

Newton's 2nd Law:  F  ma

Free Body Diagram


v yo 
yo
v xo

Fg

d2y d 2x
 mg  m 2 0m 2
dt dt
0 “equations of motion”
 d2y
g  2
dt
Integrate w.r.t. time:
dy
 gt  C1 
dt
ditto:

 12 gt 2  C1t  C2  y

Constants from initial conditions:

dy
y  0   y0  C 2  0  v y 0  C1
dt

y  t   y0  v y 0t  12 gt 2
 Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM)
Ball in a Bowl:

F F
FN

Fg FN Fg


F 0
Stable Equilibrium
(restoring force, not constant force)
 m

k
rest position

0 +x
 
 F  ma

 kx  mx (equation of motion)

Hooke’s Law
 “Guess” a solution: x t   A sin  Bt  C 
Does it work?

 kA sin  Bt  C    mAB 2 sin  Bt  C 

Yes, if:
k  mB 2 …A and C can take any value

x(t)
A = amplitude

C = phase lag =  Period = 2/B

B = angular freq. = 
2  f

So usually written… x t   A sin  ot   

 k
o  A and  from initial conditions.
m

Example: Mass (m) on spring (k) displaced x 1.2

= 1 cm at
t=0: 1
y = -9.8427 + 16.35x R= 1

x t   A sin  ot    x  t   Ao0.8cos o t   

Force [N]
0.6

x 0   A sin     1cm x  0  A0.2o cos    0

0.4

  0 
A sin    1cm 
2
-0.2
0.58 2 0.62 0.64
0.6 0.66 0.68 0.7
Displacement [m]

A  1cm

 k 
x t   1cm  sin t 
 m 2
When a mechanical system is at a point of
stable equilibrium, a perturbation will result in
a restoring force that drives it back to
equilibrium. The resulting equation of motion
has the following form:

 o x  x
2

The solution is an oscillating trajectory at

frequency o known as Simple Harmonic
Motion.