Simple Harmonic Motion
First published: 1998
Brief summary
HyperPhysics overview of the harmonic oscillator, period, phase and restoring force.
Article
Simple harmonic motion is periodic motion in which the restoring force is proportional to displacement from equilibrium and acts in the opposite direction. The ideal mass–spring system is a standard example, with the spring force described by Hooke’s law.
When damping is neglected, displacement varies sinusoidally with time. Velocity is greatest as the object passes through equilibrium, while acceleration is greatest at the endpoints and always directed back toward equilibrium.
The period depends on the physical properties of the oscillator. For a mass attached to an ideal spring, the period increases with mass and decreases with spring stiffness; the amplitude does not alter the period in the ideal linear model.
Energy alternates between kinetic energy and potential energy during each cycle. At equilibrium the kinetic energy is greatest, while at maximum displacement the energy is stored as elastic potential energy.
Source details and credits
- Source / publisher: HyperPhysics
- Source type: Tutorial
- URL type: WWW
- Credits: HyperPhysics
- URL: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/shm.html