1 0

I m a g in a r y N u m b e r s C o n tin u e d

L a s t tim e w
o s c illa tio n
d o n o t ju s t
in s ta n c e , th
s o lu tio n s o
L e ts lo
a s p rin g , a

e ta lk e d a b o u t im a g in a ry n u m b e rs a n d u s in g im a g in a ry n u m b e rs
in to th e e x p o n e n tia l s o lu tio n o f a n o rd in a ry d iffe re n tia l e q u a tio
o s c illa te fo re v e r th e y ty p ic a lly e x p e rie n c e d e c a y in g o s c illa tio n
e s lin k y I s h o w e d in le c tu re o s c illa te s in g ra v ity . H o w s h o u ld w e
th a t a s p rin g -m a s s -d a m p e r s y s te m lik e th is o n e c a n d e c a y .
o k a t o u r m o d e l o f th e s p rin g -m a s s -d a m p e r a g a in . A g a in , w e h a v
d a m p e r, a n d a m a s s a t th e e n d , a s s e e n in F ig .1 4 .

a s a
n . B
d u e
a d a p

w a y
u t m
to d a
t th e

o f
o s
m
e x

e n c o d in g
t s y s te m s
p in g . F o r
p o n e n tia l

e th e w a ll o n th e le ft,

F ig u re 1 4 : S p rin g -M a s s -D a m p e r S y s te m
T h e e q u a tio n s o f m o tio n a re
x =
a n d w e a s s u m e th a t th e s o lu tio n is o f th e fo rm

o f th e e x p o n e n tia l fu n c tio n

x (t) =

h t

w ,

w h e re w is ju s t a c o n s ta n t.
If w e p lu g th is s o lu tio n in to th e d iffe re n tia l e q u a tio n a b o v e
f o r m w ith tw o tim e d e r iv a tiv e s o f x ( t ) w e g e t
h 2e
a n d w e c a n fa c to r o u t th e e

h t

te rm

h t

h t

h t

h e

k e e p in g it in its s e c o n d -o rd e r

a s w e ll a s th e c o n s ta n t w .
h

b
+

h +

h t

If w = 0 a n d w e k n o w th a t th e e x p o n e n tia l is a lw a y s
m u s t b e e q u a l to z e ro .
b
k
h 2 +
h +
m
m
H o p e fu lly , y o u re c o g n iz e th a t th is is in q u a d ra tic fo rm
t h a t s a y s t h a t i f w e h a v e t h r e e c o e f fi c i e n t s , , a n d ,
2

h +

n o n z e ro
=

2
3 0

b
m

h +

k
m

, s o w e c a n u s e th e th e q u a d ra tic fo rm u la
th e n
=

im p lie s th a t
h =

th e n w e k n o w th a t h

4
.

In o u r c a s e , th e q u a d ra tic fo rm u la te lls u s th a t
h =
T h is m e a n s th
th a t th e p lu s o r m
p lu s s ig n a n d o n e
s y s te m ) th is s im p

a t
in
th
l i fi

th e h in
u s s ig n
a t c o rre
e s to s o

th e
m e a
sp o n
m e th

e x
n s
d s
in

p o n e
th a t
to th
g w e
b =

n tia l s o
th e re w
e m in u
h a v e se

lu tio
ill b
s s ig
e n b

4
2

n is a s o lu tio n to th e q u a d ra tic fo rm u la . N o te
e tw o s o lu tio n s o n e th a t c o rre s p o n d s to th e
n . If b = 0 , (th a t is , th e re is n o d a m p e r in th e
e fo re .
k

h =

j .

T h is is th e s a m e s o lu tio n th a t w e fo u n d la s t tim e , s o w e k n o w
te rm s a n d th a t th e s y s te m w ill o s c illa te fo re v e r . H o w e v e r, if b =
L e ts s e t k = 1 a n d m = 1 . T h e n w e g e t
b

h =
If b
2 , th e n h h a
d o e s n o t h a v e a n im
a n y o s c illa tio n s a t
r o o t is n e g a tiv e . W
F o r in s ta n c e , if b =

s n o im a g in
a g in a ry n u m
a ll. If b < 2
h e n h d o e s
3 , th a t im p

a ry v a lu
b e r, th e
, th e n h
h a v e a n
lie s th a t

e s b e c a
s y s te m
w ill h a
im a g in

h =

th a t it w ill g iv e u s s in ( ) a n d c o s ( )
0 , th e n s o m e th in g e ls e c a n h a p p e n .

u s e th e
is c a lle
v e im a g
a ry c o m

te rm in th e s
d o v e rd a m p e
in a ry v a lu e s
p o n e n t, th e

q u a re
d b e c a
b e c a u
s y s te m

r o o t is p o s itiv
u s e it w ill n o t
s e th e te rm in
is c a lle d u n d

e .
e x
th
e r

W h e
p e rie
e sq u
d a m p

n h
n c e
a re
e d .

s o I g e t tw o v a lu e s , n e ith e r o f w h ic h in v o lv e th e im a g in a r y n u m b e r j . T h is w ill g iv e m e a n e x p o n e n tia l s o lu tio n o f th e fo rm

3 +

a n d

d e p e n d in g o n th e p lu s o r m in u s . If I in s te a d c h o o s e b =
b =

h =

1 ,
3

x 2(t) =

1
=

3 j
,

I g e t 3 in th e s q u a re ro o t, s o I g e t th e im a g in a ry n u m b e r j s h o w in g u p in h . T h is m e a n s th a t I g e t
tw o te rm s in th e e x p o n e n tia l s o lu tio n a te rm th a t in c lu d e s j a n d a te rm th a t d o e s n o t.
x 1(t) =
N o w , re m e m b e r fro m

1 +

3 j
2

a n d
w

c a lc u lu s th a t

r + s

x 2(t) =

3 j
2

e re s,
=

s o w e c a n fi n d o u t t h a t
e

r + s

e re

1 +

3 j
2

1
2

3 j
2

3 1

1
2

c o s
2

3
t

+ j s in
2

3
t

s o I c a n s e p a ra te th e te rm s th a t in v o lv e th e im a g in a ry n u m b e r j fro m th e te rm s th a t d o n o t. F o r
1
3
1
3
in s ta n c e , I c a n ta k e e ( 2 + 2 j)t a n d s e p a ra te it in to e 2 te 2 jt, a n d w e k n o w th a t th e rig h t h a n d te rm
is e q u a l to c o s 23 + s in 23 j .
U s
o f a n e
T o
b in a tio
o s c illa

in g th e s a m e tric k a s la
x p o n e n tia l tim e s c o s ( )
v is u a liz e th is , a p lo t o
n o f th e e x p o n e n tia l p
tio n .

s t tim e
a n d s in
1
f e 2 t c
lo t a n d

to
()
o s
th

g e t rid o f j , w e c a n c o n c lu d e th a t s o lu tio n s a re o f th e fo rm
te rm s .
( 23 t) w (w h e re I h a v e s e t w = 1 ) m ig h t lo o k lik e a c o m e c o s ( ) p lo t. T o g e th e r, th e y w o u ld lo o k lik e a d e c a y in g

F ig u re 1 5 : A n e x p o n e n tia l tim e s a c o s in e is a d e c a y in g c o s in e c u rv e .
W h a t s h o u ld y o u re m e m b e r fro m to d a y ? R e m e m b e r th a t e x p o n e n tia l s o lu tio n s c a n b o th re p re s e n t o s c illa tio n a n d d e c a y in g o s c illa tio n .
E x a m p le : C o n s id e r a g a in th e fo llo w in g m e c h a n ic a l d ia g ra m .
3 2

F ig u re 1 6 : O n e m a s s w ith fo u r e le m e n ts a tta c h e d to it
If k = 1 a n d m = 2 , fo r w h ic h v a lu e s o f b w ill th is s y s te m h a v e o s c illa tio n s (a s s u m in g th e
s y s t e m d o e s n o t s t a r t i n s t e a d y - s t a t e ) ? F i r s t , w e n e e d t o fi n d a d i f f e r e n t i a l e q u a t i o n .
A s b e f o r e , f o r c e b a la n c e g iv e s u s
F
w h e re v
m

+ F
3

F
1

=
2

is th e v e lo c ity o f th e m a s s . C h o o s in g s ta te s x
x
v

v
=

1
m

k
m
m

x
1

2 k
x
m
2 k
m

m
b
m

x
1

v
2

v
m

2 b
v
m

(r
H e n c e , fro m

v
m

a n d v
1

, w e g e t
m

H e n c e , w e k n o w t h a t x 1 + 2m b x 1 +
x ( t) = e rtA a s a s o lu tio n , w e g e t

k
+
m
+

x
2

b
+
m

v
4

( x 1) +

( v
m

0 . C h o o s in g k
r t

+ b r + 1 )e

1 a n d m

0 .

th e q u a d ra tic fo rm la ,
r =

F ro m

F
4

b
2

4
.

th is w e c a n c o n c lu d e th a t o s c illa tio n s o c c u r w h e n e v e r 0 <

3 3

b <

2 .

2 , a n d p lu g g in g in