Physics Project 2014

-By Rishita Nanda

 The oscillations produced in a body, on being slightly
disturbed from its mean position are called free
oscillations/vibrations.
 The number of vibrations executed per second by a
freely vibration body is called natural frequency.
Reason: No body can oscillate for infinite time, as the
amplitude of a body has to decrease and finally come to
a stop. This is because whenever a body oscillates, some
frictional force is always present such as friction due to
air, etc. This friction always opposes the motion of the
body, whether it is going away from the equilibrium
position or coming back.
 When a bob suspended by a thread is
displaced from its equilibrium position and
left free, it oscillates with its natural
frequency.
 When a tuning fork is struck on a rubber
pad, the prongs vibrate with their natural
frequency. This frequency depends on the
length and thickness of the prongs.
 If we pluck the strings of a sonometre wire, it
vibrates with its natural frequency which
depends on the length, density and tension of
the wire.
 The periodic oscillations of continuously decreasing
amplitude are called damped oscillations.
 The continuous decrease in the amplitude of oscillations
due to energy dissipation is called damping.
 The damping occurs due to the frictional force, which
the surrounding medium exerts on the vibrating body.
 Vibrations of a tuning fork in air.
 Vibrations of a stringed instruments in air.
 Vibrations of a simple pendulum in air.
 When a body, being acted upon by an external periodic
force, oscillates with the frequency of the force, then the
oscillations of the body are called forced oscillations.
 The body tries to oscillate with its natural frequency ,
while the external periodic force tries to impose its own
frequency upon the body. Hence there is a tussle
between the body and the external force due to which
the amplitude of the oscillation undergoes periodic
increase and decrease.
 Guitar: If we take a guitar string and stretch it to a given length and a given
tightness and then pluck it, we will hear a noise; but the noise would not
even be close in comparison to the loudness produced by an acoustic guitar.
 On the other hand, if the string is attached to the sound box of the guitar,
the vibrating string is capable of forcing the sound box into vibrating at that
same natural frequency. The sound box in turn forces air particles inside the
box into vibrational motion at the same natural frequency as the string. The
entire system (string, guitar, and enclosed air) begins vibrating and forces
surrounding air particles into vibrational motion. This is due to forced
vibrations.
 In the case of the guitar string mounted to the sound box, the fact that the
surface area of the sound box is greater than the surface area of the string
means that more surrounding air particles will be forced into vibration. This
causes an increase in the amplitude and thus loudness of the sound.
 Tuning Forks: The same principle of forced vibrations can be
demonstrated using a tuning fork. When the stem of an
oscillating tuning fork is held in hand, only a feeble sound is
heard. If however, the stem is made to stand on a table, the
sound becomes louder and intense.
 This happens because by placing the stem on the table the
oscillations of the fork are communicated to the table and it
begins vibrating with the natural frequency of the tuning fork.
 Since the surface area of the table is quite large, it in turn forces
the surrounding air particles into vibrational motion and the
result is an increase in the amplitude and loudness.
 Resonance is defined as a phenomenon, when the
frequency of an applied external force is equal to the
natural frequency of the body on which the force is
applied, such that it readily takes up the vibrations and
begins to vibrate with an increased amplitude.
 Every piece of glass has a natural resonant
frequency—the speed at which it will vibrate
if bumped or otherwise disturbed by some
stimulus, such as a sound wave.
 Glass wine goblets are especially resonant
because of their hollow tubular shape, which
is why they make a pleasant ringing sound
when clinked.
 If a person sings the same tone as that
ringing note the sound of her voice will
vibrate the air molecules around the glass at
its resonant frequency, causing the glass to
start vibrating as well. And if she sings loudly
enough, the glass will vibrate itself to
smithereens.
 This happens due to the principle of
resonance.
 Soldiers passing over a suspension bridge always break
steps because if the frequency of their march happens to
coincide with the natural frequency of the bridge, the
bridge may be set into violent oscillations and will
collapse.
 This happens due to the phenomenon of resonance.
 When two strings of the same frequency are stretched
upon the same board and one of them is set into
vibrations, then the other also begins to vibrate.
 The phenomenon has been used in various stringed
musical instruments such as sitar, israj etc.