1

Physics 255 Mid Term 1

Friday, 4 October 2013
Time: 50 minutes. A calculator is permitted. Your examination paper should have 2 pages
with 3 printed sides. The point value for each question is given in square brackets. Total
points: 50.
1. Complex exponential notation [10 points]


Express the following in the form x = Re Aei(t+) :
(a) [5] x = 2 sin(t)
(b) [5] x = cos(t) cos(t /3)
2. The energy method [10 points]
The figure below shows a thin uniform rod of mass M and length L that is pivoted without
friction about an axis through its mid-point. A horizontal light spring of spring constant k is
attached to the lower end of the rod. The spring is at its equilibrium length when the angle
with respect to the vertical is zero. Using the energy method, find the angular frequency
for small oscillations of the rod. (Note: the moment of inertia of a rod about its mid point
is M L2 /12.)

3. Properties of a damped harmonic oscillator [20 points]

A simple pendulum of length ` = 0.5 m oscillates with negligible damping under gravitational
acceleration of g = 9.8 m/s2 .
(a) [5] Draw a force/torque diagram of this system and deduce from it the differential
equation for the motion (t) in the small amplitude approximation.
(b) [2] Determine the period of oscillation T .
A damping mechanism is now introduced that results in a damping rate = 0.20 , where
0 is the natural oscillation frequency for undamped motion.
(c) [3] What is the oscillation period of the damped motion?
(d) [10] Find an expression for (t) that results from releasing the damped pendulum from
rest at the position 0 = 0.1 rad. Carefully sketch (t).

2
4. The damped, driven oscillator [10 points]
The figure below shows a massspringdamper system. The horizontal position of the mass
m is denoted xm , measured from the equilibrium position. The mass is attached to a rigid
mount on the left-hand side via a damper of damping constant b. The mass is also attached
to a spring, of spring constant k. The system is driven by a harmonic displacement of the
other end of the spring, xf (t) = X0 sin t.
(a) [4] Using Newtons Second Law, write down the differential equation for the motion of
the driven oscillator and show that there is a forcing term of form F (t) = F0 sin(t).
What is F0 in terms of the given parameters?
(b) [6] Starting with the differential equation from (a) and using phasor notation, derive
an expression for the steady-state amplitude of oscillation that is, the absolute value
of the amplitude and thereby show that it is identical to that for a driving force
F0 cos t.

m
xm

xf

Formula sheet
The differential equation for a damped harmonic oscillator with a harmonic driving force is
F0
1
(m
x + bx + kx) = x + x + 02 x =
cos t.
m
m
The solution has the form
x(t) = xh (t) + xss (t),
with

t/2

cos(f t + ) = Re{Aei et/2 eif t }, Q > 1/2;

Ae
xh (t) = (A + Bt)et/2 ,
Q = 1/2;

1 t
Ae
+ Be2 t ,
Q < 1/2;
where

r
Q = 0 /,

f =

02

 2
2

1,2

=
2

r 
2
2

02

and
xss (t) = A() cos [t ()] = Re{A()ei() eit },
F0 /m
A()ei() = 2
,
0 2 + i
F0 /m
A() =
1/2
[(02 2 )2 + 2 2 ]

.
tan () = 2
0 2

Complex numbers:
z = a + ib = rei , z = a ib = rei ,
z z
z + z
Re{z} =
= a = r cos , Im{z} =
= b = r sin .
2
2i
ei + ei
ei ei
ei = cos + i sin , cos =
, sin =
2
2i

Trigonometric identities:

sin(x) = cos(x ),
2

cos(a+b) = cos a cos bsin a sin b,

sin(a+b) = sin a cos b+cos a sin b