

The period is related to how stiff the system is. Two important factors do affect the period of a simple harmonic oscillator. Because the period is constant, a simple harmonic oscillator can be used as a clock. The string of a guitar, for example, will oscillate with the same frequency whether plucked gently or hard. What is so significant about simple harmonic motion? One special thing is that the period T and frequency f of a simple harmonic oscillator are independent of amplitude. What is the restoring force and what role does the force you apply play in the simple harmonic motion (SHM) of the marble? Get a feel for the force required to maintain this periodic motion. Place a marble inside the bowl and tilt the bowl periodically so the marble rolls from the bottom of the bowl to equally high points on the sides of the bowl. Because amplitude is the maximum displacement, it is related to the energy in the oscillation.įind a bowl or basin that is shaped like a hemisphere on the inside. For the object on the spring, the units of amplitude and displacement are meters whereas for sound oscillations, they have units of pressure (and other types of oscillations have yet other units).


The units for amplitude and displacement are the same, but depend on the type of oscillation. The maximum displacement from equilibrium is called the amplitude X. If the net force can be described by Hooke’s law and there is no damping (by friction or other non-conservative forces), then a simple harmonic oscillator will oscillate with equal displacement on either side of the equilibrium position, as shown for an object on a spring in Figure 1. Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) is the name given to oscillatory motion for a system where the net force can be described by Hooke’s law, and such a system is called a simple harmonic oscillator. They are also the simplest oscillatory systems. The oscillations of a system in which the net force can be described by Hooke’s law are of special importance, because they are very common. Explain the link between simple harmonic motion and waves.The derivative with respect to time will give us the block’s velocity.By the end of this section, you will be able to:
