| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position from an initial to a final location. |
| equilibrium position | The position where the spring force on an object is zero and the object-spring system is at rest. |
| periodic motion | Motion that repeats at regular intervals of time. |
| restoring force | A force exerted in a direction opposite to an object's displacement from its equilibrium position, acting to return the object to equilibrium. |
| simple harmonic motion | A special case of periodic motion in which a restoring force proportional to displacement causes an object to oscillate about an equilibrium position. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| angular frequency | The rate of change of phase angle in simple harmonic motion, denoted by ω and related to frequency by ω = 2πf. |
| frequency | The number of complete oscillations or cycles of simple harmonic motion that occur per unit time, measured in hertz (Hz). |
| object-ideal-spring oscillator | A system consisting of a mass attached to an ideal spring that undergoes simple harmonic motion. |
| period | The time required for an object to complete one full circular path, rotation, or cycle. |
| simple harmonic motion | A special case of periodic motion in which a restoring force proportional to displacement causes an object to oscillate about an equilibrium position. |
| simple pendulum | A special case of a physical pendulum in which the hanging object is modeled as a point mass at a fixed distance from the pivot point. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| acceleration | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's velocity with respect to time. |
| amplitude | The maximum displacement of an object from its equilibrium position in simple harmonic motion. |
| angular frequency | The rate of change of phase angle in simple harmonic motion, denoted by ω and related to frequency by ω = 2πf. |
| displacement | A vector quantity representing the change in position from an initial to a final location. |
| equilibrium position | The position where the spring force on an object is zero and the object-spring system is at rest. |
| extrema | The maximum and minimum values of displacement, velocity, or acceleration in simple harmonic motion. |
| frequency | The number of complete oscillations or cycles of simple harmonic motion that occur per unit time, measured in hertz (Hz). |
| natural frequency | The frequency at which a system will oscillate when displaced from its equilibrium position in the absence of external driving forces. |
| period | The time required for an object to complete one full circular path, rotation, or cycle. |
| phase constant | A constant (φ) in the equation x = A cos(ωt + φ) that determines the initial position and velocity of an object in simple harmonic motion. |
| resonance | The phenomenon where an oscillating system experiences maximum amplitude when driven by an external force at its natural frequency. |
| velocity | A vector quantity that describes the rate of change of an object's position with respect to time. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| amplitude | The maximum displacement of an object from its equilibrium position in simple harmonic motion. |
| conservation of energy | The principle that total mechanical energy remains constant in an isolated gravitational system. |
| kinetic energy | The energy possessed by an object due to its motion, equal to one-half the product of its mass and the square of its velocity. |
| mechanical energy | The total energy of a system due to its motion and position, equal to the sum of kinetic and potential energies. |
| potential energy | The energy stored in a system due to the relative positions or configurations of objects that interact via conservative forces. |
| simple harmonic motion | A special case of periodic motion in which a restoring force proportional to displacement causes an object to oscillate about an equilibrium position. |
| total energy | The sum of kinetic and potential energies in a system exhibiting SHM, which remains constant over time. |
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| angular acceleration | The rate of change of angular velocity with respect to time, represented by the symbol α. |
| angular displacement | The change in angular position of a rotating object, measured in radians. |
| center of mass | The point in a system where the entire mass can be considered to be concentrated for the purposes of analyzing motion and forces. |
| equilibrium position | The position where the spring force on an object is zero and the object-spring system is at rest. |
| moment of inertia | A measure of a rigid body's resistance to rotational acceleration about a given axis, represented by the symbol I. |
| physical pendulum | A rigid body that exhibits simple harmonic motion when displaced from its equilibrium position and allowed to oscillate. |
| restoring torque | The torque that acts to return a displaced physical pendulum back toward its equilibrium position. |
| simple harmonic motion | A special case of periodic motion in which a restoring force proportional to displacement causes an object to oscillate about an equilibrium position. |
| simple pendulum | A special case of a physical pendulum in which the hanging object is modeled as a point mass at a fixed distance from the pivot point. |
| small-angle approximation | The approximation that sin(θ) ≈ θ for small angular displacements, used to simplify the analysis of pendulum motion. |
| torsion pendulum | A system undergoing simple harmonic motion where the restoring torque is proportional to the angular displacement of a rotating system. |