Solved Problems: Damped Oscillations

Chapter 2
2. An under-damped oscillator has a time period of 2s and the amplitude of oscillation
goes down by 10% in one oscillation. [a.] What is the logarithmic decrement λ of the
oscillator? [b.] Determine the damping coefficient β. [c.] What would be the time period of
this oscillator if there was no damping? [d.] What should be β if the time period is to be
increased to 4s?
[a.] Since the amplitude of the oscillations goes down by 10%, so An+1 /An = e−βT = 0.9,
where An is the amplitude after n-th oscillation, β is the damping coefficient, and T is the
time period. So, the logarithmic decrement is λ = ln(An /An+1 ) = 0.105
[b.] T = 2 s. So, β = 0.5 × ln(10/9) = 0.053 s−1 .
q
[c.] If ω0 is the natural angular frequency, then ω = 2π/T = ω02 − β 2 . So, ω0 =
√ 2 q
ω + β 2 = π 2 + (0.053)2 rad/s = 3.14 rad/s. So, the time period in the absence of
damping is T0 = 2π/ω0 = 1.99 s.
q
[d.] If time period is increased to 4 s, then ω = 0.5π rad/s. So, β = ω02 − ω 2 = 2.72 rad/s.

3. Two identical under-damped oscillators have damping coefficient and angular frequency
β and ω respectively. At t = 0 one oscillator is at rest with displacement a0 while the other
has velocity v0 and is at the equilibrium position. What is the phase difference between
these two oscillators?
The displacement of an under-damped oscillator having damping coefficient β and angular
frequency ω can be expressed as

x(t) = Ae−βt cos(ωt + φ)

where φ is phase of the oscillator. Now, at t = 0, the initial displacement x(0) and initial
velocity v(0) are,

x(0) = A cos(φ); v(0) = −βA cos(φ) − ωA sin(φ)

. So in terms of initial conditions,

v(0) + βx(0)
tan(φ) =
ωx(0)

1
For the first oscillator x(0) = a0 and v(0) = 0, so φ1 = tan−1 (β/ω). For the second
oscillator, x(0) = 0 and v(0) = v0 , so φ2 = tan−1 (∞) = π/2. So, the difference in phase is
|φ1 − φ2 | = π/2 − tan−1 (β/ω).

4. An LCR circuit has an inductance L = 1 mH, a capacitance

C = 0.1 µF and resistance R = 250 Ω in series. The capacitor has a
voltage 10 V at the instant t = 0 when the circuit is completed. What is
the voltage across the capacitor after 10 µs and 20 µs?

The voltage equation for the circuit is

di q
L + iR + = 0
dt C
d2 q dq q
or, L 2 + R + = 0 (1)
dt dt C
where, i is the current in the circuit and q is the charge stored in the capacitor. From the
√
given values of L, C, and R, we see that β = R/2L = 1.25 × 105 s−1 and ω0 = 1/ LC =
105 s−1 , i.e.β > ω0 . Hence, the solution of Eq. (1) describes a over-damped motion of q.
So, comparing the Eq. (1) with Eq.(2.2) of chapter 2 and using the equations (3.1)-(3.4) of
chapter 3 in the PDF book, we get the general solution
 √ √ 2 2
2 2
q(t) = e−βt Ae β −ω0 t + Be− β −ω0 t
  s   s 
Rt  R2 1  R2 1 
 
or, q(t) = exp − A exp t 2
− + B exp −t
2
− (2)
2L 4L LC 4L LC
where, A and B are the constants to be determined from the initial conditions, which are, at
t = 0, q = (0.1 × 10−6 ) × 10 = 10−6 coulomb and i = q̇ = 0. Applying the initial conditions
on Eq. (2), we get

A + B = 10−6 (3)
q
R2 1 R
2 − +
A/B = q 4L LC 2L
= −4 (4)
R2 1 R
4L2
− LC
− 2L

Then solving Eq. (3) and Eq. (4), we get A = −10−6 /3 and B = (4/3) × 10−6 . So, at
t = 10 µs,
10−6  −0.5 
q= 4e − e−2.0 = 0.764 µC
3

2
So, voltage across the capacitor at t = 10 µs is q/C = 7.64 V . Similarly, at t = 20 µs, it is
4.84 V .

Chapter 3
1. Obtain solution (3.7) for critical damping as a limiting case (β → ω0 ) of overdamped
solution (3.5)
The overdamped solution (3.5) is
v0 + γ2 x0 −γ1 t v0 + γ1 x0 −γ2 t
x(t) = e − e (5)
γ2 − γ1 γ2 − γ1
q
where x0 and v0 are initial displacement and velocity, γ1 = β − β 2 − ω02 , and γ2 = β +
q
β 2 − ω02 . In the limit (β → ω0 ), γ1 → β and also γ2 → β. Therefore, we first take the limit
γ2 → γ1 in the equation (5) and then replace γ1 by β in the final result. The equation (5)
can be written as
v0 + γ2 x0 −γ1 t v0 + γ1 x0 −γ2 t
x(t) = e − e
γ2 − γ1 γ2 − γ1
1 h  i
= (v0 + γ2 x0 ) e−γ1 t − (v0 + γ1 x0 ) e−γ1 t + (v0 + γ1 x0 ) e−γ1 t − e−γ2 t
(γ2 − γ1 )
(v0 + γ1 x0 ) h −γ1 t i
= x0 e−γ1 t + e − e−γ2 t
(γ2 − γ1 )
(v0 + γ1 x0 ) −γ1 t h i
= x0 e−γ1 t + e 1 − e−(γ2 −γ1 )t
(γ2 − γ1 )
(γ2 − γ1 )2 t2 (γ2 − γ1 )3 t3
" #
−γ1 t (v0 + γ1 x0 ) −γ1 t
= x0 e + e 1 − {1 − (γ2 − γ1 )t + − + ....}
(γ2 − γ1 ) 2! 3!
(γ2 − γ1 )t2 (γ2 − γ1 )2 t3
" #
−γ1 t −γ1 t
= x0 e + (v0 + γ1 x0 )e t− + + ... (6)
2! 3!
So, taking the limit γ2 → γ1 in the equation (6), all terms in the square bracket vanish
(except the first term, i.e. t). So, for γ2 → γ1 ,

x(t) = [x0 + (v0 + γ1 x0 )t]e−γ1 t (7)

Alternatively, using the L’Hospital rule,

(v0 + γ2 x0 )e−γ1 t − (v0 + γ1 x0 )e−γ2 t 0
Ltγ2 →γ1 x(t) = ≡
γ2 − γ1 0
−γ1 t −γ2 t
" #
x0 e + (v0 + γ1 x0 )te
= Ltγ2 →γ1
1
(taking the derivatives of numerator and denominator wrt γ2 )

= [x0 + (v0 + γ1 x0 )t]e−γ1 t (8)

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So, finally replacing γ1 by β in the equation (8) we get,

x(t) = [x0 + (v0 + βx0 )t]e−βt (9)

3. A door shutter has a spring which, in the absence of damping, shuts the door in 0.5
seconds. The problem is that the door bangs shut with a speed 1 m/s. A damper with a
damping coefficient β is introduced to ensure that the door shuts gradually. What are the
times required for the door to shut and the velocities of the door at the instant it shuts, if
β = 0.5π and β = 0.9π? Note that the spring is unstretched when the door is shut.
The equation of displacement of the door shutter, in the absence of damping, is

x(t) = a cos ω0 t + b sin ω0 t (10)

When the door is shut, then x = 0. The shutter shuts the door in 0.5 seconds; so T0 /4 =
0.5 sec, where T0 is the time period of oscillation of the shutter attached to the spring. Now
imposing the conditions: ẋ(t = 0) = 0 , ẋ(t = T0 /4) = −1 m/s , T0 /4 = π/2ω0 = 0.5 sec, we
1
get a = π
m and b = 0.
Now, if a damper with a damping coefficient β is introduced, then the equation for x(t) can
be expressed as,
x(t) = e−βt [c cos ωt + d sin ωt] (11)
q
1
where ω = ω02 − β 2 . Now imposing the conditions: x(t = 0) = a = π
m , ẋ(t = 0) = 0, the
equation becomes " #
−βt β
x(t) = ae cos ωt + sin ωt (12)
ω
Now, in the presence of damping, if the shutter shuts the door in time t0 , then x(t0 ) = 0 .
Using the equation we have
β
cos ωt0 = − sin ωt0
ω
ω
or, tan ωt0 = −
β
!
π 1 ω
or, t0 = − tan−1
ω ω β
The velocity of the door at the instant it shuts is
β2
!
−βt0
ẋ(t = t0 ) = −aωe 1 + 2 sin ωt0 (13)
ω

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For β = 0.5π, t0 = 0.77 sec, ẋ(t0 ) = −0.3 m/s and for β = 0.9π, t0 = 1.96 sec, ẋ(t0 ) ≈ 0.

6. A critically damped oscillator is initially at x = 0 with velocity v0 . What is the ratio of

the maximum kinetic energy to the maximum potential energy of this oscillator?
The general expression for the displacement of a critically damped oscillator is x(t) = [A +
Bt]e−βt , where A and B are constants to be determined from initial conditions. Here,
x(0) = 0 and ẋ(0) = v0 . So, A = 0 and B = v0 . Now, for the furthest distance ẋ(t0 ) = 0.
ẋ(t) = v0 (1 − βt)e−βt . So, t0 = 1/β. So, the furthest distance is x(t0 ) = v0 e−1 /β. So, the
maximum potential energy is (P.E)max = kx(t0 )2 /2 = mω02 × (v02 e−2 /β 2 )/2 = mv02 e−2 /2
(since, ω0 = β). The maximum kinetic energy (K.E.)max = mv02 /2. So, the ratio to the
maximum kinetic energy to the maximum potential energy is e2 .

7. An overdamped oscillator is initially at x = x0 . What initial velocity, v0 , should be

given to the oscillator that it reaches the mean position (x = 0) in the minimum possible
time
If the oscillator reaches the mean position at t = t0 , then,
v0 + γ2 x0 −γ1 t0 v0 + γ1 x0 −γ2 t0
x(t0 ) = e − e =0 (14)
γ2 − γ1 γ2 − γ1
So,
v0 + γ1 x0
e(γ2 −γ1 )t0 = (15)
v0 + γ2 x0
For, t0 ≥ 0, R.H.S. of the equation (15) must be 1 or, greater than 1. Now, since γ2 > γ1 ,
so v0 < 0 for x0 > 0. Then,
v0 + γ1 x0 |v0 | − γ1 x0
=
v0 + γ2 x0 |v0 | − γ2 x0
(γ2 − γ1 )x0
=1+ >1 (16)
|v0 | − γ2 x0
So, the denominator of the second term on the R.H.S. must be greater than zero. Hence
|v0 | > γ2 x0 .
Similarly, for x0 < 0, v0 must be positive, and then
v0 + γ1 x0 v0 − γ1 |x0 |
=
v0 + γ2 x0 v0 − γ2 |x0 |
(γ2 − γ1 )|x0 |
=1+ >1 (17)
v0 − γ2 |x0 |
So, v0 > γ2 |x0 |.