APHY 111

Vibrations
General Department
Frederick University

Periodic Motion
Periodic motion is motion of an object that
regularly returns to a given position after a fixed time
interval
A special kind of periodic motion occurs in
mechanical systems when there is a restoring force.
For examples vibration occurs when a body is displaced
form its equilibrium position while a restoring force is
present

Restoring Force

Motion of a Spring-Mass
System
A block of mass m is
attached to a spring, the
block is free to move on a
frictionless horizontal
surface
When the spring is neither
stretched nor compressed,
the block is at the
equilibrium position x = 0

Hookes Law
Hookes Law states Fs = - kx
Fs is the restoring force
It is always directed toward the equilibrium position
Therefore, it is always opposite the displacement
from equilibrium

k is the force (spring) constant

x is the displacement

x>0 Fs<0
(to the left)

x=0 Fs=0
(equilibrium position)

x<0 Fs>0
(to the right

Acceleration
The force described by Hookes Law is the
net force in Newtons Second Law

F = FHooke
ma x = kx
k
ax = x
m

Simple Harmonic Motion

The acceleration is not constant

Therefore, the kinematic equations cannot be
applied
When the block passes through the
equilibrium position, a = 0

Simple Harmonic Motion

d 2x
k
Acceleration a = 2 = x
dt
m
k
2 =
We let
m
Then a = -2x
In the absence of friction, the motion will continue forever

A solution is x(t) = A cos (t + )

period
A is the amplitude of the motion
This is the maximum position of the
particle in either the positive or
negative direction
is called the angular frequency
Units are rad/s
is the phase constant or the initial phase
angle

Frequency and Period

The frequency, f represents the number
of oscillations per second.
f=2
Units are cycles per second = hertz (Hz)
The period, T, is the time interval required
for the particle to go through one full cycle
2
of its motion.
T=

Low frequency
High period

High frequency
7
Low period

Amplitude and phase

The amplitude of the motion is the maximum position of the particle in
either the positive or negative direction.
The phase determines the position at time t=0.

=0

Example 1: An object oscillates with simple harmonic motion along the

x axis. Its position varies with time according to the equation

x(t ) = (4.00m) cos(t )

where t is in seconds and the angles in the parentheses are in radians.
(a) Determine the amplitude, frequency, and period of the motion.
(b) Calculate the velocity and acceleration of the object at any time t.
(c) Make a sketch of position, velocity and acceleration.
(d) Using the results of part (B), determine the position, velocity, and acceleration of
the object at t =1.00 s.
(e) Determine the maximum speed and maximum acceleration of the object.

Example 2: A 200g block connected to a light spring for which the force constant
is 5.00 N/m is free to oscillate on a horizontal, frictionless surface. The block is
displaced 5.00 cm from equilibrium and released from rest, as in the figure.

(a) Find the period of its motion.

(b) Express the position as a function of time
(c) What is the maximum acceleration of the block?

10

Example 3: The cart has a mass of m and is attached to two springs, of stiffness k1 and
k2. If all springs are unstretched when the cart is in the equilibrium position shown:
(a) Derive the equation of motion for the cart when it is displaced from equilibrium by an
amount x. Neglect friction.
(b) Determine the natural frequency of oscillation and make a plot of the carts
displacement as a function of time.
(c) Determine the period and frequency of oscillation.

The Pendulum

s =L

The period and frequency of a simple pendulum depend only on the length of the
string and the acceleration due to gravity (see Physics Lab 10)

Energy of the SHM Oscillator

Assume a spring-mass system is moving on a
frictionless surface
This tells us the total energy is constant
The kinetic energy can be found by
K = mv 2 = m2 A2 sin2 (t + )

The elastic potential energy can be found by

U = kx 2 = kA2 cos2 (t + )

The total energy is E = K + U = kA 2

Energy of the SHM Oscillator,

cont
The total mechanical
energy is constant
The total mechanical
energy is proportional to the
square of the amplitude
Energy is continuously
being transferred between
potential energy stored in
the spring and the kinetic
energy of the block

Energy of the SHM Oscillator,

cont
As the motion
continues, the
exchange of energy
also continues
Energy can be used to
find the velocity
v =

k
A2 x 2
m

= 2 A2 x 2

Energy in SHM, summary

Example 4: A 0.500kg cart connected to a light spring for which the force constant is
20.0 N/m oscillates on a horizontal, frictionless air track.
(a) Calculate the total energy of the system and the maximum speed of the cart if the
amplitude of the motion is
3.00 cm.
(b) What is the velocity of the cart when the position is 2.00 cm?
(c) Compute the kinetic and potential energies of the system when the position is 2.00
cm.

17

Example 5: A block of unknown mass is attached to a spring with a spring constant of

6.50 N/m and undergoes simple harmonic motion with an amplitude of 10.0 cm. When
the block is halfway between its equilibrium position and the end point, its speed is
measured to be 30.0 cm/s. Calculate
(a) the mass of the block, (b) the period of the motion, and (c) the maximum acceleration
of the block.

18

Example 6: A 200g block is attached to a horizontal spring and executes simple

harmonic motion with a period of 0.250 s. If the total energy of the system is 2.00 J, find
(a) the force constant of the spring and (b) the amplitude of the motion.

19