Time Period & Oscillations: Engineer's Best Option

[jrm2002]

My question is that going by the definition of time period that is,
"the time required to complete one oscillation".

Now, if I say the best option for an engineer should be that , the building should not oscillate , am I right?

That could happen if the time period of a system is very large, right?
Because, if the time period is LESS, the frequency is MORE, hence the system would suffer more oscillations , right?So to make the building suffer no oscillations/ less oscillations the time period should be LARGE.

SO AM I RIGHT IF I SAY LESS STIFFNESS AND MORE MASS WOULD BE THE IDEAL CONFIGURATION?

 

[ZapperZ]

You can verify this yourself by simply looking at the expression for a period of oscillation for a simple harmonic oscillator. The period is given by

$$T = \sqrt{\frac{m}{k}}$$

[a factor of 2pi hanging around somewhere]

where T is the period, k is the spring constant (a measure of stiffness of the spring), and m is the oscillating mass. You can already see that to maximize T, you want to make k as small as possible, and m as large as possible.

Zz.

 

[sir-pinski]

Yes, you are correct in saying that a longer time period would result in fewer oscillations in a system. This is because the frequency of oscillation is inversely proportional to the time period. In other words, a longer time period means a lower frequency of oscillation, and therefore, fewer oscillations.

In terms of engineering, the goal is to design a system that can withstand external forces and maintain stability. In the case of a building, the ideal configuration would be to have a structure with a longer time period, which means it would have less stiffness and more mass. This would allow the building to have a lower frequency of oscillation and therefore, be less susceptible to strong external forces such as wind or earthquakes.

However, it is also important for engineers to consider other factors such as cost, materials, and structural integrity when designing a building. So while a longer time period may be ideal for stability, it may not always be the most practical or feasible option. Engineers must strike a balance between stability and other factors to create a safe and efficient structure.