Oscillations

 In our daily life we come across various kinds of motions. You have already learnt about some of the e.g. rectilinear motion and motion of a projectile. Both these motions are non- repetitive. We have also about unform circular motion and orbital motion of planets in the solar system. In these cases, the motion is respected after a certain interval of time, that is, it is periodic.

and you must have enjoyed rocking in a cradle or swinging on a swing. Both these motions are repetitive in nature but different from the periodic motion of a plant. Here , the object moves to and fro about a mean position. The pendulum of a wall clock executes a similar motion. There are leaves and branches of a tree oscillating in breeze, boats bobbing at anchor and the surging pistons in the engine's of cars.

All these objects execute a periodic to and fro motion. Such a motion is termed as oscillatory motion. In this article we study motion.This study of oscillatory motion is basis to physics; it's concepts are required for the instruments of many physical phenomena. In musical instruments like the sitar, the produce pleasing sounds.

The membranes in drums and diaphragm in telephone 📱 and speaker 🔊 system vibrate to and fro about their mean positions. Similarly, the atoms in a solid oscillate about their mean positions  and convey  sensation of temperature. The oscillations of electrons in the antennas of radio, T.V and satellite transmitters convey information.

The description of a periodic motion in general, and oscillatory motion perticular, reqires some fundamental concepts like period, frequency, displacement, amplitude and phase.