7. Further Mechanics Flashcards
(12 cards)
Which direction does centripetal acceleration act in?
Towards the centre of the circle.
What is the definition of SHM?
An oscillation where the acceleration of an object is directly proportional to the displacement from its equilibrium position, and is directed towards the equilibrium.
a is directly proportional to -x
Which equation is used to find the restoring force (spring oscillator)?
F = kx
What is a free vibration?
There is no transfer of energy to or from the surroundings.
What is a forced vibration?
When there is an external driving force that causes a system to oscillate. The frequency of this is called the driving frequency.
What is the phase difference between the driver and the oscillator when a system is resonating?
90˚ or π radians
What is damping?
When an oscillating system transfers energy to the surroundings.
What is critical damping?
When the amplitude of the oscillations is reduced in the shortest possible time.
What is overdamping?
When the damping is even stronger than with critical damping, such that the oscillating system takes longer to return to equilibrium than it would with critical damping.
How does the resonance peak of a lightly damped system compare to one that is heavily damped?
It is much higher.
