Am I the only one who enjoys solving Harmonic Oscillators?

In summary, a student shares their interest in harmonic motion and oscillators as they prepare for their second year of studying physics. They have found that many of their classmates do not share the same level of enthusiasm for the subject. The student has also discovered the use of harmonic motion in various areas of physics, such as plasma oscillations and RLC circuits. They are curious about how oscillators will be approached in their upcoming courses on waves, optics, and quantum mechanics. They anticipate enjoying the study of quantum harmonic oscillators.
  • #1
KingFelix
4
0
Hey, this is more of a "share" theard, instead of a "Question" thread.

I am starting my second year in a Phisics BS.c. I noticed that while poeple around me at school centinly understand HO's as well as I do, I seem to be one of the only ones who is really enjoying the subject. It is my favorite concepy from first year.

At first semester I did not understand it at all and had a hard time solving problems in the subject. Then when I studied for my final in Mechanics I realized I must understand the concept well. I actually read some more advanced texts in my quest and learned about the principle of least action.

It was too advanced to be used in the exam, but thinking about Harmonic motion as the transfer of energy from potential to kinetic back and fourth really helped my understanding. Since then I always worked the hardest solving Oscillatory motion in the homework problems. In fact in the E&M exam I actually choose to solve the RLC circuitfirst because that was the only problem in the exam that had Oscilations in it.

Anyways, I was wondering if there are more prople who are really interasted in Oscillators? I mean I know it is a big part of Physics, but I noticed a lot of people don't enjoy it that much, treating it more as a nessesery evil that needs to get done. But me, it blows my mind that the same concept can be applied to a spring, our movement around the sum and RLC circuits. I also read in Fayman's lectures about Plasma Oscilations, and I generally enjoy seeing examples of this in Physics.

I was also wondering, next year I plan to take Waves and Optics and QM. How different are the oscillators I will see in those courses from the ones I saw in first year? Will this be apparent in Waves and Optics or are those phanomena too "high level" to actually deal with oscilators (simularly to how one does not bother using Columb's law when dealing with summetric charge distributions opting instead to use Gauss)?

Anyways I really wanted to see what people here have to say, because useally when I try talking to a lot of my fellow students about this stuff I meet blank stares.
 
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  • #2
In Waves you will see coupled harmonic oscillators and propagating solutions.

And I am convinced that you will like quantum harmonic oscillators. They are quite different, but you could maybe start at looking at classical oscillators in Hamiltonian mechanics.
 

1. Am I the only one who enjoys solving Harmonic Oscillators?

No, there are many scientists and mathematicians who find solving Harmonic Oscillators to be enjoyable and interesting. It is a fundamental concept in physics and has many practical applications.

2. What is a Harmonic Oscillator?

A Harmonic Oscillator is a system that exhibits periodic motion, where the force acting on the system is proportional to its displacement from its equilibrium position. Examples include a mass on a spring and a pendulum.

3. Why are Harmonic Oscillators important in science?

Harmonic Oscillators are important because they are a fundamental concept in physics and many systems in nature can be modeled as Harmonic Oscillators. They also have practical applications in fields such as engineering, chemistry, and biology.

4. How do you solve a Harmonic Oscillator?

Solving a Harmonic Oscillator involves using mathematical equations, such as Hooke's Law and Newton's Second Law, to determine the displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the system at different points in time. This allows for the prediction of the system's behavior over time.

5. What are some real-life examples of Harmonic Oscillators?

Some real-life examples of Harmonic Oscillators include the motion of a swing, the vibrations of guitar strings, and the motion of atoms in a molecule. They can also be found in electrical circuits, seismographs, and many other systems.

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