Question

Please provide an example of a damped harmonic oscillator. They are more common than undamped or simple harmonic oscillators. What do you think there is any harmonic motion in the physical world that is not damped harmonic motion? Try to make a list of five examples of undamped harmonic motion and damped harmonic motion. Which list was easier to make? Why are the group of the peoples in general ordered to “route step” (walk out of step) across a bridge?

Answer 1

Damped Harmonic oscillator example : pendulum oscillating in water.

In real no oscillatory motion is undamped. We can make resistance arbitrarily small but we can't completely eliminate it.

Damped harmonic motion

1. Pendulum oscillating in air

2. Spring mass oscillation on floor

3. Pistons on gas cylinder

4. Charge in LC circuit

5. Sound waves

Undamped

Pendulum oscillating in vacuum.

Damped motion list was easy to make.

It is said because if all people step together then their frequency can match with natural frequency of bridge. Due to which resonance can happen and amplitude can become very large which may cause bridge collapse.