a) Damping

• damping

• the reduction of the energy and the amplitude of an oscillation

• due to resistive forces opposing motion

• light damping

• a small damping force where

  • the amplitude decreases exponentially with time

  • and the period remains unchanged

• a graph of

  • displacement against time

  • for a lightly damped object

• critical damping

• a large damping force where

  • the object returns to its equilibrium position

  • without oscillating

  • in the shortest possible time

• a graph of

  • displacement against time

  • for a critically damped object

• heavy damping

• a very large damping force where

  • the object returns to its equilibrium position

  • without oscillating

• a graph of

  • displacement against time

  • for a heavily damped object

• amplitude is decreasing during damping because…

• energy is being transferred out of the system