MEHRAN UNIVERSITY

OF ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY, JAMSHORO

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, DEPARTMENT
13-BATCH

MECHANICAL VIBRATION
Lecture # 04
Topic

Simple harmonic motion

(cont..)

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

REVISION
If the motion is repeated after equal intervals of time, it is called periodic motion.
The simplest type of periodic motion is known as simple harmonic motion.

C
A

In

Figure-A: a mass hanging on a light spring is pulled and released.

In Figure-B: a simple pendulum is formed by connecting a mass to one end of a
light string, and fixing the other end to the ceiling.
In Figure-C: a U-shaped tube with water is shaken so that water rises and falls in
each of its branches. The higher water rises in one branch, the lower it falls in the
other branch, and the more pressure difference is generated to push it back.

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

Harmonic motion, A specific type of periodic motion, simple harmonic motion, has a
rather straightforward mathematical representation:
where A is the amplitude of motion, is the angular frequency, t is the elapsed time,
and is a phase factor identifying at what point in the cycle we chose t = 0. The
angular frequency is related to the period through the relationship:

If an object undergoes motion as described above, the objects velocity and

acceleration as functions of time will be,

Acceleration can be written in form of x will be:

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

LINEAR MOTION (MASS and SPRING):
As discussed that a spring will be stretched a
distance proportional to the applied force.
Mathematically this is stated as:
F = k * stretch
The negative sign shows that the force exerted
by the spring is always in the opposite
direction of the stretch of the spring.
The net force acting on the mass would be the extra force
due to displacement x. Newtons second law would yield:

Where
Therefore

and

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

LINEAR MOTION (MASS and SPRING):
Acceleration in Simple Harmonic Motion

1. The acceleration is not constant.

2. More mass means less acceleration.
3. The acceleration is always in the opposite
direction of the displacement.
4. Acceleration is proportional to displacement,
meaning it is greatest when x is greatest ( at
the ends) and zero at x(o).
5. Acceleration is proportional to the spring
constant. The stronger the spring, the stronger
the acceleration.

SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION

SIMPLE PENDULUM:
Applying Newtons 2nd law to the object in the
direction of motion gives:
For small angles,
sin()= s/l,
where s is the displacement of the mass from
equilibrium.
The acceleration a yields:
Where
Therefore

and

1. The period of the pendulum does not depend

on the mass of the bob.
2. (in small angles) , the period does not depend
on the beginning displacement. The pendulum
moves faster through long arcs, slower through
small arcs.
3. The period is proportional to the square root
of the length. Doubling the length will not double
the period.
4. The period depends on gravity (inverse
square root). Thus pendulums will have different
periods at different locations on the earth.

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