Define light, critical and heavy damping in simple harmonic motion.

Damping reduces the amplitude of oscillation of a system over time. Critical damping reduces the amplitude of the oscillations to zero in the shortest possible time, returning the system to the equilibrium point. Heavy damping returns the system to the equilibrium point slowly with no full oscillation. Light damping consists of oscillations with decaying amplitude over time (constant time period).

OW

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

What Newton’s third law of motion?


A ball of mass 0.25 kg is travelling with a velocity of 1.2 m/s when it collides with an identical, stationary ball. After the collision, the two balls move together with the same velocity. How fast are they moving?


Derive an expression for the time taken, (t) for a test mass to fall to the ground from a height (h) in a uniform gravitational field (g = 9.81 ms^-2)


What is the maximum height a pole vaulter could reach?