Learning Paths
Each learning path is one chapter: a guided route through a topic, one small course at a time. Pick a class to see its chapters in order.
Chapter 13
Oscillations and Simple Harmonic Motion, Work, Energy and Power
A swing, a guitar string, a mass on a spring and the balance wheel of a watch all go back and forth, again and again. Many of these motions follow one simple rule: the pull back is larger when the body is further away. That rule gives simple harmonic motion. We describe it with a reference circle, find its speed, acceleration and energy, and use it for springs and pendulums. Then we see how friction makes an oscillation die away, and how a small push at the right moment builds a large one. Python draws the motion and finds the period for us.
3 courses
