Module 1

Oscillations and Wave motion

1. A guitar string's vibrations are damped by the musician's fingers. Obtain the differential
equation and solution for the oscillating string. How does damping affect the string's
oscillation amplitude and frequency?

2. An automobile suspension system uses a mechanical oscillator to absorb shocks. Derive

the differential equation and solution for the oscillating system. Consider a mass of 5g and
having a force constant of 20 N/m undergoing a forced oscillation. The external force is
given by 20 sin 30 t (in SI units) and the damping factor of the system is 2s-1. Calculate the
resonant frequency of the system.

3. A car's shock absorber is modelled as an underdamped harmonic oscillator. Obtain the

equation of motion for a damped oscillator and further discuss about the underdamped
case and derive its solution. If the damping constant is too low, what would happen to the
ride quality of the car? Calculate the resonant frequency of a system whose natural
frequency is 100 Hz and has a damping factor of 20 s-1.

4.
A mechanical system consists of a mass, spring and damper. Write the differential
equation and its solution for the oscillator. Discuss about the underdamped case in detail
and derive its solution. Consider a system with mass 90g undergoing a forced oscillation.
The external force is given by F = 100sin500t (in SI units) and the damping factor is 10 s-1.
The force constant of the system is 0.002 N/m. Calculate the resonant frequency and
maximum amplitude of the system.

5. A guitar string is vibrating under the influence of a periodic force. Derive the differential
equation for the oscillation of the string and write its solution. What are the differences
between damped oscillations and forced oscillations. Q factor of an undamped harmonic
oscillator of frequency 500 Hz is 5000. Calculate the time in which its energy reduces to
1/e of its initial energy.

6. Explain resonance and derive the condition for amplitude resonance. How to mitigate the
risks of resonance which causes damage to industrial machine or an engine? The
amplitude of an underdamped harmonic oscillator reduces to 1/20 th of its initial value
after 20 oscillations. If the time period is 1 s, calculate its damping constant and relaxation
time.

7. Obtain the differential equation and write the solution for a forced harmonic oscillator.
Derive the condition for amplitude resonance. An oscillator has a mass of 100 g and its
force constant is 50 N/m and damping coefficient is 10-1 Ns/m . Calculate the Q factor.
8. An excited tuning fork is placed in contact with a guitar string such that it is forced to
vibrate. Deduce the differential equation for vibration of the guitar string and write
its solution. List any four practical cases of damping. Define Q factor and relaxation time.

9. Obtain the differential equation of a forced harmonic oscillator. What is resonance and
how to mitigate the risks of resonance effects in design of a bridge to prevent structural
failure? Calculate the time in which the energy of a damped harmonic oscillator with
damping constant 1 s-1 reduces to 1/e of its undamped value.

10. Considering the transverse vibrations of a stretched string, derive an expression for
frequency of fundamental mode of vibration. Distinguish between transverse and
longitudinal waves.
Consider an LC circuit in which L=400mH and C=100μF. (a) What is the resonance
frequency ω0?(b) If a resistance of 1.00kΩ is introduced into this circuit, what is the
frequency of the damped oscillations? (c) By what percentage does the frequency of the
damped oscillations differ from the resonance frequency?

11. An LCR circuit is used in a radio receiver for selecting a particular frequency from a
spectrum of radio waves. Derive the voltage equation in differential form and obtain an
expression for the frequency of the LCR oscillator. Write any six comparisons between
Electrical and Mechanical oscillatory systems. Calculate the fundamental frequency of a
string of length 36cm weighing 10 g kept stretched by a load of 700 g.

12. In Melde’s apparatus, the string has a mass of 75 g and is 1.75 m long. Derive an
expression for velocity of transverse vibrations on such a string and hence obtain the
velocity of a wave in the above string stretched under a tension of 100 N.

13. Compare Electrical and Mechanical oscillatory systems. Derive an expression for
frequency of an LCR oscillator with help of a circuit diagram. A string when stretched by a
weight of 500 g gives a note of frequency 200 Hz. How much weight is required to
produce thrice this frequency.

14.
Draw the circuit diagram of an LCR oscillator and derive the voltage equation in
differential form. What are the conditions for aperiodic, critical and oscillating discharge.
Draw their graphs. The equation of a transverse wave on a stretched string is given
by y=0.04 sin 2π(t/0.001−x/0.1 + π/3 ),find the wavelength, amplitude, velocity, frequency,
direction of propagation and initial phase of the wave.

15.
In a digital circuit, an LCR component is used to generate oscillations at specific frequency.
Derive the voltage equation for the oscillator in differential form. Compare Electrical and
Mechanical oscillatory systems. By tuning the values of inductance L= 2mH and
capacitance C=20 µF, at what frequency will the circuit resonate?
16. Obtain the differential equation for LCR oscillation with the help of circuit diagram. Give
any four comparisons between Electrical and Mechanical oscillatory systems. Calculate
the velocity of wave in a string of length 80 cm and mass 5g , stretched by a weight of 10
kg.

17. The string in a piano vibrates transversely when struck by a hammer, producing
waves. Obtain an expression for frequency of fundamental mode of vibration. Define
frequency, wavelength, phase and velocity of a wave motion.

18. Obtain the one-dimensional wave equation using stretched string as a model. Further
deduce velocity from this expression.
The equation of a transverse wave on a stretched string is given by y=9
sin0.4π(t/0.02−x/0.8) in SI units, calculate the amplitude and wave velocity.

19.
A guitar string when plucked vibrates transversely. Derive an expression for frequency of
fundamental mode of vibration for the string. Distinguish between transverse and
longitudinal waves. In an LC circuit, the inductance is 4 µH and capacitance is 8 mF.
Calculate its resonant frequency.