Simple Harmonic Motion

A.P.French
Oscillations involving Massive Springs:
Assumption:
Various parts of the spring undergo displacements
proportional to their distances from the fixed end
l /3 l /3 l /3

m
x /3 2x /3 x
Using this assumption, calculate the total kinetic energy of
the spring at any instant when the extension of its far end
has a displacement x.
Let the relaxed length of the spring be l
Distance measured from the fixed end be s (0 ≤ s ≤ l)
Consider an element of the spring lying between s and
s+ds.
M
Its mass is given by: dM  ds
l
Its displacement is the fraction s/l of x.
Therefore the kinetic energy of this element is:
 2 2
1  M  s dx  M  dx  2
dK   ds    3   s ds
2 l  l dt  2l  dt 
At any given instant, the total kinetic energy of the spring
is obtained by integrating the above expression, treating
dx/dt as a constant for this purpose.
2
M  dx 
21
M  dx 
 s ds   
2
K spring  3 
2l  dt  0 6  dt 
The energy conservation statement for the whole system,
thus becomes:
 2 2
1  dx  1  dx  1 2
m   M    kx  E
2  dt  6  dt  2
Differentiating this expression with respect to time and
simplifying:
  2 
M  d x 
m   2   kx  0
 3  dt 

k

M
m
3
Superposition of two perpendicular Simple
Harmonic Vibrations:
1) Vibrations having equal frequencies:

x  a1 cos(t  1 )

y  a2 cos(t  2 )
Let’s work out for the case of zero phase difference:

x  a1 cos(t ) y  a2 cos(t )

y a2
 Therefore the trajectory is a straight
x a1 line passing through the origin

When the phase difference is /2

x  a1 cos(t ) y  a2 cos(t   / 2)
 y   a2 sin(t )
Squaring and adding the two equations, we have:
2 2
x y
2
 2
 1
a1 a2
Therefore, the trajectory is an ellipse traveled in the
clockwise direction.
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having equal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having equal frequencies
 x  a1 cos(t ) y  a2 cos(t   )

y  a2 cos(t ) cos   sin(t ) sin  

x x 2 
y  a2  cos   1  2 sin  
 a1 a1 
2
a2 x
y  x cos    1  2 a2 sin 
a1 a1
 2
 a2   x  2 2 2
 y  x cos    1  2 a2 sin 
 a1   a1 
2
a 2 2 xya2
y 
2
x  2
2
cos   a2 sin 
2 2

a a1
1
2 2
y x 2 xy
2
 2
 cos   sin 2

a2 a1 a1a2
This is the equation of an ellipse centered at the origin.
   



  

Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
Lissajous figures due to SHMs having unequal frequencies
 2) Vibrations having different Frequencies
(Lissajous Figures):
 

y
2
x

y
3
x
Superposed Vibrations in One dimension:
Many physical situations involve the simultaneous
application of two or more harmonic vibrations to the
same system.
Examples:
Microphone diaphragm or human ear-drum.
The resultant of two or more harmonic vibrations will be
taken to be simply the sum of the individual vibrations.
(superposition principle)
Is this always true?
Yes. For linear systems where the displacement is
proportional to the force acting on it.
Two Superposed Vibrations of equal frequency:

x1  A1 cost  1  x2  A2 cost   2 
y

P2

P1
O x

The resultant is given by:

x  A1 cost  1   A2 cost   2 
Express it in the form:
x  A cos(t   )
2
A  2
A1  2
A2  2 A1 A2 cos( 2  1 )
The result can be easily derived if we use the complex
exponential:
j (t  2 )
z1  A1e j ( t   1 )
z 2  A2 e
j ( t   1 ) j ( t   2 )
z  z1  z2  A1e  A2e

e j ( t   1 )
A  A e
1 2
j ( 2 1 )

Consider the special case where the amplitudes of the two
SHMs are equal
Denoting the phase difference as ,

y


2
P


2
 P1
2
A  2 A1 (1  cos  )
O x

 
A  2 A1 cos 
2
Superposed Vibrations of different frequencies:

x1  A1 cos1t  1  x2  A2 cos2t   2 
We do not specify any initial non-zero phase difference
as it is not of major significance in this case.
At some arbitrary instant, the length of the combined
vector must always lie somewhere between the sum and
difference of A1 and A2 .
Unless there is some simple relation between 1 and 2 ,
the resultant displacement will be a complicated function
of time, which may almost never repeat itself
  
x  cos(t )  cos 2t
The condition for any sort of true periodicity in the
combined motion is that the periods of the component
motions be commensurable, i.e.,

T  n1T1  n2T2

If two SHMs are quite close in frequency, the combined

disturbance exhibits beats.
 x1  A cos1t  x2  A cos2t 

x  Acos1t   cos2t 

 1  2   1  2 
 2 A cos t  cos t
 2   2 
The combined vibration is a disturbance having a
frequency equal to the average of the two, but with an
amplitude that varies periodically with time
 Beats
0.6

0.4

0.2

0
Amplitude

-0.2

-0.4

-0.6

-0.8
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5
Time (seconds)
 Sound having single frequency (500 Hz)

Superposition of two frequencies: 500 and 501 Hz

Superposition of two frequencies: 500 and 510 Hz

Superposition of two frequencies: 500 and 600 Hz

80 Hertz

All these sound waves

100 Hertz
have the same
intensity, but does it
300 Hertz sound to be the same?
Why?
1000 Hertz

10000 Hertz

12000 Hertz
Many superposed vibrations of the same Frequency:
Relevant to multiple source interference effects in Optics.
Suppose that there are N combining vibrations, each of
amplitude Ao and each vibration differs in phase from the
next one by angle .

y
P
C



P1 x
O
The first vibration is described by:
x  Ao cos t
The resultant disturbance is given by:

X  A cost   
What is the angle subtended at C?
N
The amplitude of the resultant vibration is:

A  R  R  2 R cos( N )
2 2 2 2

A2  2 R 2 (1  cos( N ))
 A  4 R (sin ( N / 2))
2 2 2

On Similar lines, we can show that

2
Ao  4 R (sin ( / 2))
2 2

sin( N / 2)
A  Ao
sin( / 2)

      N  ( N  1)
      
2 2 2 2  2
Let’s try to plot this function.
Evaluate it at  = 0,
Apply L’Hospital’s rule:
A (= 0) =N
The function has zeros at
= 2/N, 4/N, …….2(N-1)/N
It has maxima (which are equivalent to that at the origin)
at  = 2, 4, …
Also the effect of the value of N is important.
 10
data1

8 N=10

4
A

-2

-4
-2 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
delta
 100

80 N=100

60

40
A

20

-20

-40
-2 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
delta
 1000

800 N=1000

600

400
A

200

-200

-400
-2 -1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
delta
This equation is basic to the analysis of the behaviour of a
diffraction grating.
Diffraction due to the grooves on a CD.
The colours of a rainbow are due to dispersion (light of
various colours travel with different velocities),
While the colours on a CD are due to interference.