DampedHarmonicOscillator-FacStaffHomePage.docVIP

Damped Harmonic Oscillator Fspring = -kx; Fresistance = -bv . Note: We use Far = bv instead of bv2 for two reasons: 1. usually, because the motion will go back and forth, the speeds don’t reach very high values, and so F = -bv is more appropriate; and 2. if we use F = -bv, Newton’s 2nd law gives a linear differential equation which will probably be easier than a non-linear one. If there are no other forces then Newtons Second Law becomes: -kx -bv = ma, or md2x/dt2 + b dx/dt + kx = 0 . Note that this is a linear, homogenous, second order differential equation. Becaus