The Simple Harmonic Oscillator

This chapter will introduce a system that is fundamental to our understanding of more physical phenomena than any other. Although the “simple” harmonic oscillator seems to be only the combination of the most mundane components, the formalism developed to explain the behavior of a mass, spring, and damper is used to describe systems that range in size from atoms to oceans. Our investigation goes beyond the “traditional” treatments found in the elementary physics textbooks. For example, the introduction of damping will open a two-way street: a damping element (i.e., a mechanical resistance, Rm) will dissipate the oscillator’s energy, reducing the amplitudes of successive oscillations, but it will also connect the oscillator to the surrounding environment that will return thermal energy to the oscillator. The excitation of a harmonic oscillator by an externally applied force, displacement, or combination of the two will result in a response that is critically dependent upon the relationship between the frequency of excitation and the natural frequency of the oscillator and will introduce the critical concepts of mechanical impedance, resonance, and quality factor. Finally, the harmonic oscillator model will be extended to coupled oscillators that are represented by combinations of several masses and several springs.