
Dynamics of the particle in a field of elastic forces 
 
515 
and  the forced vibration (the forced oscillation) of pulsation 
p , as it was shown in 
Subsec. 2.2.4. If, in particular, we assume homogeneous initial conditions 
(
00
0xv==) and if the phase shift of the perturbing force vanishes ( 0ϕ = ), then it 
results 
22
() (cos cos )xt pt t
p
α
ω
ω
=−
−
. 
(8.2.45) 
If the pulsation 
p
 differs much from the pulsation  ω  (p ω  or  p ω ), then the 
diagram of motion is that in Fig.8.22 (the case 
p ω , hence a proper vibration of 
great pulsation “carried” by a forced vibration of small pulsation); we notice that the 
maximal elongation of the resultant motion is practically equal to the double of the 
amplitude of one of the motions (
22
max
2/xpαω≅−). If the two pulsations are 
close in magnitude, then one obtains the phenomenon of “beats” (Fig.8.23). 
If 
p ω= , then it results a non-determination in (8.2.45), as well as in (8.2.42'). If 
p ω→
, then one obtains at the limit (we use L’Hospital’s theorem) 
() sin
2
xt t t
α
ω
ω
= , 
(8.2.46) 
Figure 8.42.  Phenomenon of resonance. Diagram  ()xt  vs 
t
. 
for the law of motion (8.2.45). In case of the equation of motion (8.2.42') we get an 
analogous result (supplementary harmonic vibrations are added). The diagram of 
motion (8.2.46) is a sinusoid of amplitude modulated along the straight lines 
/2xtαω=±  and of pseudoperiod  2/T πω
 (Fig.8.42). The amplitude increases 
very much, in arithmetic progression, and the phenomenon is called resonance, being 
extremely dangerous for civil and industrial constructions or for engine building; the 
increasing velocity of the amplitude is given by the slope 
1
11
/
2
2
2/
c
Fm
FF
k
km
km
α
ω
===
, 
(8.2.47) 
hence it is in direct proportion to the amplitude 
11
Fm mαα
=  of the perturbing 
force and in inverse proportion to the critical coefficient of damping (8.2.14). If