oscillations

Question 1

periodic motion

Answer 1

repeats itself in equal time intervals

Question 2

oscillation

Answer 2

periodic motion where the particle moves back and forth over the same path about a fixed equilibrium point.

Question 3

period

Answer 3

time taken to complete 1 oscillation in a vibrating/oscillating system.

Question 4

frequency

Answer 4

number of oscillations completed per unit time.

Question 5

angular frequency

Answer 5

angular frequency, w, is a measurement related to the frequency, f, of a sinusoidal motion by the relation w = 2pi x f

Question 6

simple harmonic motion

Answer 6

oscillatory motion in which the body’s acceleration is directly proportional to its displacement from its fixed equilibrium position, and, is always in opposite direction to its displacement. (when acceleration +ve, displacement -ve)

Question 7

free oscillation

Answer 7

oscillations in the absence of external dissipative forces.

Question 8

damped oscillations

Answer 8

oscillations in which the amplitude of oscillations diminishes with time as a result of dissipative forces that reduces the total energy of the oscillations.

Question 9

damping

Answer 9

process in which the amplitude of oscillations diminishes with time as a result of dissipative forces that reduced the total energy of the oscillations.

Question 10

degree of damping

Answer 10

degree of damping determines the form of the decay of the amplitude of vibration of an oscillating body.

Question 11

light damping

Answer 11

object undergoes a number of complete oscillations with the amplitude of vibration decreasing exponentially with time. the greater the amount of damping, the greater the rate of decay.

Question 12

critical damping

Answer 12

the displacement from equilibrium position is reduced to 0 (i.e. the system, when displaced and released, returns to its equilibrium position) in the least time possible, WITHOUT any oscillations occurring.

Question 13

heavy damping

Answer 13

the displacement reduces exponentially with time. there are NO OSCILLATIONS and the time for the displacement to decrease by a certain fraction is longer than critical damping. this time increases as damping increases.

Question 14

forced oscillations

Answer 14

a periodic driving force is applied on a system to cause it to oscillate at the frequency at which the periodic force is applied.

Question 15

forced frequency

Answer 15

the frequency at which a body is made to vibrate by imposing a periodic force on it.

Question 16

resonance

Answer 16

a phenomenon that occurs when the frequency at which the object is being made to vibrate at is equal to its natural frequency of vibration. the amplitude of vibration is at its MAXIMUM at this frequency.