   D  A0
0 x Aa b  D  A0
 similarly…

qa b  D  A0 cosa bt  qa b  D  A0 cosa b t 

Switch back to xa and xb:

qa  b  qa b qa  b  qa  b
xa  xb  D
2 2

D  A0
xa  cosa bt   cosa bt 
2

  ab  ab   ab  ab 

xa  D  A0 sin  t  sin  t 
  2   2 

xb also beats
 k m k m k

0 x
x1 x2
mx1   kx1  k x1  x2 
Equations of motion
mx2   kx2  k x2  x1 

x1 t   A1e jt
Look for Normal Modes!
x2 t   A2 e jt

  2 mA1e jt  2kA1e jt  kA2 e jt

Plug in….
  2 mA2 e jt  2kA2 e jt  kA1e jt
Simplify and  m  2k A  kA  0
2
1 2
group by A’s
kA   m  2k A  0
1
2
2

Matrix  2 m  2k k  A1 
representation  2  A   0
 k  m  2k  2 

True if the Determinant is 0:

a b 
det    ad  cb
c d 
  m  2k 
2 2
 k2  0

 m  2k   k
2

2k  k
2 
m

k 3k Normal Mode
    frequencies
m m


0 0

Each Normal Mode puts a
condition on the amplitude
ratio:

k 3k
   
m m

 k k  A1  k k  A1 
k   0 k   0
  k  A2   k  A2 

 kA1  kA2  0 kA1  kA2  0

A1  A2 A1   A2
 Larger N: www.falstad.com/coupled

Oscillators which exchange energy are coupled,

and their equations of motion are coupled.
Their complex motion can be described simply
in terms of normal modes in which all bodies
oscillate with the same frequency.