3.8 Mechanical and Electrical Vibrations Example 1 A mass weighing 4 lb stretches a spring 2 in.

Suppose that the mass is displaced an additional 6 in. in the positive direction and then released. The mass is in a medium that exerts a viscous resistance of 6 lb when the mass has a velocity of 3 ft/sec. Under the assumptions discussed in this section, formulate the initial value problem that governs the motion of the mass.

Example 2 (Undamped Free Vibrations) Suppose that a mass weighing 10 lb stretches a spring 2 in. If the mass is displaced an additional 2 in. and then set in motion with an initial upward velocity of 1 ft/sec, and if there is no damping, determine the position of the mass at any later time. Also determine the period, amplitude, and phase of the motion.

Example 3 (Damped Free Vibrations) The motion of a certain spring-mass system is governed by the differential equation

u" + 0.125u ' + u = 0,

where u is measured in feet and t in seconds. If u(0)=2 and u(0)=0, determine the position of the mass at any time. Find the quasi frequency and the quasi period, as well as the time at which the mass first passes through its equilibrium position. Also find the time such that |u(t)|<0.1 for all t > .