"Oscillation is the repetitive or periodic variation, typically in time, of some measure about a central value (often a point of equilibrium) or between two or more different states."
Describes the motion of systems that go back and forth around a point of equilibrium.
Simple harmonic motion: Periodic motion where the restoring force is proportional to the displacement from equilibrium.
Damped oscillations: Oscillations that lose energy over time due to friction or other dissipative forces.
Forced oscillations: Oscillations that are driven by an external force.
Amplitude and frequency: Two important properties of oscillations that determine the behavior of the system.
Spring-mass systems: A common example of a system that exhibits simple harmonic motion.
Pendulum motion: Another common example of a system that exhibits simple harmonic motion.
Resonance: A phenomenon that occurs when an external force is applied at the natural frequency of a system, causing it to vibrate with a large amplitude.
Damping ratio: A measure of how quickly or slowly an oscillator loses energy over time.
Q-factor: A measure of the sharpness of a resonance curve.
Energy in oscillating systems: The potential and kinetic energy of an oscillator that vary as it oscillates.
Phase and phase difference: Describes the relation between two waves that are oscillating.
Frequency response: How a system responds to different frequencies.
Beat frequency: The difference between two frequencies that are close together.
Resonant frequency: The frequency at which a mechanical system naturally oscillates.
Mechanical filters: Devices used to selectively pass or reject certain frequencies in a signal.
Nonlinear oscillations: Systems that exhibit complex behavior due to non-linearities in the equations of motion.
Simple harmonic motion: A type of oscillation in which the object moves back and forth along the same path, with a constant period and amplitude.
Damped oscillation: An oscillation that decreases in amplitude over time due to friction or damping forces.
Forced oscillation: An oscillation that is driven by an external force, which can be periodic or non-periodic.
Free oscillation: An oscillation that occurs naturally without any external driving force or damping.
Subharmonic and superharmonic oscillation: Oscillations that have frequencies that are fractions or multiples of the natural frequency of the system.
Resonance: The phenomenon in which an object or system vibrates at its natural frequency in response to an external force that has the same frequency.
Parametric resonance: A type of resonance that occurs when the properties of the system change periodically, such as when the amplitude of the driving force changes periodically.
Nonlinear resonance: A type of resonance that occurs in systems that have nonlinear equations of motion, leading to complex and chaotic behavior.
Mechanical resonance: A type of resonance that occurs in mechanical systems, such as springs, pendulums, and bridges.
Electrical resonance: A type of resonance that occurs in electrical circuits, such as oscillators and filters.
Acoustic resonance: A type of resonance that occurs in sound waves, such as when a musical instrument resonates with a particular frequency.
Structural resonance: A type of resonance that occurs in structures, such as buildings, bridges, and wind turbines, which can lead to damage or failure if not properly accounted for.
Magnetic resonance: A type of resonance that occurs in magnetic fields, such as in MRI machines and particle accelerators.
"Familiar examples of oscillation include a swinging pendulum and alternating current."
"Oscillations occur not only in mechanical systems but also in dynamic systems in virtually every area of science."
"The beating of the human heart (for circulation)."
"Oscillations can be used in physics to approximate complex interactions, such as those between atoms."
"Predator-prey population cycles in ecology."
"Geothermal geysers in geology."
"Vibration of strings in guitar and other string instruments."
"Periodic firing of nerve cells in the brain."
"The periodic swelling of Cepheid variable stars in astronomy."
"The term vibration is precisely used to describe a mechanical oscillation."
"Oscillation, especially rapid oscillation, may be an undesirable phenomenon in process control and control theory (e.g., in sliding mode control)."
"In these cases, it is called chattering or flapping, as in valve chatter, and route flapping."
"Oscillation [...] may be an undesirable phenomenon in process control and control theory, where the aim is convergence to a stable state."
"Business cycles in economics."
"Oscillation, especially rapid oscillation, may be an undesirable phenomenon in process control and control theory."
"In these cases, it is called chattering or flapping, as in valve chatter."
"Oscillations occur not only in mechanical systems but also in dynamic systems in virtually every area of science."
"Vibration of strings in guitar and other string instruments."
"Predator-prey population cycles in ecology."