
The roots of this equation are
(d)
where v
n2
and m
r
are defined in Eqs. (7.41). From Eqs. (b), the corresponding
mode shape ratios are
(e)
The first mode shape, which corresponds to v
1
0, is a rigid-body mode; that
is, one in which there is no relative displacement between the two masses. The
second mode shape, which corresponds to v
2
, indicates that the displace-
ments of the two masses are always out of phase; that is, when m
1
moves in
one direction, m
2
moves in the opposite direction.
In general, the presence of a rigid-body mode is determined by examin-
ing the stiffness matrix . If the size of the square matrix is n and the rank
of the matrix is m, then there are (n m) zero eigenvalues and, correspond-
ingly, (n m) rigid-body modes.
20
EXAMPLE 7.14 Natural frequencies and mode shapes of
a two-mass-three-spring system
For the system shown in Figure 7.1, let m
1
1.2 kg, m
2
2.7 kg, k
1
10 N/m, k
2
20 N/m, and k
3
15 N/m. This example is identical in spirit to
Example 7.12, except that we will use the nondimensional quantities in car-
rying out the computations. We shall find the natural frequencies and mode
shapes of this system and illustrate how the mode shapes are graphically il-
lustrated. The modal matrix is also constructed.
First, we compute the quantities
rad/s, rad/s,
(a)
From Eqs. (a) and (7.46), we find that
(b)a
2
31 0.75 11 2.25 0.943
2
24 0.943
2
2.889
a
1
1 11 2.25 0.752 0.943
2
4.556
v
r
2.722
2.887
0.943,
m
r
2.7
1.2
2.25,
and
k
32
15
20
0.75
v
n2
A
20
2.7
2.722v
n1
A
10
1.2
2.887
3K 4
X
12
X
22
k
2
k
2
v
2
2
m
1
k
2
k
2
v
n2
2
m
1
11 m
r
2
1
1 11 m
r
2/m
r
m
r
X
11
X
21
k
2
k
2
v
1
2
m
1
1
v
2
v
n2
11 m
r
v
1
0
380 CHAPTER 7 Multiple Degree-of-Freedom Systems
20
E. B. Magrab et al., ibid., Chapter 9.