Which of the following describes the motion of a damped oscillator?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following describes the motion of a damped oscillator?
Simple harmonic motion
Exponential decay
Linear motion
Circular motion
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following describes the motion of a damped oscillator?
Step 1: Understand what a damped oscillator is. A damped oscillator is a system that experiences a force that opposes its motion, causing it to lose energy over time.
Step 2: Recognize that the motion of a damped oscillator is not constant. Instead, it gradually slows down.
Step 3: Learn about amplitude. Amplitude is the maximum distance the oscillator moves from its rest position.
Step 4: Realize that in a damped oscillator, the amplitude decreases over time. This means the maximum distance it moves gets smaller.
Step 5: Understand that this decrease in amplitude follows a specific pattern called exponential decay. This means the amplitude drops quickly at first and then more slowly as time goes on.
Step 6: Conclude that the motion of a damped oscillator is characterized by this exponential decay of amplitude over time.
