Explain the difference between forced vibration and resonance in an oscillating object.

Forced vibration:

The object oscillating will vibrate upwards and downwards with the same frequency the driving oscillation is at. The amplitude of the vibration increases as the frequency decreases and there will be a phase difference between the driving vibration and the forced vibration. When the driving frequency is much greater than the forced frequency then there is almost a 180o phase difference, however when the driving frequency is much less than the forced frequency, then there is almost no phase difference

Resonance: 

The frequency of the vibration is the same as the naturual frequency of the system. The rate of energy transfer from the driving force to the system is at a maximum and so the amplitude of the resonance is very large. The driving frequency is either 90o ahead or lags by 90o.

MP
Answered by Matthew P. Physics tutor

29467 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

An electron of mass 9.11x10^(-31) is fired from an electron gun at 7x10^6 m/s. What size object will the electron need to interact with in order to diffract?


A geostationary satellite is orbiting Earth, a) What is meant by a geostationary orbit? b) Calculate the height at which the satellite orbits above the surface of the Earth. The radius of the Earth is 6400km and its mass is 6x10^24 kg.


If a stationary observer sees a ship moving relativistically (near the speed of light), will it appear contracted or enlarged? And by how much.


A body is moving at 70km/h and has a mass of 130kg, calculate its maximum kinetic energy.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning