A forced oscillation is a type of motion in which a system is repeatedly disturbed by an external force, causing it to oscillate or vibrate at a specific frequency.
Some common examples of forced oscillation include a child on a swing being pushed by a parent, a pendulum being pushed by a hand, or a car being driven over a bumpy road.
The main difference between forced oscillation and natural oscillation is the presence of an external force in forced oscillation, while natural oscillation occurs without any external force.
The amplitude and frequency of forced oscillation can be affected by the magnitude and frequency of the external force, as well as the characteristics of the system, such as its mass, stiffness, and damping.
Forced oscillation has many practical applications in fields such as engineering, medicine, and music. Some examples include using forced oscillation to measure the stiffness of materials, studying the vibrational response of buildings and bridges to earthquakes, and tuning musical instruments to produce specific frequencies.