Physics 312 Lecture: "Simple Harmonic Motion"
Mar 27, 1998
- Simple harmonic motion (SHM) is a special type of oscillation
- SHM occurs when a system has a stable equilibrium, and a
restoring force which is linearly proportional to the distance
from that equilibrium
- Amplitude controls the maximum displacement from equilibrium
- Angular frequency controls the rate of oscillation
- Phase angle specifies the conditions at time = 0
- The square of angular frequency is equal to the force constant of an
oscillator, divided by its mass
This lecture discusses material in Chapter 13 of Serway.