Engineering Physics: Oscillations and Shock Waves

Definition of Oscillation

• Oscillation refers to the repetitive back-and-forth movement of an object around a central equilibrium position.
• Examples of oscillation include the swinging of a pendulum and the vibrations of a guitar string.

Amplitude of Oscillation

• Amplitude is the maximum displacement of an oscillating object from its equilibrium position.
• It indicates the extent of the oscillation; larger amplitudes result in greater distance from the equilibrium state.

Frequency of Oscillation

• Frequency is the number of complete cycles of oscillation that occur in a unit of time, typically measured in hertz (Hz).
• Higher frequency indicates rapid oscillations, while lower frequency represents slower oscillatory motion.

Period of Oscillation

• The period is the time taken to complete one full cycle of oscillation.
• It is the reciprocal of frequency; as frequency increases, the period decreases.

Restoring Force in Oscillation

• The restoring force is the net force that acts to bring an oscillating object back to its equilibrium position.
• It is typically proportional to the displacement from the equilibrium, as seen in Hooke’s Law, which states that the restoring force is equal to the negative product of a spring constant and the displacement.

Study material for Module 1 of the Engineering Physics course at SVIT, Bangalore under the CBCS-2018 scheme, focusing on the concepts of oscillations and shock waves. The material covers the principles of oscillations, vibrations, simple harmonic motion, and their applications.