BSc/MSci MidTerm Test

PHY-217 Waves and Oscillations

Time Allowed: 50 minutes

Date: 13th Nov, 2012

Time: 9:05 - 9:55

Instructions: Answer ALL questions in section A. Answer ONLY ONE ques-

tions from section B. Section A carries 25 marks, each question
in section B carries 25 marks. An indicative marking-scheme is
shown in square brackets [ ] after each part of a question.

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 SECTION A. Attempt answers to all questions.

A1. For a particle of mass m executing simple harmonic motion (“SHM”), its displacement
from equilibrium can be written as:
x(t) = Asin(ω0 t + φ).
(i) Write down the amplitude, angular frequency, period and phase at time t. [3]
(ii) Sketch a graph of x(t). [2]
SOLUTION:
(i) amplitude: A, angular frequency: ω0 , period: T = 2π/ω0 , phase: ω0 t + φ
(ii) sinusoidal graph
A2. A mass m is attached to a massless spring with constant k, and can move horizontally on
a frictionless plane without air resistance.
(i) By explicit consideration of the forces involved, derive the differential equation of
motion and write down the general solution. [2]
(ii) What is the angular frequency, expressed in terms of k and m? [2]
(iii) Write down the potential, kinetic, and total energy at time t. [2]
(iv) Write down an example of initial conditions. [1]
SOLUTION:
(i) The equation is: mẍ = −kx ⇒ ẍ + ω02 x = 0 with ω02 = k/m
general solution: x(t) = Acos(ω0 t + φ) with A, φ constants.
(ii) ω02 = k/m
(iii) Ep (t) = 12 kx2 (t) = 12 kA2 cos2 (ω0 t + φ) and Ek (t) = 21 mẋ2 (t) = 21 mω02 A2 sin2 (ω0 t + φ)
Total energy: Ek + Ep = 21 kA2
(iv) An example is: x(t = 0) = x0 and v(t = 0) = v0 .
A3. Show that the function y = Acos(4x) + Bsin(4x), where A and B are arbitrary constants,
is a general solution of the differential equation: [4]
d2 y
+ 16y = 0.
dx2
SOLUTION:

dy d2 y
= −4Asin(4x) + 4Bcos(4x) and = −16Acos(4x) − 16Bsin(4x)
dx dx2
d2 y
⇒ 2 + 16y = 0
dx

A4. For an object starting from maximum diplacement and released from rest, sketch plots
of displacement versus time for: (i) underdamped SHM, (ii) critically damped SHM and
(iii) overdamped SHM. (iv) How is the oscillator’s Quality Factor, Q, defined? [4]
SOLUTION:
1/γ
Q is a dimensionless number defined as: Q = 1/ω 0
= ω0 /γ, where γ is the damping
constant in damped harmonic motion and ω0 is the angular frequency of the undamped
oscillator.
 A5. Consider a damped driven simple harmonic oscillator in steady state. Sketch plots of
(i) amplitude versus driving frequency, and (ii) average power versus driving frequency.
Indicate on each plot the resonance frequency and what effect high or low oscillator’s
quality factor, Q, has on the graph. [3]
SOLUTION:

A6. Consider N equal masses coupled by springs: how many normal modes does such a system
have? For a normal mode, what characterises the motion of each of the masses? [2]
SOLUTION:
A system of N masses coupled by springs has N normal modes. In normal mode vibration
all masses oscillate with the same frequency.

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 SECTION B. Answer one of the two questions in this section.

B1. Two equal masses are connected as shown with two identical massless springs of spring
constant k.
(i) By explicit consideration of the forces and considering only motion in the vertical
direction, derive the equations of motion of the two masses. Do you need to consider
gravitational forces? [10]
(ii) √Show that the angular frequencies of the two normal modes are√given by√ ω 2 =
(3± 5)k/2m and hence that the ratio of the normal mode frequencies is ( 5+1)/( 5−1).
[8]
(iii) Find the ratio of amplitudes of the two masses in each separate mode. [7]

SOLUTION
(i) Let the displacement from the equilibrium positions for masses m1 and m2 be x1 and
x2 respectively. Then the tensions in the two strings are T1 = kx1 and T2 = k(x2 − x1 )
repectively. We need not to consider the gravitational forces acting on the masses, because
they are independent of the displacements and hence do not contribute to the restoring forces
that cause the oscillations. The gravitational forces merely cause a shift in the equilibrium
positions of the masses, and you do not have to find what those shifts are. Now

m1 ẍ1 = +k(x2 − x1 ) − kx1

m2 ẍ2 = −k(x2 − x1 )

substituting m1 = m2 = m and ωs2 = k/m we get:

ẍ1 = ωs2 (x2 − 2x1 )

ẍ2 = ωs2 (x1 − x2 )

(ii) Let: x1 = C1 cos(ωt) and x2 = C2 cos(ωt) and substituting above:

 −ω 2 C1 + 2ωs2 C1 = ωs2 C2
−ω 2 C2 + ωs2 C2 = ωs2 C1

These can be solved as follows:

C1 ωs2 ωs2 − ω 2
= =
C2 2ωs2 − ω 2 ωs2
ωs4 = 2ωs4 − 3ωs2 ω 2 + ω 4
ω 4 − 3ωs2 ω 2 + ωs4 = 0
q
3ωs2 ± √ ´ ωs2
9ωs4 − 4ωs4 ³
ω2 = 5 = 3±
2 2
³ √ ´ k
ω2 = 3 ± 5
v v 2m
u √ u √ √ √ √ √
ω+ u3 + 5 u3 + 5 3 + 5 3+ 5 5−1 5+1
t
= √ =t √ · √ = ·√ =√
ω− 3− 5 3− 5 3+ 5 2 5−1 5−1

q √
(iii) For ω+ = (3 + 5)k/2m:

C1 ωs2 2ωs2 2
= 2 2
= √ = √
C2 2ωs − ω+ 2 2
4ωs − (3 + 5)ωs 1− 5
q √
For ω− = (3 − 5)k/2m:

C1 ωs2 2ωs2 2
= 2 2
= √ = √
C2 2ωs − ω− 4ωs2 − (3 − 5)ωs2 1+ 5

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B2. The sketch shows a mass M1 on a frictionless plane connected to support O by a spring of
stiffness k. The mass M2 is supported by a string of length l from M1 . OA is the length
of the relaxed spring. x1 and x2 are the positions of M1 and M2 , respectively, relative to
point A.

(i) Assuming small angles θ, write down the differential equation of motion for M1 . [8]
(ii) Assuming small angles θ, write down the differential equation of motion for M2 . [7]
(iii) Now let O oscillate harmonically in the horizontal direction, driven by an external
force, and its position X(t) is given by X0 cos(ωt). Let both masses be equal to M . Write
down the differential equation of motion for each mass. [5]

SOLUTION

(i) The equation of motion for mass M1 is:

g
M1 x¨1 = −kx1 + M2 (x2 − x1 )
l

(ii) and for mass M2 is:

M2 ẍ2 = −M2 gsin(θ)
g
⇒ M2 ẍ2 = −M2 (x2 − x1 )
l
(iii) The equation of motion for mass M2 in unchanged, whereas for mass M1 is:
g
M1 x¨1 = −k[x1 − X(t)] + M2 (x2 − x1 )
l
g
M1 x¨1 + kx1 + M2 (x1 − x2 ) = kX0 cos(ωt)
l