Diff. Eq.

Homework #9 Solutions

1. A mass of 6 kg is attached to a spring hanging from the ceiling. When the mass
comes to rest at equilibrium, the spring has been stretched 9.8/9 m. The mass
is then lifted up 0.3 m and given an upward velocity of 1.2 m/sec. Determine
the equation for the simple harmonic motion of the mass. After writing the
solution in the form of a sinusoid, determine how long until the mass first
returns to the equilibrium position. Also determine the times when the mass
attains a displacement below the equilibrium position numerically equal to half
the amplitude of the motion and label which is motion up and down.

mg (6)(9.8)
Solution: The spring constant is k = = = 54 N/m
s (9.8/9)
This gives the equation 6x00 +54x = 0, with initial conditions x(0) = −0.3, x0 (0) =
−1.2, and solution x = c1 cos(3t) + c2 sin(3t).
Substituting, x(0) = c1 = −0.3, x0 (0) = 3c2 = −1.2, so that
x = −0.3 cos(3t) − 0.4 sin(3t) = 0.5 sin(3t + φ),
where cos φ = −0.8, sin φ = −0.6, φ ≈ 3.785 > π.

The first time to equilibrium is when 3t + φ = 2π, or t ≈ 0.833 seconds.

To answer the last part, we want to solve x(t) = 0.25, which is equivalent to
1
sin(3t + φ) = .
2
1 13π 1 17π
   
This has solution t = − φ + 2πk (down) and − φ + 2πk (up),
3 6 3 6
where k = 1, 2, · · ·.
Setting k = 0 gives the first such times : t = 1.007, 1.705 seconds.

2. Find the value of the damping constant for which there is critical damping in
problem #1.

Solution: With damping, we get the equation 6x00 + βx0 + 54x = 0, with critical
damping when we have equal real roots for the auxiliary equation, namely
β 2 = 4(6)(54), or β = 36 kg/s.

3. A 96 lb weight is attached to a spring hanging from the ceiling. When the

weight comes to rest at equilibrium, the spring has been stretched 1/8 ft. There
is damping numerically equal to 48 (lb-sec)/ft times the instantaneous velocity
of the system. If the weight is lowered 5 ft below equilibrium and given an initial
downward velocity of 8 ft/sec, find the equation of motion for the weight. What
is the maximum displacement below equilibrium that the weight will attain?
 mg 96
Solution: The spring constant is k = = = 768.
s 1/8
This gives the equation of motion 3x00 + 48x0 + 768x = 0, with initial conditions
x(0) = 5, x0 (0) = 8.
√
The auxiliary equation is m2 + 16m + 256 = 0, with roots m = −8 ± i8 3.
Using the initial conditions gives
√ √ √
x(t) = e−8t (5 cos(8 3t) + 2 3 sin(8 3t))

The object starts below equilibrium, moving down. The maximum value of x(t)
is thus the first solution for t ≥ 0 of
√ √ √
x0 (t) = e−8t (8 cos(8 3t) − 56 3 sin(8 3t)) = 0,
√
!
1 −1 1 1
which is t1 = √ tan √ ≈ 0.0059 secs, from which sin(8 3t1 ) = √
8 3 √ 7 3 2 37
√ 7 3
and cos(8 3t1 ) = √ .
2 37
Substituting,
√ √ √
xmax = e−8t1 (5 cos(8 3t1 ) + 2 3 sin(8 3t1 ))
√   
= 111
2
exp − √13 tan−1 1
√
7 3
≈ 5.023 ft.

4. A 32 lb weight is attached to a spring hanging from the ceiling. This causes the
spring to stretch 16/34 ft on coming to rest at equilibrium. There is damping
numerically equal to 4 (lb-sec)/ft times the instantaneous velocity of the system.
An external force, f (t) = 216 cos(6t) + 88 sin(6t), acts on the system. If the
spring is stretched 7 ft below equilibrium and given an initial velocity of 18
ft/sec in the upward direction, write the motion as a sum of the steady-state
and transient terms. Find the time T such that the amplitude of the transient
part of the solution is less than 0.01% of the amplitude of the steady-state part
of the solution for all t > T .
32
Solution: The mass is m = 1, and the spring constant is k = = 68,
(16/34)
from which the equation of motion is
x00 + 4x0 + 68x = 216 cos(6t) + 88 sin(6t), with conditions x(0) = 7, x0 (0) = −18.
The auxiliary equation gives xc = e−2t (c1 cos(8t)+c2 sin(8t)), and undetermined
coefficients gives xp = 3 cos(6t) + 5 sin(6t).
Using the initial conditions yields
x(t) = e−2t (4 cos(8t) − 5 sin(8t)) + 3 cos(6t) + 5 sin(6t).
The first part of the solution is the transient state, since it decays to 0.
√
The
√ amplitude of the transient part is 42 + 52 e−2t and that of the steady-state
is 32 + 52 , so we want
√
0.0001 34  √ 
−2t
e < √ , or t > T = − 21 ln 0.0001
√ 34 ≈ 4.652 seconds.
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