3.6 Application-Forced Spring Mass Systems and Resonance: External External

3.6.
APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE95
3.6
Application-Forced Spring Mass Systems

and Resonance
In this section we introduce an external force that acts on the mass of the
spring in addition to the other forces that we have been considering. For
example, suppose that the mass of a spring/mass system is being pushed (or
pulled) by an additional force (perhaps the spring is mechanically driven or
is being acted upon by magnetic forces). We will call this net external force
Fexternal and allow it to vary over time, that is Fexternal = F (t).
As before,
Ftotal = by 0 ky + Fexternal
and by Newtons Law
my 00 = by 0 ky + Fexternal .
So we obtain the nonhomogeneous ODE:
my 00 + by 0 + ky = F (t).
As we saw earlier, this homogeneous can be solved by using the principle
of superposition, where yhomo (t) is the general solution to the associated
homogeneous and yP (t) is any one solution to the nonhomogeneous DE.
From the previous section, so long as b > 0, then limt yhomo (t) =
0, so the long-term behavior of any solution to the nonhomogeneous will
be determined by the behavior of yP (t). In such problems, the associated
homogeneous solution yhomo (t) = 0 is called transient part of the solution
(since it dies away) and yP (t) is called the steady state solution since it
determines the long-term behavior.
Example 3.22 A spring with spring constant 4N/m is attached to a 1kg
mass with friction constant 4N s/m is forced to the right by a constant force
of 2N . Find the steady state solution.
Solution: In light of the discussion above, we need only find yP (t) which we
can obtain by undetermined coefficients on the non homogeneous ODE
y 00 + 4y 0 + 4y = 2
to obtain yP (t) = 12 meter. So no matter what the initial conditions are, the
mass will limit to a displacement 21 meter to the right.
96
CHAPTER 3. SECOND ORDER ODE
Example 3.23 A spring with spring constant 4N/m is attached to a 1kg

mass with friction constant 4N s/m is forced periodically by a constant force
of 2 cos(t)N . (a) Find the steady state solution and express it in phase/angle
notation.
(b) Find the particular solution that satisfies y(0) = 1 and y 0 (0) = 2, and
verify that the graph limits to the steady state solution.
Solution: In light of the discussion above, we need only find yP (t) which we
can obtain by undetermined coefficients on the non homogeneous ODE
y 00 + 4y 0 + 4y = 2 cos t.
We use undetermined coefficients on the form: yP (t) = A cos t + B sin t
and obtain
y 00 + 4y 0 + 4y = A cos t B sin t 4A sin t + 4B cos t + 4A cos t + 4B sin t
= (3A + 4B) cos t + (3B 4A) sin t
which we set equal to 2 cos t + 0 sin t so

3A + 4B = 2
and
3B 4A = 0,
12A + 16B = 8
and
9B 12A = 0,
so
which, when added, yields
25B = 8
so B =
So
8
25
and A = 625.
yP (t) =
1
(6 cos t + 8 sin t)
25
which can be expressed as
36 + 64
4
2
4
yP (t) =
(cos(t arctan( )) = (cos(t arctan( )).
25
3
5
3
To solve part (b), notice that the general solution to the DE is given by
y(t) = yhomo (t) + yP (t) = c1 e2t + c2 te2t +
1
(6 cos t + 8 sin t)
25
3.6. APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE97
Figure 3.7: Plots of the solution and the steady state solution from
Example (3.23)
6
so the particular solution that we seek satisfies y(0) = c1 + 25
= 1 or c1 =
and
y 0 (t) = 2(
19
25
1
19 2t
)e 2c2 te2t + c2 e2t + (8 cos t 6 sin t)
25
25
38
8
so since y 0 (0) = 2 we obtain 2 = 25
+ c2 + 25
c2 =
solution we seek is
y(t) = yhomo (t) + yP (t) =
80
25
16
.
5
So the particular
1
19 2t 16 2t
e + te + (6 cos t + 8 sin t).
25
5
25
The plots of the steady state solution and the particular solution are given
in figure (3.5.3), notice how the solution limits to the steady state.
3.6.1
Resonance
In this section we look at a particular phenomenon called resonance. In

principle, anyone who has ever pushed a child on a swing is familiar with
this concept. A child swinging on a swing will oscillate back and forth with
a given frequency. In order to push the child effectively on the swing, the
frequency of the pushes needs to coincide with the frequency of the swing
otherwise, you will be pushing when the child is swinging toward you. This
principle is also what is responsible for the ability of an opera singer to shatter
a champagne glass, the oscillatory forces that are capable of destroying a
98
bridge, or exciting molecules at their natural frequency in microwave ovens.

More formally, a spring/mass system exhibits resonance if the steady state
solution obtained by forcing the system with amplitude F0 has a greater
maximum displacement than the steady state solution obtained by forcing
the system with a constant force F0 .
Example 3.24 Show that a spring/mass system with spring constant 6N/m
attached to a 1kg mass with friction constant 1N s/m exhibits resonance by
comparing the steady-state solutions for
(a) Ff orce = 2
(b) Ff orce = 2 sin 3t
Solution: (a) The steady state solution to
y 00 + y 0 + 6y = 2
is y(t) = 31 . (Use undetermined coefficients on y = A, and solve for A.)
(b) The steady state solution to
y 00 + y 0 + 6y = 2 sin 3t
is obtained by plugging y = A cos 3t + B sin 3t into the left side of the DE,
we obtain
9A cos 3t 9B sin 3t 3A sin 3t + 3B cos 3t + 6A cos 3t + 6B sin 3t
= (3A + 3B) cos 6t + (3A + 3B) sin 6t
so
3A + 3B = 0
solving, we get
so
and
3A 3B) = 2
6A = 2
So A = 1 3 and B = 31 which implies that the steady state solution is

y(t)= 13 sin 3t 13 cos 3t which can be rewritten in phase/angle form as
y(t) = 32 cos(3t ( 4 + ))
Clearly, the amplitude obtained in (b) is larger than the one obtained in
(a) as Figure (3.6.1) demonstrates, so the system exhibits resonance.
Figure 3.8: Plots of the two steady state solutions from Example
(3.24)
3.6.2
Sinusoidal Forcing
Suppose that a spring/mass system with spring constant k > 0 attached

to a mass of m > 0 kilograms with with friction constant b > 0. We wish
to examine when a sinusoidal forcing function of the form F0 cos(t )
produces a steady state solution with a larger amplitude than the steady
state solution obtained by forcing with constant force of F0 > 0.
As before, by the method of undetermined coefficients,
y 00 + by 0 + ky = F0
has a steady state solution of y(t) = F0 /k.
Next, we use undetermined coefficients to solve
y 00 + by 0 + ky = F0 cos(t )
with
to obtain
y = A cos(t ) + B sin(t )
my 00 = 2 Am cos(t ) Bm 2 sin(t )
by 0 = Bb cos(t ) Ab sin(t )
ky = Ak cos(t ) + Bk sin(t )
So matching coefficients:
2 Am + Bb + Ak = F0 and
Bm 2 Ab + Bk = 0
100
or
(k 2 m)A + Bb = F0 and
Ab + B(k m 2 ) = 0
(k 2 m)2 A + Bb(k m 2 ) = F0 (k m 2 ) and Ab2 B(k m 2 )b = 0

So adding,
Ab2 + (k 2 m)2 A = F0 (k m 2 )
or
A=
so
F0 (k m 2 )
b2 + (k m 2 )2
Ab
B=
k m 2
bF0
+ (k m 2 )2
So the steady state solution will have amplitude
s
s
2 b2 2
A
b2 2
2 (1 +
A2 + B 2 = A2 +
A
=
)
(k m 2 )2
(k m 2 )2
s
(k m 2 )2 + b2 2
)
= A2 (
(k m 2 )2
B=
b2
which simplifies
=
This exceeds
F0
k
b2 2
F02
.
+ (k m 2 )2
precisely when
k 2 > b2 2 + (k m 2 )2 .
or
or
2 m2 2 + (2mk b2 ) > 0
(2mk b2 ) > m2 2 .
The above inequality implies that b2 2mk < 0, since the term on the right
hand side is clearly positive. Moreover, so long as
2km b2
0<<
m
then the system exhibits resonance. The interval (0, 2kmb

) is called the
m
interval of resonance.
To derive the optimal forcing frequency, we minimize
g() = b2 2 + (k
q
m 2 )2 with respect to (thereby, maximizing =
Taking a derivative, we obtain
F02
).
b2 2 +(km 2 )2
g 0 () = 2b2 + 2(k m 2 )(2m)

and obtain
2b2 4m(k m 2 ) = 0
or
4mk 2b2
4m2
4mk 2b2
2mk b2
=
.
=
2m
2m
2 =
or
We summarize our work below:
Resonance in Sinusoidally Forced Spring/Mass Systems

The sinusoidally forced spring mass system
my 00 + by 0 + ky = F0 cos(t )
(3.16)
exhibits resonance when b2 2mk < 0 (we call such a system lightly damped).
In particular,
inside the interval of resonance,
2km b2
0<<
,
m
the steady state solution of the periodically forced system exceeds the steady
state solution of the system forced by a constant. The optimal forcing frequency (called the resonance frequency) is
2mk b2
=
(3.17)
2m
102
Not all systems exhibit resonance. In particular, for a spring mass system
that is forced by a sinusoidal function to exhibit resonance, it must be lightly
damped, meaning b2 2mk < 0. Note that lightly damped implies that the
system is underdamped since b2 4mk < b2 2mk we have b2 2mk < 0
implies that b2 4mk < 0.
Example 3.25 Compute the frequencies for which
y 00 + y 0 + 6y = cos(t )
produces resonance. Also, find the resonance frequency and plot the steady
state solution when the system is forced at that frequency.
Solution: Note also that we are forcing the system sinusoidally with F0 = 1.
Since m = 1, b = 1 and k = 6, we see that b2 2mk = 1 12 < 0 so the
system is lightly damped and exhibits resonance.
In particular, for frequencies satisfying
0 < < 11,

the steady state solution of the periodically forced system exceeds the steady
state solution
of the system forced by a constant. (Note in example (3.24)
since 0 < 3 < 11, the steady state solution of the periodically driven system
exceeds that of the system driven by a constant.)
The optimal frequency to force the system (i.e. the resonance frequency)
and the maximum amplitude is given by
occurs at = 11
2
Max Amplitude =
3.6.3
1
1
2
= q = 0.417028828.
2
11/2 + (6 11/2)
23
23
4
Pure Mathematical Resonance
An interesting phenomenon occurs in a spring mass system that has no damping, i.e. b = 0. In particular, the steady state solution obtained by forcing
at the resonance frequency is unbounded.
From
q the formula for the optimal resonance frequency above, we see that
=
k
.
m
Figure 3.9: Steady state solutions of a spring mass system forced at

its resonant frequency as well as being forced by a constant force
of 1.
If we solve
00
my + ky = F0 cos(
k
t ) = F0 cos cos(
m
k
t) F0 sin sin(
m
k
t)
m
then we see that the steady state solution (due to interaction with the homogenous solution) will be of the form
r
r
k
k
y(t) = At cos(
t) + Bt sin(
t)
m
m
which can, in turn, be written in phase/angle form as
r
k
2
2
y(t) = t A + B cos(
t ).
m
This solution is clearly unbounded as t and results in (wild) oscillations
with amplitude going to infinity. This occurrence is called pure mathematical resonance, and although it cannot occur in an actual spring/mass
system, the concept is relevant to systems with extremely light damping.
Example 3.26 Plot the steady state solution to
y 00 + 4y = cos(t),
where is the resonance frequency.
104
Figure 3.10: Steady state solutions associated with pure mathematical resonance.
Solution: As above the resonance frequency by Equation (3.6.2) is =

So = 2. Applying undetermined coefficients to:
k
.
m
y 00 + 4y = cos(2t),
we obtain y(t) = At cos(2t) + Bt sin(2t) yielding:
y 0 = A cos(2t) 2At sin(2t) + B sin(2t) + 2Bt cos(2t)
y 00 = 2A sin(2t)2A sin(2t)4At cos(2t)+2B cos(2t)+2B cos(2t)4Bt sin(2t)
So y 00 + 4y = 4B cos(2t) 4A sin(2t)
and so A = 0 and B = 41 .
Thus the steady state solution is y(t) =
Figure (3.6.3)
1
t cos(2t)
4
Exercises
1. Plot the steady state solutions to
y 00 + 2y 0 + 10y = 4
and
y 00 + 2y 0 + 10y = 4 cos(2t).
Does the associated system exhibit resonance?
which is plotted in

2. Plot the steady state solutions to
y 00 + 2y 0 + 1y = 4
and
y 00 + 2y 0 + 1y = 4 cos(2t).
Can you use this example to conclude that the associated system does
not exhibit resonance?
3. For
y 00 + 2y 0 + 10y = 4 cos(t),
plot the steady state solutions for specific values of where is:
(a) the optimal resonance frequency,
(b) inside the interval of resonance but not the optimal frequency,
(c) outside the interval of resonance.
4. The spring/mass system
y 00 +
1 0
y + 10y = 4 cos(t)
100
has the mass initially at equilibrium and at rest and is forced at the
optimal resonance frequency. If the spring can tolerate a displacement
of at most y = 20 units, when will the spring break?
5. For
y 00 + 10y = 4 cos(t),
plot the steady state solutions for specific values of where is:
(a) the optimal resonance frequency,
(b) inside the interval of resonance but not the optimal frequency,
(c) outside the interval of resonance.

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3.6.

APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE95

Application-Forced Spring Mass Systems

and by Newtons Law

CHAPTER 3. SECOND ORDER ODE

Example 3.23 A spring with spring constant 4N/m is attached to a 1kg

which we set equal to 2 cos t + 0 sin t so

which can be expressed as

3.6. APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE97

y(t) = yhomo (t) + yP (t) =

In this section we look at a particular phenomenon called resonance. In

CHAPTER 3. SECOND ORDER ODE

bridge, or exciting molecules at their natural frequency in microwave ovens.

So A = 1 3 and B = 31 which implies that the steady state solution is

3.6. APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE99

Suppose that a spring/mass system with spring constant k > 0 attached

CHAPTER 3. SECOND ORDER ODE

(k 2 m)2 A + Bb(k m 2 ) = F0 (k m 2 ) and Ab2 B(k m 2 )b = 0

3.6. APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE101

then the system exhibits resonance. The interval (0, 2kmb

g 0 () = 2b2 + 2(k m 2 )(2m)

We summarize our work below:

Resonance in Sinusoidally Forced Spring/Mass Systems

CHAPTER 3. SECOND ORDER ODE

0 < < 11,

Pure Mathematical Resonance

3.6. APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE103

Figure 3.9: Steady state solutions of a spring mass system forced at

CHAPTER 3. SECOND ORDER ODE

Solution: As above the resonance frequency by Equation (3.6.2) is =

3.6. APPLICATION-FORCED SPRING MASS SYSTEMS AND RESONANCE105

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