Simple Harmonic Motion

Oscillation is movements that are continuously repeated. If a swing is left to move freely it will move in a same time which is called time period. The motion of the swing is called Simple Harmonic Motion. When this object is in this motion there is a restoring force that takes place trying to get the swing back to its central position. The force is proportional to the distance to that central point. Simple Harmonic Motion is repeated isochronous oscillations caused by a restoring force which is proportional to the displacement.


K is a constant that depends on the particular oscillating system. This equation is used in hooks law therefore the oscillation of the mass attached to the spring is SHM. Gradient of displacement-time graph at any point gives the velocity at that moment. When a pendulum is released the maximum displacement it covers from the equilibrium position is called amplitude, A. The pendulum will have zero velocity at this displacement and equivalent displacement at the other side. The pendulum swings from one stationary position to another. The acceleration is maximum when the displacement is maximum and when the acceleration is zero the displacement is also zero at the middle The amplitude reduces slightly over time but this does not affect the time period, the period that is independent of the amplitude, such oscillations are called isochronous.

The time period depends on the length of the string and force of gravity. For objects moving in circle, the relationship between velocity , angular displacement
  

and time t is

Therefore an object moving in a circle is

The object moves from the horizontal axis to the vertical one, this change with time as the object moves around the circle. When the object is at A the projected distance at x is equal to the radius of the circle; r. but at position B the distance is shown by OC. This distance can be calculated from:


As the object moves around the circle its angular displacement changes according to its angular velocity. Can be written as , therefore displacement can be rewritten as


The motion of all simple harmonic oscillators can be described by an equation of this form. For a pendulum bob swinging, the formula is


For an object moving with SHM the restoring force must be directly proportional to the displacement,  as we can describe the position using  this gives the equation for the force overtime as

So

The acceleration and displacement have the same form but in opposite directions. They both are directly proportional to each other.