What is Oscillating: Definition and 330 Discussions

Oscillation is the repetitive variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states. The term vibration is precisely used to describe mechanical oscillation. Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum and alternating current.
Oscillations occur not only in mechanical systems but also in dynamic systems in virtually every area of science: for example the beating of the human heart (for circulation), business cycles in economics, predator–prey population cycles in ecology, geothermal geysers in geology, vibration of strings in guitar and other string instruments, periodic firing of nerve cells in the brain, and the periodic swelling of Cepheid variable stars in astronomy.

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  1. B

    Solving Oscillating Mass Displacement Problem: Max Velocity Calc

    i know this problem is posted on this forum somwhere else but i can't quite understand thanks in advance Homework Statement A mass of 0.3 kg is suspended from a spring of stiffness 200 N m–1. If the mass is displaced by 10 mm from its equilibrium position and released, for the resulting...
  2. V

    Oscillating Magnetic Field Heating up blood

    Hi, I want to measure the effect of oscillating magnetic fields on oxidative stress in erythrocytes. I will use frequencies ranging from 0Hz (i.e DC) up to 1MHz the field strength will be 10uT. But I am not sure if I can do this. Wouldn't the oscillating magnetic field heat up the sample...
  3. D

    Zero Impedance in Oscillating current transformer

    Hi, I have read Steinmetz books and he has a very good example of OC phenomenon that is nothing like AC case. There are certain conditions under which an OC transformer has zero impedance. Also, on his chapter of long transmission lines, he says quarter wave resonance using abrupt pulses can...
  4. J

    Oscillating E Field Interpretation of Light

    I don't know how to explain the classical view of an EM wave quantum mechanically. First off, when you see the graphical representation, there is an E field (x-axis) and a B field (y-axis) oscillating in parallel. Parallel to both of those is the direction of motion (z-axis)...
  5. A

    DE: Critical Damping Oscillating?

    I'm having a problem understanding a critical damping model. I know critical damping is supposed to return the system to equilibrium as quickly as possible without oscillating, and a critically damped system will have repeated roots so the general solution will be: c1e^rt + c2te^rt But what...
  6. T

    Heat flux with oscillating heat sink

    I am curious about the effects of oscillation in a heat transfer system. For example consider a simple system consisting of a heat source, a heat sink, and some generic material through which we will flow heat. http://tempneff.com/Hflux.png If we stack them all together, without...
  7. R

    Solving the differential equation of an object oscillating in water.

    I have a differential equation to solve below on the motion of an object oscillating in water with a restoring force equal to -Aρgx and a damping force equal to -kv^2. ma+kv^2+Aρgx=0 K, A, ρ and g are constants and I need to solve the equation for x. a (acceleration). v (velocity). x...
  8. W

    Hamiltonian of two rotating and oscillating masses

    Homework Statement A massless spring of length b and spring constant k connects two particles of masses m_1 and m_2 . The system rests on a smooth table and may oscillate and rotate. a) Determine the Lagrange's equations of motion. b) What are the generalized momenta associated with...
  9. M

    Harmonic Motion of Oscillating Particle

    Homework Statement A particle moves along the x axis. It is moving initially at the position 0.280 m, moving with velocity 0.200 m/s and acceleration -0.450 m/s^2. Suppose it moves with constant acceleration for 4.10 s. (a) Find the position of the particle after this time...
  10. E

    Analogy between satelite orbit and mass oscillating through earth

    The period of a satellite revolving around the Earth earth at surface height is equal to the period of any mass thrown through a hole of the earth(which gains a simple harmonic motion)... It seemed really interesting to me... Why both of these periods are same? T=2 π √(R/g)
  11. electricspit

    Motion in a rapid oscillating field

    Hello, I've been making my way through Landau-Lifshitz's "Mechanics" book, and I've come across a bit of math I'm not too sure about. What I'm confused about is here: https://archive.org/details/Mechanics_541 On Page 93 (of the book, not the PDF) under Motion in a rapid oscillating...
  12. P

    Displacement of Oscillating Block: y=A cos(ωt+ø)

    A block of 5kg connected to the free end of a spring is hanging from the ceiling and is in SHM. At t=0, the block is traveling upwards and its displacement is 15cm from the equilibrium. The block reaches its maximum displacement 0.3s later. What is the general equation of the displacement of the...
  13. S

    Equation of oscillating circle

    http://gyazo.com/bc7f6da4d4c4aca300bb5efb2410fc8d.png The problem, and my solution are in the image. I need help on finding the equation of the osculating circle, I found radius but I don't know where to go from there. Also if you could just check if my math seems correct that would help me...
  14. S

    Oscillating System Composed of Two Hydrogen Atoms

    Assume a system of two hydrogen atoms. No other matter exists inside or outside of the system. Initial condition is one H with an electron in the n=2 state. That state decays to ground and emits EM that is absorbed by the electron on the second H. Repeat forever (maybe). Some questions...
  15. J

    One way rotation into oscillating rotation, how can I do this?

    I know very little about mechanical systems, but what kind of small simple gear system can do this; I have a motor, it turns one way, I guess it would turn a spiral bevel, but it only goes into one direction since the motor turns continuously in one direction, what mechanical solution allows...
  16. U

    Oscillating charge, larmor power dissipation

    Homework Statement A z-polarized incident EM waves hits a small charge (-q) bounded to a massive charge (+q) with spring constant k0 and frequency ω. (a) Write down the equation of motion (b)Find time averaged total power dissipated. (c) Find classical scattering cross section σ...
  17. Ascendant78

    Force exerted on the pivotal pin of an oscillating object.

    If you have a rod oscillating back and forth by a frictionless pivot point near the end of one side of the rod and the only external force is gravity, how would the magnitude and direction of the force of/on that pivot point be calculated? How does it change with the oscillations? I am...
  18. M

    Oscillating rod attached to spring

    Homework Statement A thin uniform rod is pivoted about its mid-point, with the lower end attached to a spring. See the figure. At equilibrium the rod is vertical. Show that on a (small) displacement from equilibrium the rod will oscillate with simple harmonic motion at a frequency: f =...
  19. S

    Period of an Oscillating Particle

    Homework Statement A particle of mass m is oscillating with amplitude A in 1D (without damping). Using conservation of energy, I'm asked to determine the period T with the correct proportionality factor and period of integration. Homework Equations Potential energy: U(x) = a x^2 + b x^4...
  20. L

    What is the maximum potential energy of an oscillating mass?

    1. Homework Statement A 2-kg mass attached to a spring oscillates in simple harmonic motion and has a speed of 5 m/s at the equilibrium point. What is the maximum potential energy of this oscillating mass? 2. Homework Equations I know that the potential energy is: Ep = 1/2 kx2 k = mω2
  21. M

    Liquid oscillating in a U-tube

    Homework Statement A U-tube has vertical arms of radii r and 2r, connected by a horizontal tube of length l whose radius increases linearly from r to 2r. The U-tube contains liquid up to a height h in each arm. The liquid is set oscillating, and at a given instant the liquid in the narrower...
  22. W

    How to prevent a circuit from cycling / oscillating

    How to prevent a circuit from "cycling" / oscillating Hello everyone, I have the following circuit I designed. Although I am open to all criticisms and suggestions, my main question is thus: If the resistor 1.77Ω (load) becomes a dead short when the highlighted momentary switch is closed...
  23. M

    Steel ball oscillating in a glass tube

    Homework Statement a) Find the frequency of vibration under adiabatic conditions of a column of gas confined to a cylindrical tube, closed at one end, with a well-fitting but freely moving piston of mass m. b) A steel ball of diameter 2 cm oscillates vertically in a precision-bore glass...
  24. A

    Ferromagnetic resonance oscillating field strength

    Hello. What oscillating field strength, in tesla, is required to cause the magnetization vector of a ferromagnetic material to precess with a fairly large angle at its resonance frequency? I can't find this number anywhere!
  25. jbrussell93

    Electron in an oscillating electric field

    Homework Statement Describe the motion of a free electron with charge -e when subject to an oscillating electric field along the x-axis: $$E_x = E_o \cos(\omega t + \theta)$$Homework Equations Force acting on the electron: $$F=-eE_x=-eE_o \cos(\omega t+ \theta)$$ (*) Equation of motion: $$F =...
  26. F

    Maximum Acceleration of an Oscillating System

    Homework Statement The maximum displacement at the tip of the tine of a tuning fork oscillating at 440 Hz is 0.1 mm. What is the maximum acceleration in g’s? Homework Equations (1 g = 9.8m/sec2) The Attempt at a Solution
  27. R

    Period of an Oscillating Particle

    Homework Statement A particle oscillates with amplitude A in a one-dimensional potential that is symmetric about x=0. Meaning U(x)=U(-x) First find velocity at displacement x in terms of U(A), U(x), and m. Then show that the period is given by ##4\sqrt{\frac{m}{2U(A)}}\int_0^A...
  28. E

    Conductive disc power dissipation in oscillating field

    Homework Statement A disc of conductivity σ is in an axial magnetic field B = B0cosωt The disc has radius a and thickness s Homework Equations possibly dP/dv = JE (dot product of two vectors) but I have absolutely no clue if it is relevant or not. I think J=σE might be relevant, but I...
  29. T

    Doubling the energy of an oscillating mass on a spring

    Homework Statement Attached. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution From my calculations, option A is correct. What am I doing wrong? Also, I can't find a relationship between amplitude and energy. { KE }_{ max }=\frac { 1 }{ 2 } m{ { v }_{ max } }^{ 2 }\\ =\frac { 1 }{ 2 } m{ (rω)...
  30. R

    Frequency away from an oscillating body

    This is the set up to the question that we got for homework: Pit and Plank. A wooden plank is placed over a pit that is 5.00 m wide. A physics student stands in the middle of the plank and begins to jump up and down such that she jumps upward from the plank two times each second. The plank...
  31. E

    Damped Harmonic Motion - Oscillating Spring

    Homework Statement http://www.mediafire.com/view/?7045cz9au1ci7cd A mountain bike has bad shock absorbers (w0/γ = 10) that oscillate with a period of 0.5 seconds after hitting a bump. If the mass of the bike and rider is 80kg, determine the value of the spring constant k (remembering that...
  32. P

    Show that an oscillating electric monopole does not radiate

    Homework Statement Given \rho(r',t)=\frac{Q}{4\pi (r')^2} \delta(r'-(R_0-\Delta{R}\cos(wt))) J(r',t)=\frac{wQ\cos(wt)}{4\pi r'} , which is an oscillating sphere with uniform charge distribution, find the vector potential, then the magnetic and electric fields. Hint: Integrate in the...
  33. M

    Does a ball bearing oscillating on a curved track have a constant time

    Homework Statement A ball bearing is placed on a track curved in the vertical plane. The ball bearing is released from a position on the track above the lowest point and it then oscillates with SHM. As the amplitude diminishes does the time period for each oscillation stay the same...
  34. M

    Will an oscillating magnetic field penetrate a stainless steel tube?

    I am a chemical engineer, not a physicist, so I am a bit rusty on my electromagnetics. I need to set up a fluctuating magnetic field inside of a stainless steel tube (hopefully using a pair of electromagnets outside the tube), and I am wondering if the field will penentrate through the tube...
  35. R

    Find energy required to keep a rope oscillating

    See attached image. V=sqrt(T/mu)
  36. S

    Time period of an oscillating body

    In the above figure, what would be the time period of the body(in red) under gravity, neglecting any non-conservative forces? And what do call this type of situation? A gravity well or sth?
  37. J

    Finding the differential equation for a oscillating system

    Homework Statement The Attempt at a Solution I don't think this is the correct answer because for some reason I have a constant mg term. Usually I get mgsinθ and from small angle approximations it becomes mgθ, but this time I am getting mgcosθ and from small angle approximations it...
  38. T

    Finding the natural frequency of a cylinder oscillating on a circular surface

    Homework Statement Here is the problem with my 3 attempts: 1. Alright, so the first attempt, I did not take into account the rotation of the cylinder ωc so I think it is wrong. But it seems to make sense because the whole cylinder rotates about O, so if I find that energy using parallel...
  39. D

    DU/dt = 0 for oscillating spring, help with derivation

    U = energy In the book: \frac{dU}{dt} = \frac{d}{dt} (\frac{1}{2} mv^2 + \frac{1}{2} kx^2) then we have m \frac{d^{2}x}{dt^2} + kx = 0 because v = \frac{dx}{dt} however they get rid of \frac{dx}{dt} . They are ignoring the case where v = 0, because then m \frac{d^{2}x}{dt^2} + kx...
  40. R

    Help with oscillating spring concept?

    Is it acceleration? I found this graph online: Would the answer be acceleration?
  41. J

    Natural frequency of oscillating electron

    Homework Statement a) Light of wavelength 510nm is emitted by an electron in an atom behaving as a lightly damped simple harmonic oscillator with a Q value of 3 x 107. Find the natural frequency of the system. b) Find the width of the resonance.Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution...
  42. S

    Light Reflection and Feynmans plane of oscillating charges

    In ch 30-7 of the Lectures, Feynman explains that the field of a plane of oscillating charges at a point P is proportional to the velocity of the charges, considered at the appropriate retarded time (retarded by the vertical distance from the point P). Feynman derives this formula only for...
  43. R

    Liquid oscillating in a U-tube problem

    Homework Statement A U-tube has vertical arms of radii 'r' and '2r', connected by a horizontal tube of length 'l' whose radius increases linearly from r to 2r. The U-tube contains liquid up to a height 'h' in each arm. The liquid is set oscillating, and at a given instant the liquid in the...
  44. N

    Charged ring with oscillating particle

    Homework Statement A ring of radius 6 cm that lies in the yz plane carries positive charge of 7 μC uniformly distributed over its length. A particle of mass m carrying a charge of −7 μC executes small oscillations about the center of the ring on its axis with an angular frequency of 15...
  45. R

    PDE with oscillating boundary conditions

    Hi, Say I have this pde: u_t=\alpha u_{xx} u(0,t)=\sin{x}+\sin{2x} u(L,t)=0 I know the solution for the pde below is v(x,t): v_t=\alpha v_{xx} v(0,t)=\sin{x} v(L,t)=0 And I know the solution for the pde below is w(x,t) w_t=\alpha w_{xx} w(0,t)=\sin{2x} w(L,t)=0 Would...
  46. S

    Two ideal springs oscillating, find amplitude and phase difference between them

    Hi, I am repeating first year exams and would really appreciate some help with my study. Just can't seem to get my head around this problem. Homework Statement Consider two identical ideal springs with a mass m attached which are harmonically oscillating out of phase relative to each...
  47. O

    Cylinder oscillating in water.

    ωHomework Statement A cylinder of diameter d floats with l of its length submerged. The total height is L. Assume no damping. At time t = 0 the cylinder is pushed down a distance B and released. What is the frequency of oscillation? Homework Equations f = ω/2\pi Ma =...
  48. A

    Particle oscillating around equilibrium radius

    Homework Statement A particle of mass m moving in three dimensions is attracted to the origin by the gravitational force of a much heavier object. It can be shown that the radial motion is governed by the following equation m\ddot{r}=-\frac{k}{r^{2}}+\frac{l^{2}}{mr^{3}} where k is a...
  49. Q

    Total mechanical energy of oscillating system?

    So I know that the total mechanical energy is E=0.5m*v^2+ 0.5* k*x^2 But sometime I see it written as E=0.5m*v^2+ 0.5* k*A^2 What is the difference? Here is a question If the amplitutide of the oscillations is doubled the mechanical energy of the system: Doubles Does not change...
  50. A

    Stopping vertically oscillating mass by applying momentum?

    Homework Statement I came with this problem myself, so there may be not enough information given to solve it. Imagine that mass M oscillating on the vertical spring with force constant k and amplitude A. Now let's say that the mass M is moving upward. Now imagine that some other object with...
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