Physics Chapter 11

Christopher Chui

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- C. Chui
 Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)
 Any spring has a natural length at which it exerts no
force on the mass is called equilibrium
 If stretched, the restoring force F = -kx, called SHM
 The stretched distance, x, is displacement
 The max displacement is called amplitude, A
 One cycle is one complete to-and-fro (-A to +A) motion
 Period, T, is the time for one complete cycle
 Frequency, f, is the number of complete cycles in one
second. T = 1/f and f = 1/T

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- C. Chui
 Energy in SHO
 PE = ½ kx2 k is called the spring constant
 Total mechanical energy, E = ½ mv2 + ½ kx2
 At the extreme points, E = ½ kA2
 At the equilibrium point, E = ½ mvo2 vo is max
 Using conservation of energy, we find at any
time, the velocity v = +- vo [sqrt(1 – x2/A2)]

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- C. Chui
 The Period and Sinusoid of SHM
 The period does not depend on the amplitude
 For a revolving object making one revolution, vo
= circumference / time = 2A / T = 2Af
 Since ½ kA2 = ½ mvo2, T = 2 sqrt(m/k)
 Since f=1/T, f = 1/(2 sqrt(k/m)
 x = Acos  = Acos t = Acos 2ft = Acos 2t/T
 v = -vo sin 2ft = -vo sin 2t/T
 A = F/m = -kx/m = -[kA/m] cos 2ft = -aocos2ft
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 The Simple Pendulum of length L
 The restoring force, F = - mg sin 
 For small angles, sin  is approx = to 
 F = -mg  = -mg x/L = -kx, where k = mg/L
 The period, T = 2  sqrt (L/g)
 The frequency, f = 1/T = 1/(2 ) sqrt (g/L)

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- C. Chui
 Damped Harmonic Motion
 Automobile spring and shock absorbers
provide damping so that the car won’t bounce
up and down
 Overdamped takes a long time to reach
equilibrium
 Underdamped takes several bounces before
coming to rest
 Critical damping reaches equilibrium the
fastest

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- C. Chui
 Forced Vibrations and Resonance
 A system with a natural frequency may have a
force applied to it. This is a forced vibration
 If the applied force = its natural frequency, then
we have resonance. This freq is resonance
freq. This will lead to resonant collapse

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- C. Chui
 Wave Motion
 Waves are moving oscillations, not carrying matter along
 A simple wave bump is a wave pulse
 A continuous or periodic wave has at its source a
continuous and oscillating disturbance
 The amplitude is the max height of a crest
 The distance between two consecutive crests is called the
wavelength, 
 The frequency, f, is the number of complete cycles
 The wave velocity, v = f, is the velocity at which wave
crests move, not the velocity of the particle
 For small amplitude, v = sqrt [FT/(m/L)] , m/L: mass/length

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 Transverse and Longitudinal Waves
 Particles vibrate up and down = transverse
wave
 Particles vibrate in the same direction =
longitudinal wave, resulting in compression and
expansion
 The velocity of longitudinal wave = sqrt (elastic
force factor / inertia force factor)=sqrt (E/)
 For liquid or gas, v = sqrt (B/), is the density

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- C. Chui
 Energy of Waves
 Wave energy is proportional to the square of
amplitude
 Intensity, I = energy/time/area = power/area
 For a spherical wave, I = P/4r2
 For 2 points at r1 and r2, I2/I1 = r12 / r22
 For wave twice as far, the amplitude is ½ as
large, such that A2/A1 = r1 /r2

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- C. Chui
 Reflection and Interference
 The law of reflection: the angle of incidence = the angle
of reflection
 Interference happens when two waves pass through the
same region at the same time
 The resultant displacement is the algebraic sum of their
separate displacements
 A crest is positive and a trough is negative
 Superposition results in either constructive or
destructive
 2 constructive waves are in phase; destructive waves
are out of phase
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 Standing Wave and Resonance
 2 traveling waves may interfere to give a large amplitude
standing wave
 The points of destructive interference are nodes
 Points of constructive interference are antinodes
 Frequencies at which standing waves are produced are
natural freq or resonance freq
 Only standing waves with resonant frequencies persist
for long such as guitar, violin, or piano
 The lowest frequency is the fundamental freq = 1
antinode, L = 1st harmonic = ½ 1
 The other natural freq are overtones, multiples of
fundamental frequencies, L = nnn
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