Physics: Chapter 11 - Simple Harmonic Motion Notes

● Simple Harmonic Motion: any periodic motion that is the result of a

restoring force that is prop. to displacement
● Periodic motion: a repeated motion (swing, wrecking ball, pendulum,
etc.)
○ Back + forth over same path
● Direction of force acting on the mass (Felastic) is always opposite the
direction of the mass’s displacement from equilibrium (x=0)
○ Like when the spring is stretched to the right, the spring force
pulls the mass to the left
● At the equilibrium position, speed reaches a maximum
○ When stretched away from equilibrium position, the spring exerts
a force on the mass toward the equilibrium.
○ Spring force + acceleration decrease as the spring moves toward
equilibrium position; become zero at equilibrium.
○ Speed of mass increases as approaches equilibrium; hits max at
eq. (when spring force + acceleration is 0)
● At maximum displacement, spring force and acceleration reach a maximum
○ As mass moves beyond equilibrium, spring force + acceleration
increases, while speed decreases (direction of SF and
acceleration (toward eq) is opposite the mass’ direction of
motion (away from eq), so mass slows down).
○ When spring’s compression is equal to distance the spring was
originally stretched away from eq., the mass is at maximum
displacement, the acceleration + spring force reach max, and
speed is 0.
● In simple harmonic motion, restoring force is proportional to
displacement
○ Spring force is also the restoring force
○ Restoring force is directly proportional with the displacement of
the mass.
○ Hooke’s Law:
■ Felastic = -kx
● Restoring force = -(spring constant x displacement)
■ The value of k is a measure of the stiffness of the spring;
greater stiffness -> greater k
● A stretched or compressed spring has elastic potential energy
○ When the mass begins to move, the EPE is converted to KE
● The restoring force of a pendulum is a component of the bob’s weight
● For small angles, the pendulum’s motion is simple harmonic
 ● Gravitational potential energy increases as a pendulum’s displacement
increases

Physics: Forced Vibrational Motion + Resonance -

Slides notes
● Natural frequency: the frequency or rate at which an object
vibrates/oscillates naturally when disturbed
○ Ex. strum guitar string, clink plate, tap wine glass
● Forced Vibration: the tendency of one object to force another adjoining
or interconnected object into vibrational motion
○ Ex. guitar string in a box
● Resonance: when one object vibrating at the same natural frequency of a
second object forces that second object into vibrational motion
 ○ Inverted pendula: each pendulum in the set of two has the same
length and, thus, the same vibrational frequency; therefore, when
one pendulum is set into vibrational motion, it forces the other
pendulum having the same length to vibrate with it. This is
resonance
●