Recent content by Behroz

That's right.. but exactly which trig law do I use and how do I use it to go from equation (1) above in the attached picture to x(t) = Asin(wt + ø). Or in other words HOW do I go FROM x(t)=x0cos(wt)+(v0/w)sin(wt) ---- (w being = sqrt(k/m) TO x(t) = Asin(wt + ø) how? HOW? HOW?!??!? HOW?!?

I'm supposed to derive x as a function of time for a simple harmonic oscillator (ie, a spring). According to my textbook this is done by using Newton's second law and hooke's law as this: ma=-kx and one gets a differential equation in the second order. I can follow the calculations until...

Yeah, you're right.. but one SHOULD be able solve it by puting it up as a second order right? I just want to know what I'm doing wrong, it really bugs me.

Homework Statement A particle is dropped from rest, at the surface, into a tank containing oil The acceleration of the particle in the oil is a = g – kv where g is the gravitational acceleration and –kv being denoted by the resistance put on the particle by the oil. Solve for x as a...

Let's say that I solve a inhomogeneous differential equation of the type d2y/dx2+k*dy/dx = g (k and g being constants) ..and I get the complementary function: y = A + Be^-kx What would the suggested form of the particular solution be? "Cx" ?