Chapter 12 -Simple Harmonic Motion

Above, a Block,is pulled by us manually and rekeased. The Block and Spring together behave as a SYSTEM, and start oscillating to & fro. This can go on for a very long time, if there is ZERO friction between the Block and the ground. If there is Friction existing between the Block and Ground, the block will come to a stop after a few oscillations, this will then be called Damped Oscillations.

Now let’s come back to SHM – Simple Harmonic Motion.

Question: Is there a big difference between Harmonic Motion and Simple Harmonic motion ?

Yes, absolutely, and this must be clearly understood.

Harmonic motion

• is any periodic motion
• example Earth rotating around the Sun, or Moon rotating around the Earth. But there is no Equilibrium position or Mean position where the Earth or Moon returns in their motion.

Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)

• is a motion where there is a Restoring force , meaning some Force which brings back the object to its Mean position or Equilibrium position. The Force must be directly proportional to displacement from Equilibrium position (or Mean Position), creating a perfect sinusoidal wave, then only the condition is satisfied for SHM

Several real-life things like springs, pendulums, even waves follow Simple Harmonic Motion. In this course, you can see repeatedly in slow motion, our Animations and Video explanations to get the concepts and equations clear.

1) Introduction: what is Simple Harmonic Motion

Read about Restoring Force and its equation.

2) Displacement, Velocity, and acceleration : the mysterious connection between Uniform Circular Motion and Simple harmonic Motion

3) Simple Pendulum and its equations

4) Simple harmonic motion: Spring and Mass System

5) SHM : case of a single spring connecting two blocks oscillating on a flat Horizontal Plane

6) Damped Harmonic Motion concept : wave damping

7) Damped Oscillations : Equations — Amplitude reduction with time

8) Solved problems