What is Oscillation: Definition and 766 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. W

    Nuetrino Oscillation entanglement

    I have read statements which basically suggest that nuetrino oscillation prohibits any strict statement of conservation of lepton number. Is this true or is it possible that nuetrinos produced along with electrons, muons and taus become entangled so that lepton number is still strictly...
  2. N

    Harmonic Oscillation: Proving Distance = 4A

    Homework Statement 1. A man's superelastic suspenders catch on a fence post, he flies back and forth, oscillating with an amplitude A. What distance does he movee in one period ? What is his displacement over 1 period Homework Equations x=Acos(wt) The Attempt at a Solution I...
  3. P

    Disadvantages of quantum oscillation method, (de Haas van Alphen).

    In Kittel's 8th edn. he writes, (p244) about the de Haas van Alphen effect; 'The effect can be observed in pure specimens at low temperatures in strong magnetic fields: we do not want the quantization of the electron orbits to be blurred by collisions, and we do not want the population...
  4. B

    Oscillation A-level Coursework

    Homework Statement Objective - Record the time taken for a pendulum to complete a full oscillation. Using the equation Time (t) squared = k multiplied by length of string ( l) Homework Equations Any relevant equations to do with oscillation that could help me with this practical...
  5. B

    Pendulums ~ period of oscillation

    Homework Statement A pendulum is made of 2 disks, each of mass M and radius R separated by a massless rod. one of the disks is pivoted through its center by a small pin. The disks hang in the same plane and their centers are a distance L apart. Find the period for small oscillations...
  6. O

    Can anyone explain the Aharonov Bohm effect in quantum dots?

    can anyone explain to me what is Aharonov Bohm? I read it in wikipedia but I'm still blur :cry: How can we see this effect in quantum dots? For example: GaSb quantum dot in GaAs (holes strongly confined in GaSb, electron is loosely bound due to Coulomb interaction) Any...
  7. T

    Simple Harmonic Motion - oscillation b/w 2 stretched springs

    Homework Statement A mass M is connected between 2 stretched springs, as shown. The equilibrium length of each spring is L, they are stretched to twice this length when m is in equilibrium. Consider the oscillations in the + and - x direction as shown in the figure...
  8. D

    Neutrino Oscillation <-> Neutrino Mass

    Wikipedia says that the phenomenon of Neutrino Oscillation implies that the neutrino has a non-zero mass (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino_oscillation" ). Why is that? Why is it that Neutrino Oscillation can only exist, if neutrinos do have mass?
  9. P

    Why do you need low amplitude oscillation in SNOM?

    Am I right in saying that a tapered optical fibre 'collects' light from evanscent field. Why would this mean it needs to oscillate as it scans a sample surface? Cheers! philip
  10. P

    Boat wavelength oscillation problem

    Homework Statement a father and son went on a cruise that's 20 ft long. the dad observed the cruise swayed thru 22 complete oscillations in 38 s, and one wave crest pass per/oscillation. the son noticed that each crest required 13s to reach land and the wavelenght is twice the length of the...
  11. J

    Finding the period of oscillation of a u-tube w/ water (almost solved)?

    Homework Statement Using the energy method( setting potential energy= kinetic energy) show that the natural period of oscillation of the fluid in a u-tube manometer is t=2PI(l/2g)^(1/2) where L is the length of the fluid column. 2. The attempt at a solution So as you can see I do not...
  12. J

    Period of oscillation of a rocking semi cylinder?

    Homework Statement a thin rectangular plate is bent into a semicircular cylinder, dertermine the period of oscillation if it is allowed to rock on a horizantal surface. The Attempt at a Solution So I can figure out the rest of the problem if I know what the moment of inertia of a half...
  13. B

    The Oscillation Period of A Rod Pivoted at One End

    Homework Statement The figure shows a 230 g uniform rod pivoted at one end. The other end is attached to a horizontal spring. The spring is neither stretched nor compressed when the rod hangs straight down. K=3.0N/m and the length of the rod is 0.20m. What is the rod's oscillation period...
  14. H

    Damping Oscillation Homework: Time Constant & Amplitude After 4s

    Homework Statement A small earthquake starts a lamppost vibrating back and forth. The amplitude of the vibration of the top of the lamppost is 6.5 cm at the moment the quake stops, and 8.0s later it is 1.8 cm. What was the time constant for the damping of oscillation? What's the...
  15. K

    HELP! Oscillation Problem Solution

    HELP!A problem on oscillation Homework Statement the equation of motion of an object is y(t)=2.0cos(0.5t+pi/4)meter a) Find its maximum acceleration and maximum speed, and its position at the time of these maxima. b) what is the speed of the object when it is +1.2m from its equilibrium...
  16. K

    Maximum Acceleration, Speed, and Position of Oscillating Object

    HELP!A problem on oscillation Homework Statement the equation of motion of an object is y(t)=2.0cos(0.5t+pi/4)meter a) Find its maximum acceleration and maximum speed, and its position at the time of these maxima. b) what is the speed of the object when it is +1.2m from its equilibrium...
  17. Math Jeans

    Oscillation of disturbed constrained circular orbit

    Homework Statement Consider a particle of mass m constrained to move on the surface of a paraboloid whose equation (in cylindrical coordinates) is r^2=4az. If the particle is subject to a gravitational force, show that the frequency of small oscillations about a circular orbit with radius...
  18. S

    Forced oscillation, Equation of Motion and verifying solutions

    Hi, Been registered for a while here, but this is my first post, been using the forum as more of a resource before. I am going through some past papers, but I am faltering at 1 question. Homework Statement A particle moving along the x-axis with velocity v experiences a resistive force...
  19. S

    Oscillation in Charged Particles

    What causes EM radiation?? the answer is in the oscillation of charged particles, but why or how does that produce electromagnetic radiation? How does the fluctuations in the electromagnetic fields cause release of virtual phtotns, or does it, and other EM radiation?? please help me through...
  20. S

    Neutrino oscillation and Mass

    I have many doubts about neutrinos..can someone explain me? 1. All neutrinos and anti neutrinos have different masses..and if the neutrinos oscillate, how the difference in mass is justified? is there any violation of energy conservation? 2. If neutrinos which are leptons oscillate, then...
  21. E

    Electric Potential & electron oscillation

    Hi there! I have this problem: How to calculate the frequency of the oscillations of an electron from its equilibrium point in this potential: V(z)=k/(2ɛ)*[sqrt(z^2 - 9R^2) - sqrt(z^2 - r^2)]*sgn(z)
  22. 0

    Finding Amplitude of Oscillation for a Spring-Mass System

    Homework Statement A 100 g ball is attached to a spring with spring constant 2.5 N/m oscillates horizontally on a frictionless table. Its velocity is 20 cm/s when x = -5.0 cm. What is the amplitude of the oscillation? Homework Equations x = Acos(ωt +φ ) V= -ωAcos(ωt +φ ) The...
  23. N

    Find the oscillation amplitude

    Homework Statement A 2.0 m long string vibrates at its second harmonic frequency with a maximum amplitude of 2.0cm. One end of the string is at x = 0cm. Find the oscillation amplitude at x = 10,20,30,40, and 50cm. Homework Equations A(x) = 2asin(kx) k= 2pi/wavelength The Attempt at...
  24. 0

    Simple harmonic motion and oscillation period

    Homework Statement An object in SHM oscillates with a period of 4.0 s and an amplitude of 10 cm. How long does the object to move from x = 0.0 cm to x = 6.0 cm? Homework Equations x(t) = Acos(ωt +φ ) The Attempt at a Solution ω = π/2 Acosφ = 0 ⇒φ = ±π/2 Since object is moving...
  25. E

    What is Damped Harmonic Oscillation?

    I am not sure that I understand what damped harmonic oscillation is different from simple harmonic oscillation, can someone please explain that to me? I read wikipedia and still doesn't get it...
  26. K

    How Do You Calculate the Amplitude of Oscillation for a Spring-Mass System?

    Homework Statement A 200 g ball attached to a spring with spring constant 2.50 N/m oscillates horizontally on a frictionless table. Its velocity is 18.0 cm/s when x = -5.00 cm. A. What is the amplitude of oscillation? B. What is the speed of the ball when x = 3.00 cm? Homework Equations A...
  27. A

    Why Does a System Behave as if It Has a Larger Mass in Water Compared to Air?

    Homework Statement This problem was presented as part of a lab write up. In the lab we were studying damped oscillations. We were asked to determine the mass indirectly based on values that we measured then compare it to the actual masses. We found that the calculated masses were much greater...
  28. U

    Understanding Neutrino Oscillation: Explaining Flavor & Mass States

    I don't really understand why neutrino oscillation occurs so I looked it up on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutrino_oscillation I went to the "Theory, graphically" section and it gives quite a good explanation. However, there are a few details I don't get. It says: "This...
  29. K

    Did I Solve the Tray Oscillation Problem Correctly?

    I think I solved the problem but tell me if I made any errors Homework Statement A tray of mass m, when suspended from a spring attached to the ceiling, stretches the spring by a distance Δx. A glob of peanut butter with mass M is dropped from a height h onto the tray, which is at rest...
  30. K

    Forced oscillation (mass & spring)

    Homework Statement A 2 kg object attached to a spring moves without friction and is driven by an external force given by F = (3.00N)sin(2\pit). The force constant of the spring is 20.0N/m. Find the amplitude of the motion. Homework Equations I am not sure but I am trying to use: A =...
  31. B

    Particle motion of P consists of a periodic oscillation

    Homework Statement A particle P of mass m moves on the x-axis under the force field with potential energy V=V0(x/b)4, where V0 and b are positive constants. Show that any motion of P consists of a periodic oscillation with centre at the origin. Show further that, when oscillation has amplitude...
  32. D

    Neutrino Oscillation Survival Probability

    Homework Statement I'm lost at how to derive the probability of a neutrino species surviving an oscillation. After performing calculations, I can't seem to get it into the nice tidy form 1-\sin^{2}2\theta\sin^{2}\left(\frac{\Delta m^{2}t}{4p}\right) Homework Equations Whatev...
  33. S

    Expanding a small oscillation potential in taylor series

    I was wondering if someone could help me with Goldstein's equation 6.3 (3rd Edition). It is the chapter of oscillations and all that he has done in the equation is to expand it in the form of a Taylor series. I can't seem to get how all those ni's come to get there.
  34. B

    Dipole Oscillation: Calculation of Time Avg. Power & Photons Absorbed

    Let's say that the oscillation of a dipole polarization is given by: x(t)=u\cos\omega t - \nu\cos\omega . The driving field is given by E(t) = E\cos\omega t. (u and nu are the in-phase and out-of-phase components, respectively) So, the time average power is P_{avg} = \frac{1}{2}eE\omega\nu and...
  35. S

    Simple Harmonic Oscillation Frequency in a Traveling Car

    Homework Statement A simple pendulum of mass m and lenghth l is suspended in a car traveling with a constant speed v around a circle of radius r.If the pendulum undergoes small oscillations about its equilibrium position, what will be the frequency of the oscillations?? Homework Equations...
  36. V

    Max Amplitude of Underdamped Oscillation

    Hey all, I am having trouble determing how to get the max amplitude of an underdamped oscillation. Can someone please tell me where do I start form.
  37. I

    Solve Spring Oscillation: Find Max Speed & Kinetic Energy

    1. A 0.50 Kilogram block attached to an ideal spring with a spring constant of 80 N/m oscillates on a horizontal frictionless surface. The total mechanical energy 0.12 Joules. What is the greatest speed of the block. If somebody could just point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it...
  38. S

    Oscillation of a Mass in Liquid (Densities and Cross-Sectional Area Known)

    Homework Statement A body of uniform cross-sectional area A = 1 cm^2 and of mass density p = 0.8 g/cm^3 floats in a liquid of density p0 = 1 g/cm^3 and at equilibrium displaces a volume V = 0.8 cm^3. Show that the period of small oscillations about the equilibrium position is given by: T...
  39. Shackleford

    Solve Oscillation Problems: Find Mass m with Frequency Change

    Homework Statement A mass m at the end of a spring oscillates with a frequency of 0.83 Hz. When an additional 680-g mass is added to m, the frequency is 0.60 Hz. What is the value of me? Homework Equations w = 2 pi f w^2 = k / m The Attempt at a Solution m = .74725 kg I'll...
  40. H

    Plasticine dropped on a block - Oscillation

    A plate of mass m is supported by a light spring fixed vertically on the ground. A plasticine is dropped gently onto the block when it is are the highest position. Which of the following statements is/are correct? 1) The amplitude of the oscillation would increase since the equilibrium position...
  41. K

    Oscillation question - vibration topic

    oscillation question -- vibration topic Book is asking me to prove that ξ = 1 corresponds with the smallest value of c such that no oscillation occurs. Says let λ = -b (b is a positive number) and that's all I'm given. I'm not even sure I understand how you can tell there is no...
  42. M

    Oscillation Problem Please HELP need for school

    Homework Statement A person places a 2.2kg truck against a horizontal spring (k=2300N/m) on a frictionless horizontal surface. The spring is compressed 15cm and released. a) How much energy is stored in the spring just before the truck is released? b) What is the velocity of the truck...
  43. Z

    Entropy, energy levels and harmonic oscillation.

    Homework Statement A model to describe the vibrations of atoms in a solid is to assume that the atoms are isotropic harmonic oscillators and that the vibrations are independent of the vibrations of the other atoms. We use this model to describe the entropy and heat capacity of Bohrium (B). The...
  44. A

    Period of Oscillation of Pendulum Varies with Amplitude

    Homework Statement Determine the period of oscillations of a simple pendulum ( a particle of mass m suspended by a string of length l in a gravitational field) as a function of the amplitude of oscillations. Homework Equations T(E) = \sqrt(2m) \int^{x_2(E)}_{x_1(E)}\frac{dx}{\sqrt(E-U(x)}...
  45. W

    Simple harmonic motion and oscillation

    A 780-g mass is attached to a vertical spring and lowered slowly until the mass rests at its equilibrium position 30 cm below the original length of the spring. It is then set into simple harmonic motion. (a) What is the frequency and period of the oscillation? (b) What is the maximum...
  46. K

    Frequency of Undamped, Forced Oscillation with Negligible Damping

    [SOLVED] Undamped, Forced Oscillation Homework Statement Damping is negligible for a 0.133 kg mass hanging from a light 6.80 N/m spring. The system is driven by a force oscillating with an amplitude of 1.34 N. At what frequency will the force make the mass vibrate with an amplitude of 0.445 m...
  47. Q

    How Does a Liquid Oscillate in a U-Shaped Tube?

    Homework Statement A liquid is placed in a U-Shaped tube. Initially both are at the same level. Total length of liquid is L. But later one side is displaced from equilibrium by X.(Difference of both sides is 2x now). Show that the water will oscillate harmonically in the form of a=-w squared...
  48. K

    How Do You Calculate Maximum Speed in Spring Oscillations?

    [SOLVED] More Spring oscillation Homework Statement A 2.20 kg mass is attached to a spring and placed on a horizontal, smooth surface. A horizontal force of 17.6 N is required to hold the mass at rest when it is pulled 0.200 m from its equilibrium position (the origin of the x axis). The mass...
  49. M

    Oscillation of Magnet: Physical Factors & Improvement

    hi there , When a North Pole of a magnet is made to oscillate in the direction of Earth's North Pole magnetic field. Also When a south pole of a magnet is made to oscillate in the direction of Earth's north pole magnetic field . I then measure both of there period of oscillation When doing...
  50. K

    Spring Oscillation: Solve for Speed at t = 0.820s

    Hello, Ive been working on some oscillation problems and i got a couple of them correct (im suspecting flukes) but i can't get past this one: The position of a mass that is oscillating on a spring is given by (17.5cm)cos[(11.0s^-1)t]. What is the speed of the mass when t = 0.820 s? I...
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