CHAPTER 2

Applications in Mechanical Motions

CONTENT

• Free
• Damped
• Forced oscillations
 Free (Undamped) oscillations

A simple harmonic motions without any resistant involved (no external

influences) will given a simple harmonic motion with the same frequency
along that line, with constant amplitude and period.
Newton's second law of motion -
relationship between an object's
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎 = 𝑚𝑥 ′′ mass and the amount of force
Hooke's law - force F needed 𝐹 = 𝑘𝑥 needed to accelerate it.
to extend or compress a spring 𝑚𝑥 ′′ = −𝑘𝑥
by some distance X is
proportional to that distance 𝑚𝑥 ′′ + 𝑘𝑥 = 0
 Damped oscillations
Simple harmonic motion but with a decreasing amplitude and varying period due
to external or internal damping forces.

𝑚𝑥 ′′ = −𝑏𝑥 ′ − 𝑘𝑥

𝑚𝑥 ′′ + 𝒃𝒙′ + 𝑘𝑥 = 0

Damping / resistive force: 𝐹 = 𝑏𝑣 = 𝑏𝑥 ′

Example 1
A 32 lb force object stretches a spring 8 ft. If the resistive force due to damping is 5.
Determine the displacement function if the object is released from 1 ft below the
equilibrium position with upward velocity.

Weight = 32; Damping force = 5; Spring constant = 8

𝐹 = 𝑘𝑥; 32 = 8𝑘 𝑘=4
𝑊 = 𝑚𝑔 32 = 𝑚(32) 𝑚=1
𝑥 0 =1 𝑥 ′ 0 = −1
Example 1
Substitute 𝑘 = 4, 𝑏 = 5 and 𝑚 = 1 into 𝑚𝑥 ′′ + 𝑏𝑥 ′ + 𝑘𝑥 = 0

𝑥 ′′ + 5𝑥 ′ + 4𝑥 = 0
Solve it using Homogeneous second order linear differential equations
Roots m1 and m2 General solutions
Real and distinct, m1  m2 y  Aem1x  Bem2 x
Real equal roots, m1  m2 y  ( A  Bx)emx
Complex conjugate roots, m     i y  e x ( A cos  x  B sin  x)

Answer: 𝑥 𝑡 = 𝑒 −𝑡
Forced oscillations
• When the system is forced to oscillate at a frequency other than it’s natural
frequency. It is called a forced oscillations.
• A simple example of forced vibrations is a child's swing: as you push it the
amplitude increases and if the driving frequency is the same as the natural
frequency of the swing resonance occurs.
• A loudspeaker is also an example of forced oscillations; it is made to vibrate by
the force on the magnet on the current in the coil fixed the speaker cone.

𝑚𝑥 ′′ + 𝑏𝑣 + 𝑘𝑥 = 𝐹 𝑡
 𝐹 𝑡 = 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
• The simplest driving force is one that itself oscillates as a sine or a cosine function.
• Suppose such as external force F(t) is applied to an oscillator that moves along x-
axis such as a block connected to a spring.

𝐹 𝑡 = 𝐹cos ω𝑡
𝐹 = 𝑚𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑚 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
𝜔 = 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒
Example 2
An object with mass m is placed upon the lower end of a spring suspended
from the ceiling. The object comes to rest in its equilibrium position.
Beginning at 𝑡 = 0, an external forces given by 𝐹 𝑡 = 5𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝑡 is applied to
the system.
Determine the resulting motion if the damping forces in pounds is
numerically equal to 2, 𝑚 = 1 (lb) and the spring constant is 10 lb/ft.
Example 2
𝑚𝑦 ′′ + 𝑏𝑦 ′ + 𝑘𝑦 = 𝐹(𝑡)
𝑦 ′′ + 2𝑦 ′ + 10𝑦 = 5𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝑡

𝑦 0 =0 𝑦′ 0 = 0
Solve it using Laplace Transform
Answer
1 −𝑡
35
𝑦 𝑡 = 16𝑐𝑜𝑠2𝑡 + 10𝑠𝑖𝑛2𝑡 − 1/26 𝑒 (15𝑐𝑜𝑠3𝑡 + 𝑠𝑖𝑛3𝑡
26 3
Question
• A mass weighing 64 pounds stretches a spring 5.12 feet.
• Assuming a damping force that is 10 times the velocity of the mass,
determine the equation of the motion, if the mass is initially released from
a point 1 foot below the equilibrium position with a upward velocity of 5
ft/s.