Departmen
t: Physics
Engineering Physics
(Bridge Course)
Unit-2 (Oscillation)
Dr. Jayanta Bera
Assistant Professor
Oscillatory Motion
Periodic motion
Spring-mass system
Differential equation
of motion
Simple Harmonic
Motion (SHM)
Energy of SHM
Pendulum
Torsional Pendulum
08/21/2025
Periodic Motion
Periodic motion is a motion that
regularly returns to a given
position after a fixed time
interval.
A particular type of periodic
motion is “simple harmonic
motion,” which arises when the
force acting on an object is
proportional to the position of
the object about some
equilibrium position.
The motion of an object
connected to a spring is a
good example.
08/21/2025
Recall Hooke’s Law
Hooke’s Law states Fs = -kx
Fs is the restoring force.
It is always directed toward the equilibrium position.
Therefore, it is always opposite the displacement
from equilibrium.
k is the force (spring) constant.
x is the displacement.
What is the restoring force for a surface
water wave?
Restoring Force and the
In a, the block is displaced to the
Spring Mass System
right of x = 0.
The position is positive.
The restoring force is directed
to
the left (negative).
In b, the block is at the
equilibrium position.
x = 0
The spring is neither stretched
nor compressed.
The force is 0.
In c, the block is displaced to the
left of x = 0.
The position is negative.
The restoring force is
directed to
the right (positive). 08/21/2025
Differential Equation of
Motion
ma kx
Using F = ma for the spring, we have
But recall that acceleration is the second
derivative of the position:
d 2x
a
dt 2
So this simple force equation is an example of a
differential equation,
d 2x d 2x k
m 2 kx or 2
x
dt dt m
An object moves in simple harmonic motion
whenever its acceleration is proportional to its
position and has the opposite sign to the
displacement from equilibrium.
Acceleratio
n
Note that the acceleration is NOT constant,
unlike our earlier kinematic equations.
If the block is released from some position x = A,
then the initial acceleration is – kA/m, but as it
passes through 0 the acceleration falls to zero.
It only continues past its equilibrium point
because it now has momentum (and kinetic
energy) that carries it on past x = 0.
The block continues to x = – A, where its
acceleration then becomes +kA/m.
08/21/2025
Analysis Model, Simple Harmonic
Motion
d 2x k
What are the units of k/m, ain 2
x ?
dt m
They are 1/s2, which we can regard as a frequency-squared, so
let’s write it as
k
2
m
Then the equation becomes
a 2 x
A typical way to solve such a differential equation is to simply
search for a function that satisfies the requirement, in this
case, that its second derivative yields the negative of itself!
The sine and cosine functions meet these requirements.
08/21/2025
SHM Graphical
Representation
A solution to the differential
equation is
x(t ) A cos(t )
A, w, f are all constants:
A = amplitude (maximum position
in either positive or negative x direction,
w = angular frequency, k Remember, the period
m and frequency are:
f = phase constant, or initial phase angle. 2 1
T
A and f are determined by initial conditions. f
T 2
08/21/2025
Motion Equations for SHM
x(t ) A cos(t )
dx
v(t ) A sin(t )
dt
d 2x
a (t ) 2 2 A cos(t )
dt
The velocity is 90o out of phase
with the displacement and the
acceleration is 180o out of phase
with the displacement.
08/21/2025
SHM Example 1
Initial conditions at t = 0 are
x (0)= A
v (0) = 0
This means f = 0
The acceleration reaches
extremes
of ± w2A at ± A.
The velocity reaches extremes
of
± wA at x = 0.
08/21/2025
SHM Example 2
Initial conditions at t = 0 are
x (0)= 0
v (0) = vi
This means f = - p / 2
The graph is shifted one-
quarter
cycle to the right compared to
the
graph of x (0) = A.
08/21/2025
Consider the Energy of SHM
Oscillator
The spring force is a conservative force, so in a
frictionless system the energy is constant
Kinetic energy, as usual, is
K 12 mv 2 12 m 2 A2 sin 2 t
The spring potential energy, as usual, is
U 12 kx 2 12 kA2 cos 2 t
Then the total energy is just
E K U 12 kA2 (a constant)
08/21/2025
Transfer of Energy of SHM
2
E
The total energy is contant at all times, and is12 kA
(proportional to the square of the amplitude)
Energy is continuously being transferred between potential
energy stored in the spring, and the kinetic energy of the
block.
08/21/2025
Simple Pendulum
The forces acting on the bob are the
tension and the weight.
T is the force exerted by the string
mg is the gravitational force
The tangential component of the
gravitational force is the restoring
force.
Recall that the tangential 2acceleration
d
is at r L L
dt 2
d 2
givesg another differential
This g
2
m sin m (for small )
dtequation L L
08/21/2025
Frequency of Simple
Pendulum
The equation for q is the same form as for the
spring, with solution
(t ) max cos( t )
where now the angular frequency is
g 2 L
so the period is T = 2
L g
Summary: the period and frequency of a simple
pendulum depend only on the length of the
string and the acceleration due to gravity. The
period is independent of mass.
08/21/2025
In a mass-spring system, the spring constant
is doubled. What happens to the period of
oscillation?
A. It remains the same
B. It doubles
C. It is halved
√
D. It increases by a factor of2
Answer: C. It is halved
08/21/2025
Which of the following quantities is zero when
a particle executing SHM passes through the
equilibrium position?
A. Kinetic energy
B. Potential energy
C. Total energy
D. Acceleration
Answer: D. Acceleration
08/21/2025
A particle executing SHM has a maximum
velocity of 5 m/s and a maximum
displacement of 0.5 m. What is the angular
frequency (ω)?
A. 5 rad/s
B. 10 rad/s
C. 15 rad/s
D. 20 rad/s
Answer: B. 10 rad/s
08/21/2025
Thank You
D r. J a y a n t a
Bera
Physics
suryaprakash.gh
[email protected]
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