Chapter 3

by
Mahmoud Ossaimee
Professor
Eng. Physics Dept.
m_ossaimee@eng.asu.edu.eg
Room 119
 Course Contents
Chapter Course Content
1 Force, Work and Energy
2 Simple Harmonic Motion
3 Mass-Spring System
4 Damped Oscillation
5 Forced Vibration and Resonance
6 Superposition of Simple Harmonic Motions
7 Wave Motion
8 Mechanical and Sound Waves
9 Wave Reflection and Interference
10 Wave Diffraction
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 Chapter 3
Mass-Spring
System

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 Frictionless Mass Spring System
If a body attached to a spring is displaced from its
equilibrium position (x) , the spring exerts a restoring force
(Fs) on it, which tends to restore the object to the
equilibrium position.

➢ Hooke's law

𝐹𝑠 = −𝑘𝑥

❑ where 𝑘 is a constant of the spring called stiffness or

spring constant in N /m

❑ it depends on spring material and geometry

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Work done by spring
To calculate the work done by the spring force on the body as it moves from xi = − xm to xf = 0,
we use Hooke’s law:

❑ Note that the work done by the spring force is positive because the spring force is in the
same direction as the displacement

❑ We can reach the same result if we plot F versus x and then

calculate the area of the colored triangle that has a base xm
and height k xm

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 𝟏
On the other hand, when xi = 0 and xf = xm, we can find that 𝑾𝒔 = − 𝒌𝒙𝟐𝒎
𝟐

❑ In this part of the motion, the spring force is to the left and
the displacement is to the right, resulting in a negative
work.

❑ Generally, if the block undergoes an arbitrary displacement from xi to xf, the work done
by the spring force will be given by:

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Example 1 An applied force Fapp = −5N is exerted on the
block that is attached to the free end of the spring. As a result
of this force, the spring is compressed by 1 cm from its
relaxed length.

(a)What is the spring constant of the spring?

The compressed spring pushes the block with a force F = −Fapp = +5N. From F = −k x, with
x = −1 cm, we have:

(b) What force does the spring exert on the block if the spring is compressed by 2.5 cm?

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 (c) How much work does the spring force do on the block as the spring is compressed from the
relaxed state by 2.5 cm?

• The work is negative because the spring force and the displacement are in opposite directions. Note that the
amount of work done by the spring on the block would be the same when stretching by 2.5 cm.

(d) How much work does the spring force do on the block during a total displacement starting
from a compression of 2.5 cm, passing through the equilibrium, and then to a stretch of 2.0 cm?
For this case, we have xi = −2.5 × 10−2 m (the spring is initially compressed) and xf = +2.0 × 10−2 m
(the spring is finally stretched). Then:

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Is mass-spring system executing SHM?

Applying Newton’s second law 𝑚𝑎 = σ 𝐹 gives:

𝑚𝑥ሷ = −𝑘𝑥
𝑥ሷ = −𝜔2 𝑥
𝑘
𝑥ሷ = − 𝑥
𝑚

k
This suggests that the mass moves with a SHM with a natural angular frequency o =
m

and the periodic time for free oscillation is To = 2 = 2 m

o k
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Example 2 A block of mass m = 400 g is attached to a light spring
of force constant k =10 N/m. The block is pushed against the
spring from x = 0 to xi = −10 cm, and then released to oscillate on a
horizontal frictionless surface.

(a) Find the angular frequency and the period of the block-spring
system.

(b) Find the maximum speed and maximum acceleration of the block.

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(c) Find the position, speed, and acceleration of the block at any time.

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(d) Repeat the above parts when the block is projected with initial velocity vi = −0.5 m/s from
another initial position xi = +10 cm.

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Energy Frictionless Mass Spring System

The spring restoring force is a conservative force, so in a frictionless system the total
mechanical energy E = K(t) + U(t) is constant.

𝑘
𝜔𝑜 =
𝑚
• Kinetic energy is 1 1 𝑘 = 𝑚𝜔𝑜2
𝐾(𝑡) = 𝑚𝑣 = 𝑚𝜔𝑜2 𝐴2 sin2 𝜔𝑡 + 𝜙
2
2 2

𝑥 𝑥
• Potential energy is 𝟏 𝟐 1
𝑈(𝑡) = න 𝐹𝑠 𝑑𝑥 = න 𝑘𝑥𝑑𝑥 = 𝒌𝒙 = 𝑚𝜔𝑜2 𝐴2 cos 2 𝜔𝑡 + 𝜙
𝟐 2
0 0

• Total energy is 1 1
𝐸= 𝑚𝜔𝑜2 𝐴2 sin2 𝜔𝑡 + 𝜙 + 𝑚𝜔𝑜2 𝐴2 cos 2 𝜔𝑡 + 𝜙
2 2
1 2 2
1 2
= 𝑚𝜔𝑜 𝐴 = 𝑘𝐴 = 𝐶𝑂𝑁𝑆𝑇𝐴𝑁𝑇
2 2

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 U(t) 1 2 U(x)
K(t) 𝐸= k𝐴
2 K(x)

For the case  = 0

➢ Energy is continuously being transferred between potential energy stored in the spring, and
the kinetic energy of the block.

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Example 3 A block of mass m = 320 g is fastened to a light spring whose force constant k is 72
N/m, see Fig. a. The block is pulled a distance xi = 50 cm from its equilibrium position at x = 0
on a horizontal frictionless surface, see Fig. b, and released at t = 0.

(a) What is the mechanical energy of the oscillating block?

(a) Since A = xi = 50 cm = 0.5m, then

(b) What is the maximum speed of the oscillating block?

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(c) Find the velocity, kinetic energy, and potential energy of the block when its position is 30
cm?

(c) To find the velocity at x = 30 cm:

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Equivalent Spring Stiffness
x = x1 + x2 F F F
= +
keq k1 k2

1 1 1
= +
keq k1 k2

Feq = F1 + F2 keq x = k1x + k2 x

keq = k1 + k2

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Simple Pendulum
• The forces acting on the bob are the tension (T) and the weight (mg).
• The tangential component of the gravitational force is the restoring
force = mg sin θ.
𝑑2𝜃
• Recall that the tangential acceleration is 𝑎𝑡 = 𝑟𝛼 = 𝐿 = 𝐿𝜃ሷ
𝑑𝑡 2

• Applying Newton’s second law 𝑚𝑎 = σ 𝐹 gives:

mat = −mg sin  for small angle sin   
mL = −mg 𝑔 𝑥ሷ = −𝜔2 𝑥
𝜃ሷ = − 𝜃
𝐿
g
This proves that the bob executes SHM with a natural angular frequency o =
L
2 L
and the periodic time for oscillation is To = = 2
o g
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 Solved
Examples

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Example 4 A body of mass 0.25 kg is acted on by an elastic restoring force. If the force
constant k = 25 N m-1, and the body is set into oscillation with an initial potential energy of
1.3 joule and a kinetic energy of 11.2 Joules, calculate:

a. The amplitude of oscillation

b. The period of oscillation

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c. The displacement at which the K and U are equal.

d. The speed of the body at the midpoint of its path.

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Example 5 Three identical ideal springs (𝑋, 𝑌, 𝑍) are arranged as
shown. When a 4 𝑘𝑔 mass is hung on X, the mass descends 3 𝑐𝑚.
When a 6 𝑘𝑔 mass is hung on Y, the mass descends:

a) 2 cm b) 4 cm c) 4.5 cm d) 6 cm e) 9 cm

Solution:

For spring X:
M g = k x → 4  9.8 = 0.03 k (1)

For the two springs Y and Z:

keq = ½ k  6  9.8 = D  ½ k (2)

By dividing (2)  (1) we get:

1.5 = D / 0.06  D = 0.09 m = 9 cm

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