Question

What is free vibration and forced vibration?

Answer 1

Vibration

Vibration, the periodic back-and-forth motion of the particles of an elastic body or medium, commonly results when almost any physical system is displaced from its equilibrium condition and allowed to respond to the forces that tend to restore equilibrium.

The explanation for free vibration

1. Vibration is a rapid motion back and forth.
2. The free vibration possesses constant amplitude and period without any external force to set the vibration.
3. In free vibration, energy will remain the same, and energy is not added or removed from the body.
4. The body keeps vibrating at the same amplitude.
5. The solution to a free vibration is usually roughly sinusoidal.
6. Examples of free vibrations are oscillations of a simple pendulum in air free medium.
   

The explanation for forced vibration

1. Forced vibration is the term used to describe when an external periodic force causes a body to vibrate.
2. Here, the system is given external energy, which causes the vibration's amplitude to damp yet keep constant.
3. In forced vibration energy gets added to the vibrating body.
4. The forced vibration is either damped or undamped.
5. An example of forced vibrations is when a washing machine shakes due to an imbalance.