Periodic Motion, Harmonic Motion and

Mechanical Waves

Periodic Motion
a motion which repeats itself over and over
again after a regular interval of time is called a
periodic motion.

THE VIBRATING MASK ON A SPRING

The motion of a vibrating mass on a spring can be described
as being:
Repeating – occurs over and over again.
Regular- each cycle occurs in the same amount of time.

Can you say SINUSOIDAL?

PERIOD
A motion detector placed
Time to complete one below the mass would detect
cycle of a repetitious changes in position as a
function of time.
motion.
A motion detector placed below the mass would
detect changes in position as a function of time.
The result is...
✓ The graph has the shape of sine wave: y=sine(x)
✓ The mass vibrates back and forth about a fixed CD
position of 70cm (the resting position).
✓The position of the mass varies with sine of the time.

CONSTANT
The periodic nature of
vibrating mass.

DAMPING, AMPLITUDE, AND PERIOD

DAMPING
 can cause the amplitude to diminish: but the period
remains the same for each cycle.
 Gradual dissipation of energy due to Q interaction
of the mass/spring system with the surroundings.

AMPLITUDE
 maximum displacement from rest.

LANGUAGE MATTERS!
The term slowing does
NOT describe the mass
on the spring.
The period is 2.0 seconds
each cycle. The amplitude
decreases as energy is
dissipated to surroundings.

SPEEDING UP AND SLOWING DOWN

For a vibrating mass

on a spring, the pos'n-
time relation is
sinusoidal; but so is the
velocity- time
relationship.
 o The speed
NOTE!! and
VELOCITY direction

How fast: the value are

Which direction: +/-

continuously changing: the mass

slows down, changes direction,
speeds up, slows down, changes
direction, etc.
o But the period is constant every
cycle.

PERIOD AND FREQUENCY

PERIOD describes an object undergoing periodic motion. Eame An object

undergoing periodic motion can also be described by its frequency the number
of complete cycles per unit of time.

PERIOD (T)

 Answers the question "How much time...?"

FREQUENCY (f)

 Answers the question "How often...?"

 FORMULAS:

EXAMPLES
1. Mr. H is doing 60 push-ups in 15 seconds. How much time does it take
Mr. H to do a push-up?

2. Mr. H is doing 60 push-ups in 15 seconds. How often does he complete

a push-up?
SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION
A very common type of periodic motion where the restoring
force is proportional to the displacement of the from its
equilibrium position.

The negative sign simply means that the restoring force

and displacement are oppositely directed. We call this restoring
force because it is always directed toward the equilibrium
position and therefore opposite the displacement from equilibrium.

SIMPLE HARMONIC OSCILLATOR

A system that oscillates with SHM is
called SIMPLE HARMONIC
OSCILLATOR. The simplest form of a
simple harmonic oscillator is a body of
mass m oscillating on one and of an elastic
spring also known as the mass- spring system.

FORMULA: