Periodic Motion

Periodic Motion
• When a vibration or oscillation repeats
itself over the same time period
• Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) - any
vibrating system where the restoring force
is directly proportional to the negative
displacement
Oscillating Spring System
• Equilibrium position-
where spring exerts
no force on the mass
(m)
• Natural state
Oscillating Spring System
• Spring stretched
• Exerts a force to
move it back to
equilibrium
Oscillating Spring System
• Spring compressed
• Force exerted pushing
it back to equilibrium
 Restoring Force (F)
• Force exerted when away from equilibrium
• Directly proportional to the displacement
(x)
F = - kx
• k – spring constant
• Greater the value of k the more force is
needed to stretch spring - stiffer
• F is not constant, depends on x
• F = ma
• Therefore acceleration is not constant,
depends on x
 Question
• At what position(s) is the acceleration the
greatest?
• Where is it the least?
• Where is velocity greatest? And least?
 Example
• A .10 kg object is suspended from a spring
with a spring constant of 10 N/m. The
object is pulled 15cm from its equilibrium
position and released, what is its maximum
acceleration and when does it experience
this?
 Other Definitions
• Amplitude (A) – point of greatest
displacement
• Cycle – complete oscillation
• Period (T) – time for one complete
oscillation
• Frequency (f) – cycles per second

T = 1/f
Period of Vibration
 Pendulum
• Small object (the bob) suspended from the
end of a lightweight cord
• Motion of pendulum very close to SHM if
the amplitude of oscillation is fairly small
• Restoring force is the component of the
bobs weight – depends on the weight and
the angle
Period of Pendulum
 Example
• A pendulum with a length of 36.9 cm has
a period of 1.22 s. What is the gravitational
field at the pendulum’s location?
 Resonance
• Every vibrating system has its own natural
frequency
• If you try to vibrate the system at other
than its natural frequency, it will bounce
around but never reach any great amplitude
• For example, if you push on a swing at
random frequency
• If you push on the object at the same
frequency as its natural frequency, the
amplitude will increase dramatically
• This effect is called resonance
• The natural vibrating frequency of an
object is its resonant frequency