INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KANPUR Supratik Banerjee

Physics I (PHY 102 AA) 2021-22 Odd semester

Tutorial sheet 3
Date: 10. 06. 2021

1. Starting from the general solutions of the ordinary differential equation ẍ = ax (where a
is a non-zero real constant), obtain the general solutions of the equation ẍ = 0 using the
appropriate limiting condition. Does the expression a → 0 refer to the correct limit? If
not, why?

2. An undamped oscillator is subject to an external periodic force with frequency γ which

is slighly different from the natural frequency of the system. Show that the motion of the
system will still be oscillatory with an oscillatory variation in the resulting amplitude.

3. A mass on the end of a spring (with natural frequency ω) is released from rest at position
x0 in the absence of any damping effect or gravity. The experiment is repeated, but now
with the system immersed in a fluid that causes the motion to be overdamped (with
damping coefficient λ). Find the ratio of the maximum speed in the former case to that
in the latter. What is the ratio in the limit of strong damping (λ >> ω) and also in the
limit of critical damping?

4. A particle of mass m is subject to a force F (t) = ma0 e−bt , where b is a nonzero positive
constant. The initial position and speed are both zero. Find x(t).

5. Given ω and λ, show that the amplitude of the resulting oscillation√of a forced and
damped system becomes maximum (resonance condition) when ωd = ω 2 − 2λ2 . What
is the value of the maximum amplitude?