8.

03 Lecture 6
Examples of compuled oscillationrs:

Arbitrary Excitation Normal Mode Excitation

Motion Not Harmonic Harmonic
Amplitude Ration Varies Constant
Energy Migrates stays

Next we will look at driven coupled oscillators.

Last time:
We solved the normal mode of this system. Now
we would like to add a driving force on left mass.

F~d = F0 cos (ωd t)x̂

Equations of motion:
mg
 
mẍ1 = − k + x1 + kx2 + F0 cos(ωd t)
l
mg
 
mẍ2 = kx1 − k + x2
l
Putting the equation of motion into matrix from we have:

M Ẍ = −KX + F cos(ωd t)

where ! ! !
m 0 k + mg
l −k x1
M= K= X=
0 m −k k + mg
l x2

⇒ Ẍ = −M −1 KX + M −1 F cos(ωd t)
 ! !
−1
k
m+ gl −mk
−1
F0
m
M K= k k g M F =
−m m + l 0
Last time we solved the homogeneous equation:

det(M −1 K − ω 2 I) = 0

Recall the solutions:

! !
g 1 g 2k 1
ω12 = A (1)
= and ω22 = + A (2)
=
l 1 l m −1

det(M −1 K − ω 2 I) = (ω 2 − ω12 )(ω 2 − ω22 ) = 0

Homogeneous solution:
! !
1 1
x=α cos(ω1 t + φ1 ) + β cos(ω2 t + φ2 )
1 −1

Now we have an additional driving force:

Ẍ + M −1 KX = M −1 F cos(ωd t)

Similar to driven oscillator problem, we want to eliminate the cos(ωd t) term...

Go to complex notation: X =Re[Z] −1 −1 iωd t
! Z̈ + M KZ = M F e
B1
Guess: Z = Beiωd t where B =
B2
Plug our guess for Z into the equation:

⇒(M −1 K − ωd2 I)Beiωd t = M −1 F eiωd t

⇒(M −1 K − ωd2 I)B = M −1 F

These are just two simultaneous equations:

! ! !
k g −k F0
m + l − ωd2 m B1 m
−k k g =
m m + l − ωd2 B2 0

k g k F0
 
+ − ωd2 B1 − B2 =
m l m m
k k g
 
− B1 + − ωd2 B2 = 0
m m l
We can go ahead and solve it directly to get B1 and B2 or we can use “Cramer’s Rule” which is a
useful rule when solving a large number of coupled oscillators.
First define: ! !
k g 2 k F0
←→ + − ω d − ~ = m
E = m l
k k g
m
2 D
−m m + l − ωd 0

2
 ←
→ ~
To use Cramer’s rule, use one column from E and D
 
 ~ 
(D)()
B1 = ←→
det E !
F0 −k
m m
0 ( m + gl − ωd2 )
k
=
(ωd2 − ω12 )(ωd2 − ω22 )
F0 k g 2
m ( m + l − ωd )
=
(ωd2 − ω12 )(ωd2 − ω22 )

Which explodes when ωd = ω1 , ω2 which are the frequencies of the normal modes. Similiarly:
 
 ~ 
()(D)
B2 = ←
→
det E !
k g 2 F0
m + l − ωd m
k
−m 0
=
(ωd2 − ω12 )(ωd2 − ω22 )
 
F0 k
m m
=
(ωd2 − ω12 )(ωd2 − ω22 )

B1 k/m + g/l − ωd2

=
B2 k/m
(1) ωd2 = ω12 = gl ⇒ B1
B2 = 1
(2) ωd2 = ω22 = gl + 2k
m ⇒ B1
B2 = −1

Full solution:

x1 = α cos(ω1 t + φ1 ) + β cos(ω2 t + φ2 ) + B1 cos(ωd t)

x2 = α cos(ω1 t + φ1 ) − β cos(ω2 t + φ2 ) + B2 cos(ωd t)

Where the term with B amplitude is the particular solution and the terms with α and β amplitude
are the homogeneous solution.

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8.03SC Physics III: Vibrations and Waves

Fall 2016

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