Further Mechanics Flashcards
What is centripetal force?
A force that acts on a body moving in a circular path and is directed towards the centre around which the body is moving.
What is angular speed?
The angle an object moves through per unit time.
What is simple harmonic motion?
Where acceleration is directly proportional to the displacement but in the opposite direction.
What is light damping?
A type of damping where energy is gradually removed from the system and the amplitude of oscillations slowly decreases.
What is critical damping?
The form of damping that reduces the displacement of an oscillating object to its equilibrium position in the quickest time possible and without further oscillation.
What is heavy damping?
A type of damping where the system is damped more than required to stop the oscillations. It takes longer for the system to return to equilibrium than for critical damping.
What is centripetal acceleration?
The acceleration of an object moving in circular motion. Any object in circular motion must have an acceleration since the direction of the
object, and therefore the velocity of the object, is constantly changing.
What is resonance?
Resonance occurs when the frequency of oscillations is equal to the natural frequency of the oscillating system. The rate of energy transfer is at a maximum during resonance.
What is Free vibrations?
Oscillations that are not caused by a driver. An object will naturally oscillate at its natural frequency.
What is forced vibrations?
Repeated up and down oscillations, at the frequency of a driver. The amplitude of oscillation is small at high frequencies and large at low
frequencies.
