Physics › Section K · Oscillations and waves › Topic K.5
Damped and forced oscillations
Real oscillations fade as friction and drag drain their energy, and engineers often add damping on purpose. Push an oscillator in time with its own natural rhythm, though, and even small pushes can build a huge response: resonance.
In this topic
- Why real oscillations fade
- Light damping
- Worked example: a fading oscillation
- Underdamped, critically damped, overdamped
- Forced oscillations
- Resonance
- Worked example: keeping a swing going
- Worked example: a bumpy road
- Resonance in the world
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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