Forced harmonic motion

PHYS 2302, Saint Mary’s University D. A. Clarke, July 2019

In class, we found the equation of motion for a driven harmonic oscillator:

F0
ẍ + 2γ ẋ + ω02 x = cos ωt, (1)
m
which, for initial conditions x(0) = 0 and ẋ(0) = 0 has solution:
ω0
x(t) = −Ae−γt cos(ωd t − θ) + A cos(ωt − φ) (2)
| ω d {z
| {z }
} x ; steady-state
p
xh; transient
where:

γ = damping coefficient;

ω0 = oscillation frequency of undamped system;

q
ωd = ω02 − γ 2 = oscillation frequency of underdamped system;
F0
A = p = amplitude of oscillation;
m (ω02 − ω 2 ) + 4γ 2ω 2

−1 γ(ω02 + ω 2 )
θ = tan = phase lag of transient term, xh(t);
ωd (ω02 − ω 2 )
2γω
φ = tan−1 = phase lag of steady-state term, xp(t).
ω02 − ω 2
Here, γ < ω0 (underdamped).

To scale Eq. (2), let ξ = x/A, s = ω0t, α = γ/ω0, and β = ω/ω0 (all unitless).
Then,
γ p ω
γt = ω0t = αs; ωd = ω0 1 − α2 ; ωt = ω0t = βs,
ω0 ω0
and Eq. (2) becomes:

1
 e−αs p

ξ(t) = − √ cos 1 − α2 s − θ + cos(βs − φ),
1 − α2
where,  
−1 α 1 + β2 2αβ
θ = tan √ ; φ = tan−1 .
1 − α2 1 − β 2 1 − β2

This can be plotted by specifying:

- a domain for s [e.g., s = ω0 t ∈ (0, 6π ∼ 19) for three periods at ω0 ];

- α, unitless damping coefficient (0.2 for both plots);

- β, unitless driving frequency (1.5 left, 0.5 right).

transient term transient term

1.0 steady-state term 1.0 steady-state term
net response net response
0.5 0.5
ξ(s)

ξ(s)

0.0 0.0

−0.5 −0.5

−1.0 −1.0

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0

s = ω0t s = ω0t

Notes.

- For β > 1 (left), phases θ, φ < 0 ⇒ first peak is left of s = 0.

- For β < 1 (left), phases θ, φ > 0 ⇒ first peak is right of s = 0.

Demo: swing metre stick for β >

<1