NEET Revision Notes

Physics
Oscillations

Oscillatory or Vibratory motion:

Oscillatory motion is that motion in which a body moves to and fro or back and forth
repeatedly about a fixed point (called mean position), in a definite interval of time.
In such a motion, the body is confined within well-defined limits (called extreme
positions) on either side of the mean position. Thus a periodic and bounded motion
of a body about a fixed point is called an oscillatory or vibratory motion.

Types of Motion:
Periodic motion:
When a body or a moving particle repeats its motion along a definite path after
regular intervals of time, its motion is said to be Periodic Motion, and the interval of
time is called time or harmonic motion period (T). The path of periodic motion may
be linear, circular, elliptical, or any other curve.

Oscillatory motion:
To and Fro' type of motion is called an Oscillatory Motion. It need not be periodic
and need not have fixed extreme positions. The force/torque acting in oscillatory
motion (directed towards the equilibrium point) is called restoring force/torque.

Simple harmonic motion (SHM):

Simple harmonic motion is the motion in which the restoring force is proportional
to the displacement from the mean position and opposes its increase.

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Image: Simple harmonic motion

Simple harmonic motion (SHM):

A particle is said to move in SHM if its acceleration is proportional to the
displacement and is always directed towards the mean position
Conditions of Simple Harmonic Motion:
For SHM to occur, three conditions must be satisfied.
● There must be a position of stable equilibrium
At the stable equilibrium potential energy is minimum.
dU d 2U
So,  0 And 0
dx dy 2
● There must be no dissipation of energy.
● The acceleration is proportional to the displacement and opposite in direction,
that is a   2 y

Image: Conditions for simple harmonic motion

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Equation of SHM:
f   ky
d2y
2
 2 y  0
dt
k
Here   (k is the force constant)
m

Displacement (y):
Displacement of a particle vibrating in SHM, at any instant, is defined as its distance
from the mean position at that instant.
y  r sin t   
Here r is the radius of the circle.

Image: Conditions
Condition:
When,   0 , then, y  r sin t
and

When,   , then, y  r cos t
2

Amplitude (r):
The amplitude of a particle, vibrating in SHM, is defined as its maximum
displacement on either side of the mean position.
As the extreme value of t  1, thus y   r

Velocity (V):

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 dy
V  r cos t     v cos t      r 2  y 2
dt
Here v is the linear velocity of the particle.  is any angle and t is the time.
Condition:
When, y = 0, then, V = v = rω
and
When, y = ±r, then, V=0
A particle vibrating in SHM passes with maximum velocity through the mean
position and is at rest at the extreme positions.
y2 y2
 1
r 2  2r 2

Acceleration
dV  v 2 
(a) : a     sin t   y
2
dt  r 
Condition:
When, y = 0, then, a = 0
And,
When, y = ±r, then, a = ±ω2r
A particle vibrating in SHM has zero acceleration while passing through the mean
position and maximum acceleration at extreme positions.
● Acceleration is directly proportional to y (displacement).
● Acceleration is always directed towards the mean position.

Time period (T):

It is the time taken by the particle to complete one vibration.
2
T

displacement
T  2
acceleration
2 m
T
k

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Frequency (f):
It is the number of vibrations made by the body in one second.
1
f 
T
1 k
f 
2 m
Angular frequency (ω):
2

T
acceleration

Displacement

Relation between Angular frequency (ω) and Frequency (f):

k
  2 f 
m

Phase:
● The phase of a particle is defined as its state as regards its position and
direction of motion.
● It is measured by the fraction of time period that has elapsed since the particle
crossed its mean position in the positive direction.
● Phase can also be measured in terms of the angle, expressed as a fraction of
2π radian, traversed by the radius vector of the circle of reference while the
initial position of the radius vector is taken to be that which corresponds to
the instant when the particle in SHM is about to cross mean position in a
positive direction.

Energy in SHM:
(a) Kinetic Energy (Ek):
1
2
  1
Ek  m 2 r 2  y 2  m 2r 2cos 2t
2
1
When, y = 0, then,  Ek max  m 2r 2 ( maximum)
2

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and
when y   r , then ,  Ek min  0 (minimum)
(b) Potential Energy (Ep):
1 1
E p  m 2r 2  m 2r 2 sin2t
2 2
1
( E p )max  m 2r 2
2
(c)Total Energy (E):
1
E  Ek  E p  m 2r 2 = consereved
2
E  ( Ek )max  ( E p )max

Average Kinetic Energy:

1
 Ek     m 2 r 2
4

Average Potential Energy:

1
 E p     m 2r 2
4
 E / 2   Ek   E p 

Spring-mass system: mg  kx0

m x
Period, T  2  2 0
k g
Massive spring:
Period, T  2  [m  (ms / 3)] / k
Cutting a spring:
T
Time, T   0
n
Frequency, f '   (n) f0
Spring constant, k '  nk
If spring is cut into two pieces of length l1 and l2 such that, l1= nl2, then,

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  n 1
k1    k,
 n 
k2   n  1 k
and
k1l1  k2l2

Spring in parallel connection:

Total spring constant, k  k1  k2
Time period, T  2  [m / (k1  k2 )]
If T1  2  m / k1 and T2  2  m / k2 then
T  T1T2 /  T12  T12 and  2  12  22

Spring in series connection:

1 1 1 kk
Total spring constant,   or k  1 2
k k1 k2 k1  k2
Time period, T 2  T12  T22
T  2  [m(k1  k2 ) / k1k2 ]
1 1 1
 
2 12 22
f  1 / 2  [k1k2 / m(k1  k2 )]

Laws of the simple pendulum:

Laws of isochronisms: Its states that (≤4°), the time period of a simple pendulum is
independent of its amplitude.
Laws of length: It states that the time period of a simple pendulum varies directly as
the square root of its length.
T  l
Law of acceleration due to gravity:- It states that the time period of a simple
pendulum varies inversely as the square root of acceleration due to gravity at that
place.
T 1/  g

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So, the Time period of a simple pendulum T  2π  l / g
● When placed inside a lift being accelerated upwards, the effective value
of g increases. Thus the time period of the pendulum decreases.
● When placed inside a lift being accelerated downwards, the effective value
of g decreases. Thus the time period of the pendulum increases.
● The time period of the pendulum increases at higher altitudes due to a
decrease in g.
● The period of the pendulum at a place below the surface of the earth decreases
due to an increase in g.
● At the center of the earth (g=0). So the period is infinite.
● The time period is greater at the equator than at the poles.
● Due to a decrease in the value of g due to the rotation of the earth, the period
of the pendulum increases as the earth rotates about its axis.

Equation of motion:
d 2  g 
    0
dt 2  l 
Frequency,
f  1 / 2  ( g / l )
Angular frequency,
   (g / l)
Second Pendulum:
A second’s pendulum is a pendulum whose time period is two seconds.
T = 2 sec
l = 0.9925 m

Mass-less loaded spring in the horizontal alignment:

Force, F = -kx
Acceleration, a =-kx/m
Time period, T = 2π√m/k
Frequency,f = 1/2π√k/m

The time period of mass-less loaded spring in the vertical alignment:

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T  2  m / k and T  2  l / g
The time period of the bar pendulum:
I
T  2
mgI
Here l is the rotational inertia of the pendulum.
and
L
T  2
g
k2
Here, L  (  I )
I

The time period of the torsion pendulum:

I
● T  2
C
● Here I is the rotational inertia of the pendulum and C is the restoring couple
per unit angular twist.
d 2 C
● Equation of motion:- 2    0
dt I
● Here,   0 sin(t   )
C
● Angular frequency,  
I
1 C
● Frequency, f  
2 I

Conical Pendulum:
Lcos
Time period, T  2
g
Velocity, V  gRtan

Restoring couple (τ):   c

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Here C is the restoring couple per unit angular twist and θ is the twist produced in
the wire.
The liquid contained in a U-tube:
l
Time period, T  2
g
Electrical oscillating circuit:
Time period, T =2π√LC
Here, L is the inductance and C is the capacitance.
1
Angular frequency,  
LC
Ball in a bowl:
R r
Time period, T  2  
 g 

Free vibrations:
A body's vibrations are termed free vibrations if it vibrates in the absence of any
constraint.

Damped Vibrations:

d2y dy
Equation is: 2  2   2 y  0
dt dt
Here amplitude, R  Ae t
And
  2  2
µ<<ω signifies the body will show oscillatory behavior with gradually decreasing
amplitude.
● µ>>ω signifies the amplitude may decrease from maximum to zero without
showing the oscillatory behavior.
● In between the above two cases, the body is in the state of critically damped.

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 2 2
● Time period of oscillation, T   . Thus, the presence of the
  
2 2

damping factor µ in the denominator indicates an increase in the time period

due to damping.

Forced vibrations:
Forced vibrations are the phenomenon of setting a body into vibrations by a strong
periodic force whose frequency differs from the body's natural frequency.
Resonance:
Resonance is the phenomenon of setting a body into vibrations by a strong periodic
force whose frequency coincides with the natural frequency of the body.

Examples:
Q1. If the length of second pendulum is increased by 12%. How many
oscillations it will lose per day
(A) 3927
(B) 3722
(C) 34273
(D) None of these
Ans:
T
T2
 2
T1 1
 T2  1.1, T1  2.2sec
86400
Initial no. of oscillation   43200
2
86400
Final no. of oscillation   39273
2.2
No. of lost oscillations  43200  39273  3927

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Q2. A particle at the end of a spring executes simple harmonic motion with a
period t1 , while the corresponding period for another spring is t 2 . If the period
of oscillation with the two springs in series is T, then -
(A) T = t1 + t 2
(B) T2 = t12 + t 22
(C) T-1 = t1-1 + t -1
2

(D) T-2 = t1-2 + t -2

2
Ans: B
m
t1  2 (i)
k1
m
t 2  2
k2
when springs are in series then
m m  k1  k 2 
T  2  2
k1k 2 k1k 2
k1  k 2
squaring and adding (i) and (ii) we get
m m
t12  t 22  4 2  4 2
k1 k2
 k  k2 
 4 2 m  1  or t12  t 22  T 2
 k1k 2 

Important Formulas:

Restoring force F  kx  mw2 x

d2
Differential equation of linear S.H.M 2
 w2 x  0
dt
Displacement in S.H.M. (General
x  Asin( wt   )
equation)
Velocity in linear S.H.M v   w A2  x 2

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Acceleration in linear S.H.M a  w2 x
2 m
Period in S.H.M  2
 k
1 w 1 k
Frequency in S.H.M f  
T 2 2 m
Energy in S.H.M
1 1
Potential energy P.E  k  x 2  mw2 x 2
2 2

Kinetic energy
1
2
 1

K.E  k A 2  x 2  mw2 A 2  x 2
2
 
1 1
T .E  kA 2  mw2 A 2
Total energy 2 2
 2m 2n 2 A2
Composition of S.H.M's
Resultant equation of two S.H.M's x  R sin(wt   ) A1 sin 1  A2 sin  2

Resultant amplitude R  A12  A22  2 A1 A2 cos 1   2 

 A1 sin 1  A2 sin  2 
Phase   tan 1  
 A1 cos1  A2 cos  2 
Oscillating spring
Force F  mg   kx

m
Period T  2
k

Simple pendulum (Period) l

T  2
g
Damped Force Fd  bv (In magnitude)

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 d 2x dx
Equation of damped S.H.M m  b  kx  0
dt 2 dt
Angular frequency of damped
w  k / m  (b / 2m) 2
oscillation
2
Time period of damped oscillation T
k / m  (b / 2m) 2

Points to remember:
1. From this chapter lots of questions are aksed based on the numerical basis, so
while solving such numerical we should take care of calculation part.
2. This oscillations chapter is a scoring chapter in terms of NEET exam. So if
formula and concept is good, you can easily score full marks from this chapter.
3. Some of the important topics are: Simple pendulum (Period), Damped Force,
Equation of damped S.H.M, Angular frequency of damped oscillation, Time
period of damped oscillation.
4. In formulas  and  are used at most places, so we should avoid such
confusions where  and  will come.
5. Concept of spring mass system is also required to understand this chapter
more clearly.

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