Lecture-5

Damped Oscillation
Every system inevitably has dissipative features through which
the mechanical energy of the vibration is depleted. We shall now
consider how the equation of free-vibration is modified by the
introduction of dissipative forces. In this case, the resistive force
is exerted oppositely to the direction velocity itself. The
statement of Newton’s law for the moving mass, m, can be
written as:
d2y
m 2  bv  kx
dt
d2y b dy k b
 2   x 
dt m dt m 2m
d2y dy k
 2  2   y  0    (1)
2
 
2

dt dt m
In this case, the damping is characterized by the quantity , having
the dimension of frequency, and the constant  would represent
the angular frequency of the system if the damping is absent. 1
Equation (1) is the differential equation of a damped harmonic
oscillator. This is the homogeneous linear type differential equation
of the second order, must have at least on solution of the form:

y  Ae pt where, A and p are both arbitrary constant.

Let this be used as a trial solution. Differentiating y  Ae pt

dt dt
Putting these values into the equation (1), we can write

p2 Ae pt  2 pAe pt   2 Ae pt  0
 p2  2 p   2  0      (2)
Equ (2) is clearly a quadratic equation in p, the solution of which is:

2  4 2  4 2
p     2   2
2 2
The differential equation (1) is, therefore, satisfies by two values of
y,
y  Ae
    2  2 t 

and y  Ae
      t
2 2

The equation being a linear one, the linear sum of the two linearly
independent solution of the equation. Thus the general solution is:

y  Ae
   
 2  2 t
Ae
   
 2  2 t
   (3)
1 2

Where A1 and A2 are two arbitrary constants. The values of the

Differentiating equation (3) with respect to t, we get:

        t
dy
    2  2 t
 
2 2

      A1e
2 2
      2 2
Ae
2  (4)
dt
3
Let the maximum value of the displacement y be ymax=a0 say at time
t =0, Then we have from equation (3),
ymax  a0  A1  A2    (5)
dy
Again, the velocity is zero at maximum displacement;  0, at t  0
dt
Hence, from equation (4), we have

  
0     2   2 A1     2   2 A2 
  ( A1  A2 )   2   2 ( A1  A2 )  0
 a0
 A1  A2       (6)
 
2 2

Solving equation (5) and (6), we have

a0    a0   
A1  1   A2  1  
2   
2 2 2   
2 2
4
Substituting these values of A1 and A2 in equation (3), we have

a0 
     
 2  2 t         (7)
 2  2 t
y  1  e  1  e 
2 
  2
  2
  2 2  

This is the solution of a damped harmonic vibration.

Three important cases now arise: (1) 2   2 (2)  2   2 (3)  2   2

 2  2  2  2  2  2