Chapter IV

Forced/Driven
Oscillations
An additional externally applied harmonic
force acts on the oscillator

(i) Without Damping:

d2x
m 2 k x F0 cos t
dt

d2x F0
Or, 2 0 x cos t
2

dt m
0 : Natural angular frequency
: Angular frequency of driving force
Example 1. Spring-mass system with
oscillating fixed point
X A cos t
F k(x X )
Equation of motion :
d 2x
2
0 ( x A cos t )
2

dt
d 2x
Or,
2
0 x 0 A cos t
2 2

dt
Or, d2 x
dt 2
0 x
2 F0
m
cos t F0 m 0 A
2

Example 2 Pendulum With Oscillating Point of
Suspension
X
O
X A cos t x

Balancing forces along y, T

m g T cos T x

y mg
The restoring force is :

Frest T sin mg
x X

Equation of motion :
d2 x
m 2
mg
x A cos t
dt
Or,
d2 x
0 x 0 A cos t
2 2
2
dt
Or,
d2 x
dt 2
0 x
2 F0
m
cos t F
0 m 0 A
2

Solving the Equation of Motion
d2x F0
2
0 x cos t
2

dt m

The above is a linear, inhomogeneous

differential equation.

The homogeneous part of the equation is :

d2x
2
0x 0
2

dt
Theory of linear diff. equation :

M.G.S of = M.G.S of + Any

Inhomoge- homoge- particular
neous neous soln. of
Equation Equation Inhomoge-
neous
Equation
x ( t ) x 0 ( t ) x p. s ( t )
A particular solution of the equation of the
driven oscillator :

d2x F0
2
0 x cos t
2

dt m

d 2z F0 j t
Complex form : 2
0 z
2
e
dt m

j t
Obvious guess : z (t ) A e
 Putting this into the equation :

F0
A ( )
2
0
2

m
Or, F0
A
m (02 2 )

cos t A cos t
F0
x p.s
m (0 )
2 2

Most general solution for the driven oscillator :

F0
x ( t ) A cos(0 t ) cos t
m (0 )
2 2
 Resonance
The amplitude of the oscillations :

F0
A()
m(02 2 )

varies with the driving frequency

A() A( )

0
0

is phase difference
between F and x
0
 (ii) Forced Oscillations with
Damping
Equation of Motion :
d2x dx F0
2
0 x cos t
2

dt dt m

To obtain the particular solution, take the

complex form :

d 2z dz F0 j t
2
0 z
2
e
dt dt m
To obtain a particular solution, the obvious
choice is :
j ( t )
z p.s (t ) A e

Substitution and subsequent solution for A

gives :
F0
A
m (02 2 ) 2 2 2

tan 2
1

2
0
 F0 e j ( t )
z p.s
m ( )
2
0
2 2 2 2

x p.s Re ( z p.s )

F0 cos (t )
x p.s.
m (02 2 )2 2 2

A() cos ( t )
Most General Solution :

t
x(t ) B e 2
cos ( 't ) A( ) cos ( t )

Transient Steady State

The transient part of the solution dies out

after about Q oscillations, and after that the
steady state oscillations go on unabated
A()
F0 m
A()
(02 2 )2 22

Maximizing A w. r. t.
one gets
2 1/ 2

F0
m 0 2
k 2
m 0
()

tan 2
1

2
2 0

0
 0 0
Point of suspension Point of suspension
and bob in phase and bob out of phase
Greater than l Shorter than l
Resonance in the presence of
damping
Assuming Q to be reasonably large :
F0 m
A()
( ) 2
(02 2 )2 0
Q2

A0 ( A0 A(0) F0 m02 )
2
0 1

2
0 0 Q

1/ 2
1 1
m 0 1 2
0 1 2
2Q 4Q
 A 0Q
A m A(m ) 1/ 2
1
1 2
4Q
Q 30

Q 10
A()
Q5

Q3

Q 1
A0
0
Amplitude for increasing quality
 Spectacular Effect of Resonance

Bridge Collapse Due to Soldiers Marching in

Step

Broughton Bridge, England - 1831

Angers Bridge, France - 1850
Tacoma Narrows bridge, USA - 1940
After the collapse of Tacoma Narrows

Governor of Washington State :

We are going to build the exact same bridge,

exactly as before

Engineer who gave the design :

Sir, if you build the exact same bridge,

exactly as before, it is going to fall into the
exact same river exactly as before.
Prob. 4.5 A simple pendulum has a length of
1 m. In free vibration the amplitude falls off by
a factor e in 50 swings. The pendulum is set
into forced vibration by moving its point of
suspension horizontally in SHM with an
amplitude of 1 mm.

a) Show that if the horizontal displacement

of the bob is x and the horizontal
displacement of its point of suspension is
the equation of motion of the pendulum is :
d2x dx g g
2
x
dt dt
Answer :

O
x

T
f damp
x
y mg

In the x-y (inertial) frame, the Eq. of motion is :

2
d x g dx
m 2 m ( x ) b
dt dt
 d2 x dx g g
Or, 2
x
dt dt
d2 x dx
Or, 2
2
0 x 0 0 cos t
2

dt dt
d2 x dx F0
Or, 2
0 x
2
cos t F0 m 02 0
dt dt m
b) At exact resonance, what is the amplitude
of motion of the bob of the pendulum
A 0Q
A m A(m ) 1/ 2
1
1 2
4Q
After n oscillations, the amplitude drops by a
factor :
n Q
e
50 Q 1 Q 50

F0
A0 0 1 mm
m0 2

Am A0Q 50 mm 15.7 cm
c) At what angular frequency, is the amplitude
half its resonance value?

A0 A 0Q
A()
0
2
1 2
2
0 0 Q

Putting x, the equation to be solved :
0

4
2 1
2
1 x 2
x x 2 (1 x )
2 2

x
2
Q Q Q2
Since x is expected to be extremely close to 1,
put : x 1
1 x 2 2

4 1
2 4 2
2

Q Q

3 3
Or, 5.5 103
2Q 100

0 1 0.0055 ; 0 10 3.16 s1
Prob. 4.6. Simple Seismograph as in figure below.
It consists of a mass m hung from a spring on a rigid
framework attached to the earth. The spring force
and damping force depend on displacement and
velocity relative to the earths surface, but the
dynamically significant acceleration is acceleration
of m relative to the fixed stars.

Equilibrium The earth shaking

under a tremor
a) Show that the equation of
motion is :
d2y dy d 2

2
0 y 2
2 y
dt dt dt

y is displacement of m relative to earth and

is displacement of earths surface itself.

Ans :
Since y is defined w.r.t. the earths frame,
which is non-inertial, the forces are as shown.
 : Fictitious
: Spring
y : Damping

d 2 dy
Ffict m 2 ; Fspring k y ; Fdamp b
dt dt

Eq. of Motion :
d2y dy d 2
m 2 b ky m 2
dt dt dt
b) Solve for y if C cos t

Dividing out by m and putting C cos t

d2y dy
2
0
2
y C 2
cos t
dt dt
C 2
F0 m C 2
A0
2
0

F0 cos (t )
y
m (02 2 ) 2 2 2

c) Plot a graph of amplitude versus driving

frequency.
d) A typical long period seismometer has a
period of about 30 sec. and quality of 2. As a
result of earthquake the earths surface may
oscillate with a period of 20 min. and with an
amplitude such that the maximum
acceleration is about 109 m s2 . How small a
value of the displacement of the block must
be observable, if the quake is to be detected.
 30 s
0.025
0 20 min

amax C 2

a max
A0 2 2.25 108 m
0

A0
A( )
2
0 1

2
0 0 Q

A( ) 22 nm
 Transient Phenomena
In a driven oscillator, the motion in the
beginning is not quite simple harmonic. This
part of the motion is called the transients.
Afterwards, the motion settles to a SHM of a
frequency, that is equal to the driving
frequency.

Complete motion :

t
x(t ) B e 2
cos ( ' t ) A( ) cos ( t )
At resonance, 0 , 2 , A A0Q

t
x(t ) B e 2
cos (0 t ) A0Q sin 0t

With initial conditions : x(0) x (0) 0

t

x ( t ) A0Q 1 e 2 sin 0 t

x(t)
A 0Q

Transients
Steady State
 Power Input to a Driven
Oscillator in the Steady
State
Instantaneous power input to the oscillator
by the driving force :
P Fv

F F0 cos t
dx
v A() sin( t )
dt
v 0 sin(t )
 A 00
v 0 A()
2
0 1
2
0 Q

Resonance for velocity amplitude occurs

exactly at the natural frequency

P( t ) F0 v 0 cos t sin( t )

F0 v 0 (cos cos t sin t sin cos2 t )

T
1 1
P() P( t ) dt F0 v 0 sin
T0 2
Prob. 4.10 The power required to maintain
forced vibration must be equal to the power
loss due to damping.

a) Find the instantaneous rate of doing work

against the damping force.
Ans dW
Fdampv
dt

b v2

b2A2 sin2 ( t )
b) Find the mean rate of doing work
against damping
Ans :
T
dW 2 1
b A sin 2 ( t ) dt
2

dt T0

1 2 2
b A
2
c) Substitute the value of A at any
arbitrary frequency and hence obtain the
expression for average P.
 1 1
Ans: Pdrive F0 v 0 sin F0 A sin
2 2

Since tan 2
0 2
b
sin
m (02 2 )2 22
b A

F0
bF02 (2m 202 )
Pdrive
1 2 2
b A
2
2
1
0 2
0 Q

Power Resonance Curve
1 2 2 bF02 (2m 202 )
P() b A
2
2
1
0 2
0 Q

P is maximum at 0
bF02 Q 2 F02
Pm
2m 20
2
2b
Pm 1
P() 2 2
Q 1
0
2
0 Q
 Width of Power Resonance Curve
(Full Width at Half Maximum (FWHM))
P()

Pm

Pm 2

0
: FWHM
 Finding FWHM
Pm
Equating P() to
2

1 1 1
2 2
2 Q 1
0
2
0 Q

2
0
Q
2
1
0

0 1

0 Q

Putting 1 , where 1
0
1 1 1
(1 )
1 Q 2Q
1
1
0 2Q
P()

0

Q

0
Q

0 2 0 0 2
P()
Q = 30

Q=5

Q=3
Q=1

0
Prob. 4.17 The graph
shows the mean power 10

P, watts
absorbed by an
oscillator when driven 5
by a force of constant
magnitude but variable 0.995 1 1.005
frequency. ( M Hz)

a) At exact resonance, how much work per

cycle is being done against the resistive force?
0 106 s1 T0 2 10 6 s

Work / cycle Pmax T0 2 10 5

J
b) At exact resonance, what is the total
mechanical energy E 0 of the oscillator?

1 2 2 1
Pm b 0 A E0 where E0 m 0 A
2 2

2 2

From the power resonance curve :

0.01 10 s6 1
104 s1

Pm
E0 1.0 mJ

c) If the driving force is turned off, how long
does it take for the energy of the oscillator
to drop to E0 e1 ?

t
E( t ) E0 e

t 1 10 4 s
 Line Width of Atomic Spectral Lines

P()

0

Q

Out of the broad spectrum of the incident

light, the atom absorbs appreciably, only
within the frequency range around 0
 Electrical Resonance
Free Oscillations of LC Circuit
i C
VC VL 0
q -q
di q
L 0
dt C
d 2q 1 L
Or, L 2 q0
dt C
Comparing this with the equation of motion
of a SHO we get the correspondence :
1
mL;k
C
Angular frequency of free oscillations :
1
0
LC
q q0 cos (0t )

Free Oscillations LCR Circuit

i C
VL VR VC 0 q -q
R
di q
L Ri 0
dt C
L
 d 2q
Or, L 2 R d q q 0
dt dt C
New correspondence :
R

L
q q0 e Rt 2 L
cos( t )
Forced Oscillations of LCR Circuit
i

V V0 cos t ~ R

d 2q dq q
L 2 R V0 cos t L
dt dt C

Steady State Solution :

q( t ) q0 () cos(t )