Does damping of period affect the period?

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SUMMARY

Damping, specifically in the context of a physical pendulum, affects the motion but does not increase the period in a straightforward manner. Under-damped systems exhibit a frequency that is lower than the natural frequency, influenced by the damping ratio. In practical scenarios, such as a pendulum moving through air, the damping effect is minimal, resulting in a negligible increase in the period. However, in cases of over-damping or critical damping, the motion becomes non-periodic.

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sajama
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Hi there,

Sorry typo in the title and I can't figure out how to change it!
I am just wondering if anyone can help me - does damping (drag) increase the period of a pendulum? As opposed to if it was in a vacuum?

I have been trying to figure this out for some time - I know that drag is dependent on the velocity of the period, but does it actually change the period?

I am giving a presentation on how the period of a physical pendulum increases as the mass distribution changes (centre of mass lowers, the effective length gets longer) and I was once told by a lecturer that damping does not in fact change the period, but I don't see how? Surely it would slow it down, thus increasing the period?

Would greatly appreciate any thoughts on this!

:)
 
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In general, over damping and critical damping of the system produce non-periodic motion.
Under damping will produce a frequency that is less than the natural frequency by an amount that depends on the "damping ratio".
Plenty of information here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damping#System_behavior
For air pendulums the amount of damping is very small, resulting in a negligible decrease.
 
Imagine a pendulum in honey. Will it take longer for it to make a full oscillation?
 

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