- #1
JolleJ
- 35
- 0
Hi there.
I'm having a problem explaining the physical meaning of the symbols in the equation for an underdamped Harmonic oscillator:
[tex]A*e^{k*t}*sin(w*t)[/tex]
I can see that A is the amplitude of the first swing, which we will not see, since sin(w*t)=0 for t=0.
Now k is the damping constant and something, I don't what more to say about that.
The last one, w, I find the hard one. I cannot tell, what this is. I mean, it's not the angular velocity, since this is changing. It is some sort of frequency?
Likewise, when the oscillator is not damped, and the equation is:
[tex]A*sin(w*t)[/tex]
What is the w here? Is the actual angualar speed here?
//EDIT:
Wait, I see that it cannot be angular speed here either, since this is of course also constantly changing, both in size and direction. I can't see, what it is. If someone could please exemplify it? Thanks. :)
//
Thanks in advance.
I'm having a problem explaining the physical meaning of the symbols in the equation for an underdamped Harmonic oscillator:
[tex]A*e^{k*t}*sin(w*t)[/tex]
I can see that A is the amplitude of the first swing, which we will not see, since sin(w*t)=0 for t=0.
Now k is the damping constant and something, I don't what more to say about that.
The last one, w, I find the hard one. I cannot tell, what this is. I mean, it's not the angular velocity, since this is changing. It is some sort of frequency?
Likewise, when the oscillator is not damped, and the equation is:
[tex]A*sin(w*t)[/tex]
What is the w here? Is the actual angualar speed here?
//EDIT:
Wait, I see that it cannot be angular speed here either, since this is of course also constantly changing, both in size and direction. I can't see, what it is. If someone could please exemplify it? Thanks. :)
//
Thanks in advance.