Why is this SHM the way it is?

Join the discussion
Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.
Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips
1 reply · 2K views
Vivek98phyboy
Messages
34
Reaction score
5
Screenshot_2019-12-10-11-32-34-111_cn.wps.xiaomi.abroad.lite.jpg

I know four different forms in which an SHM can be represented after solving the differential and taking the superposition
acos(wt+Ø)
asin(wt+Ø)
acos(wt-Ø)
asin(wt-Ø)
where a- amplitude
In the above image they took B as negative in order to arrive at acos(wt+e). If i already knew i wanted acos(wt+e) or acos(wt-e) then i would have decided how to modify B in order to get my answer, but if I'm deriving it for the first time then how would i know whether to take B as +ve or -ve
Why is it necessary to take B as negative, can't they just take it as +ve and end up with cos(wt-Ø). How is the process justified here?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Vivek98phyboy said:
View attachment 253960
I know four different forms in which an SHM can be represented after solving the differential and taking the superposition
acos(wt+Ø)
asin(wt+Ø)
acos(wt-Ø)
asin(wt-Ø)
where a- amplitude
In the above image they took B as negative in order to arrive at acos(wt+e). If i already knew i wanted acos(wt+e) or acos(wt-e) then i would have decided how to modify B in order to get my answer, but if I'm deriving it for the first time then how would i know whether to take B as +ve or -ve
Why is it necessary to take B as negative, can't they just take it as +ve and end up with cos(wt-Ø). How is the process justified here?

It's all justified by the trig identities leading to equation 22.

Note they are not taking ##B## as negative. ##B## can be +ve or -ve here. They are defining ##\epsilon## so that ##\sin \epsilon = \frac{-B}{\sqrt{A^2 + B^2}}##. The -ve sign is needed do that the required trig identity holds.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: Vivek98phyboy