

The spring block system will start oscillating. Now, this block is pushed down slightly and released immediately. Suppose we have a block of mass \(m\) connected to an elastic spring having a spring constant \(k\) that is oscillating vertically. Let us understand the effect of a damping force on the motion of a harmonic oscillator. Expression for Damped Harmonic Oscillator Frictional forces generally act as dissipative forces. If the damping applied to the system is relatively small, then its motion remains almost periodic. These oscillations fade with time as the energy of the system is dissipated continuously. Damping can be of two types:Ī simple harmonic motion whose amplitude goes on decreasing with time is known as damped harmonic motion. In automobiles, shock absorbers and carpet pads act like damping devices. Damping can be understood as the resistance offered to the oscillation of a body. What is Damping?ĭamping can be defined as energy dissipation by restraining the vibratory motion like mechanical oscillations, alternating electric current, and noise. The systems can be forced to remain oscillating with the help of some external periodic agency. The oscillating systems eventually come to a halt due to the damping and dissipative forces. At any point during the simple harmonic motion, the force acting on an object will act towards its mean position.

The motion of an oscillating system is said to be a simple harmonic when the force acting on it is directly proportional to the displacement of the oscillating object from its mean position. A simple harmonic motion is the oscillatory motion of the simplest type.
