Chapter 12

Oscillatory Motion
Fs
(a)
m
x
x
x=0
Fs = 0
(b)
m
x

x=0
Fs

(c)
m
x
x
x=0

Figure 12.1
A block attached to a spring on a
frictionless track moves in simple
harmonic motion. (a) When the block is
displaced to the right of equilibrium, the
position is positive and the force and
acceleration are negative. (b) At the
equilibrium position x 0, the forc e
and acceleration of the block are zero
but the speed is a maximum. (c ) When
the position is negative, the force and
acceleration of the block are positive .
 x
T
A

–A

(a)

–A

(b)

Figure 12.2
(a) A graphical representation
(position versus time) for the system in
Active Figure 12.1, a particle in simple
harmonic motion. The amplitude of
the motion is A and the period is T.
(b) The x-t curve in the special case in
which x A and v 0 at t 0.
 x
T
xi
A
O t

(a)

v
vi
vmax = ω
ωA
O t

(b)
a

amax= ω 2A
O t

(c)

F I G U R E 12.3 Graphical representation of

three variables in simple harmonic motion:
(a) position versus time, (b) velocity versus time,
and (c) acceleration versus time. Note that at any
specified time the velocity is 90° out of phase
with the position and the acceleration is 180° out
of phase with the position.
 x=0
A
t=0
m xi = A
vi = 0

Figure 12.4

A block – spring system that is released from rest at

xi A. In this case, 0, and therefore
x A cos t.

x x
T 3T
2 2 T
t
O T O T 3T
2 2

v v
3T
T 2
t
O T 3T O
T T
2 2 2

a a
T 3T
2 2
t
O T O T
T 3T
2 2

(a) (b)

F I G U R E 12.5 (a) Position, velocity, and acceleration versus time for a block undergoing simple harmonic motion under
the initial conditions that at t 0, x(0) A and v(0) 0. (b) Position, velocity, and acceleration versus time for a block
undergoing simple harmonic motion under the initial conditions that at t 0, x(0) 0 and v(0) vi .
 t=0
xi = 0 x=0
v = vi
vi
m

Figure 12.6
The block – spring system is
undergoing oscillation, and t 0 is
defined at an instant when the block
passes through the equilibrium
position x 0 and is moving to the
right with speed vi .

F I G U R E 12.7 (Quick Quiz 12.2) An

x-t graph for an object undergoing
simple harmonic motion. At a
particular time, the object’s position is
indicated by in the diagram.

T2

0 m

F I G U R E 12.8
(Thinking Physics 12.1)
A graph of experimental data: the
square of the period versus mass of a
block in a block – spring system.
 U U = 12 kx 2

K K = 12 mv 2

K, U φ=0 K, U

1 2
2 kA

Figure 12.9
(a) Kinetic energy and potential energy
versus time for a simple harmonic oscillator
t x with 0.(b) Kinetic energy and potential
T T –A O A energy versus position for a simple
2
harmonic oscillator. In either plot, note that
(a) (b) K U constant.
 t x v a K U
a max

1 2
0 A 0 – ω 2A 0 kA
θmax 2

vmax

T 1 2
0 – ωA 0 kA 0
4 2

a max

T 1 2
–A 0 ω 2A 0 kA
θmax 2 2

vmax

3T 1 2
0 ω
ωA 0 kA 0
4 2

a max

1 2
T A 0 – ω 2A 0 kA
2
θmax

x
–A 0 A

Figure 12.10
Simple harmonic motion for a block – spring system and its analogy to the motion of a simple pendulum (Section 12.4). The
parameters in the table at the right refer to the block – spring system, assuming that at t 0, x A so that x A cos t.
 θ

T
L

s m
mg sin θ
θ
mg cos θ

mg

Figure 12.11
When is small, the oscillation of the
simple pendulum can be modeled as
simple harmonic motion about the
equilibrium position ( 0). The
restoring force is mg sin , the
component of the gravitational force
tangent to the arc.
 O
Pivot

θ
d

CM
d sin θ

mg
F I G U R E 12.12 The physical
pendulum consists of a rigid
object pivoted at the point O,
which is not at the center of
mass.

F I G U R E 12.13 (Example 12.6) A

circular sign oscillating about a pivot
as a physical pendulum.
 m

(a)

A (b/2m)t
Ae

0 t

(b)
Figure 12.14
(a) One example of a damped
oscillator is an object attached to a
spring and submerged in a viscous
liquid. (b) Graph of the position
versus time for a damped oscillator
with small damping. Note the
decrease in amplitude with time.

c
b
a
t

F I G U R E 12.15 Plots of position versus

time for an underdamped oscillator
(a), a critically damped oscillator (b),
and an overdamped oscillator (c).
 A
b=0
Undamped

Small b

Large b

ω
0 ω0

F I G U R E 12.16 Graph of amplitude

versus frequency for a damped
oscillator when a periodic driving force
is present. When the frequency of the
driving force equals the natural
frequency 0, resonance occurs. Note
that the shape of the resonance curve
depends on the size of the damping
coefficient b.
 (Telegraph Colour Library/FPG International)

Figure P12.20 Problems 12.20 and 12.44.