EML 4220 Homework #1

Vibrations Due Fri 9/12/14

Fall 2014

1. (30 pts.) To explore the Fourier series representation of signals, complete the following.

a) (10 pts.) Approximate a square wave by plotting the following function in MATLAB

.
Begin a new m-file by selecting File/New/M-File.

t t t t x

7 sin
7
4
5 sin
5
4
3 sin
3
4
sin
4


Use = 2 rad/s and plot your results from t = 0 to 5 seconds in steps of 0.001 seconds.
You can define your time vector using the following statement.

t = 0:0.001:5;

Also, can be defined in MATLAB

using pi. Finally, the argument for sine (or any

harmonic function) must be in rad/s in MATLAB

(not degrees). For example, you can

define the displacement using the following statement.

x = 4/pi*sin(omega*t) + 4/(3*pi)*sin(3*omega*t) +
4/(5*pi)*sin(5*omega*t) + 4/(7*pi)*sin(7*omega*t);

To plot the result, you can use the following statements.

figure(1)
plot(t, x)
xlabel('t (s)')
ylabel('x(t)')

b) (5 pts.) What is the period (in seconds) of the waveform?

c) (5 pts.) What is the frequency in Hz?

d) (10 pts.) Replot the function using 50 terms (following the pattern of odd multiples of
with the
n
4
coefficients where n = 1, 3, 5, ). What is the effect of including additional
terms?


2. (25 pts.) If displacement can be described as t x cos 5 mm, where = 6 rad/s,
complete the following.

a) (5 pts.) Plot the displacement over the time interval from t = 0 to 3 seconds in steps of
0.02 seconds. What is the period (in seconds) of the harmonic displacement?



b) (5 pts.) Plot the velocity (in mm/s) over the same time interval.


c) (5 pts.) Plot the acceleration (in mm/s
2
) over the same time interval.


d) (10 pts.) Calculate the maximum velocity (i.e., calculate the time derivatives and find the
maximum values) and acceleration and verify your results using your plots.


3. (25 pts.) The complex exponential function,
t i
e x

, can be used to describe harmonic
motion (the function can be defined in MATLAB

using x = exp(i*omega*t);). Complete

the following to explore this function.

a) (5 pts.) Plot the real part of the function for = rad/s over a time interval of t = 0 to 10
seconds using time steps of 0.05 seconds. Use the command plot(t, real(x)) to
complete this task.


b) (5 pts.) Plot the imaginary part of the function. Use the command plot(t, imag(x)).


c) (5 pts.) Describe your results from parts a) and b) in terms of sine and cosine functions.


d) (10 pts.) Sketch the Argand diagram for x at t = 0.25 seconds and show its projections on
the real and imaginary axes. What is the numerical value of these projections? How do
these results relate to parts a) and b)?

4. (10 pts.) Determine the sum of the two vectors
6
1
6

i
e x and
3
2
1

i
e x . Express result as an
exponential.



5. (10 pts.) In bungee jumping, a person leaps from a tall structure while attached to a long
elastic cord. Would the resulting oscillation be best described as free, forced, or self-excited
vibration?