Question

What are normal modes of oscillation?

Answer 1

Normal modes of oscillation:

1. An oscillating system's normal mode is a motion pattern in which every component oscillates sinusoidally at the same frequency and with the same fixed phase relationship.
2. The normal modes description of free motion occurs at set frequencies. These constant frequencies of a system's normal modes are referred to as its natural or resonant frequencies.
3. A mass on a spring naturally oscillates up and down at a single frequency. A stretched string with fixed ends has a wide range of vibrational frequencies and patterns that it can produce. Normal modes are the name for these particular "Modes of Vibration" that a string exhibits.
4. If the velocity of sound is denoted by v and the length of a tube by L, then for a tube closed at one end the fundamental frequency is given by: $f=\frac{v}{wavelength}=\frac{\nu }{4L}$
5. For a tube open at both ends the fundamental frequency is given by: $f=\frac{v}{wavelength}=\frac{\nu }{2L}$