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Initial-amplitude dependence in weakly damped oscillators

Avinash Singh
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Abstract

A pedagogically instructive experimental procedure is suggested for distinguishing between different damping terms in a weakly damped oscillator, which highclights the connection between non-linear damping and initial-amplitude dependence. The most common damping terms such as contact friction, air resistance, viscous drag, and electromagnetic damping have velocity dependences of the form constant, v, or v^2. The corresponding energy dependences of the form \sqrt{E}, E, or E\sqrt{E} in the energy loss equation give rise to characteristic dependence of the amplitude decay slope on the initial amplitude.

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Avinash Singh. 2002-06-27. Initial-amplitude dependence in weakly damped oscillators. https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0206086

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