Oscillating systems.

Wave phenomena and quantum effects

Exercise 1:
Part A:
We consider the circuit diagram below:

1. Note that the voltmeter and ammeter show the mean square values. We have:
U 1 120
r= = =34.3 Ω.
I 3.5
The reactance of the inductor (inductive reactance) is X L =Lω and its impedance is z L = j X L. So, the
complex impedance of the coil is z L , R=R+ j ( Lω ).

The the complex impedance, z , of the circuit is: z=z r + z L, R=r+ R + j ( Lω ). So, the impedance of the
circuit, Z , is:
2 2 2 2
Z=|z|= √ ( r + R ) + ( Lω ) ⟹ IZ =U =I √ ( r + R ) + ( Lω ) and across the coil, the impedance
2 2
Z L, R =|z L , R|= √ R2 + ( Lω ) ⟹ I Z L, R =U 2=I √ R2 + ( Lω ) .

U2

We then have:
{
( r + R )2 + ( Lω )2=

( Lω )2+ R2=
U 22
I
2
2r
2

I2
2 2

2 I U1(
2
I 2 ⟹ R= 1 U −U 2 −r 2 = 1 U −U 2 −r =23.3 Ω
. ) ( )
U 22
We know that: ω=2 πf =314.16 rads. So, L= 1
ω √ I 2
−R2=0.08 H .

ur ( t )=r i (t )
2. We have:
{uL , R ( t )=R i ( t ) + L
d i ( t ) . Applying Kirchhoff’s law in the loop, in the diagram above,
dt

di d i R+r U
we have: u ( t )=ur ( t )+ uL , R (t ) ⟹U =( R+r ) i+ L
dt
⟹ +
dt L L ( )
i= ⋯ ( ¿ ). This is a first order
differential equation.

The integrating factor (I.F), Φ , is: ∫ ( RL+r )dt ( RL+r )t .

Φ ( x )=e =e

So, Φ ( x ) i=∫ Φ ( x ) ⋅ U dt ⟺i e
( RL+r )t U ( R +r
)
t
U (
R +r
)t
+ K ; K being an integration
L L
= ∫e dt= e
L L R+r
constant.
 R +r
−( ) . But when t=0 , i=0 ⟹ K= −U .
We then have: i ( t )= U + K e
t
L
R+r R+r
R +r
Therefore: i ( t )= U
R+r
[ 1−e
( ) ]. L
t

3.1. When the capacitor is added, we obtain a voltage drop U 3 across the capacitor and let’s call U '1
and U '2 the respective voltages across the ohmic conductor and the coil.

1
The reactance of the capacitor (capacitive reactance) is X C = and its complex impedance is
Cω
1
z ' ' =− j . So, the complex impedance of the new ac circuit is
Cω
1
(
z=z r + z L, R + z C =r + R+ j Lω−
Cω )
. So, the impedance of this circuit is

1 2 1 2.
√ (
Z=|z|= ( r + R )2 + Lω−
Cω ) √
⟹ ZI =U =I ( r + R )2 + Lω−
Cω ( )
1 U2 1 U2
After calculation, we obtain Lω−

no possible value of C .
Cω
=±
I 2
√− ( r + R ) 2
. But for Lω−
Cω
=
I 2
√
−( r + R )2, there is

1
2 C=
1 U
For Lω−
Cω I √
=− 2 −( r + R )2, we have:
( √
ω Lω+
U2
I 2
−( r + R )
2 .
)
N.A.: C=63.3 μF .

1 1
3.2. Notice that Lω− <0 ⟹ > Lω. So, the new circuit is capacitive.
Cω Cω

1 2 2
I
√
We have: U =I ( r + R )2 + Lω−
( Cω ) √
= ( rI + RI )2 +(Cω )
−LωI = ( U r +U R )2 + ( U C −U L )2.
√
We consider the Fresnel’s diagram below:

I 1
−L ωI −L ω
From the diagram, we have: ' U C −U L Cω Cω .
tan φ = = =
U r +U R rI + RI r+R
 1
So,
φ ' =tan −1 ( 2 πfC
−2 πfL
r+R )
. N.A.: φ ' =23.59° .

Part B: Mechanical oscillator

1 2 1 2 2
1. The kinetic energy at the point G is: Ec = M v G . But vG =l θ̇⟹ E c = M l θ̇ .
2 2
2. Since G0 is the reference position for the potential energy, the potential energy at this point is 0.
At G, point above G0 (and therefore the point mass has a positive potential energy), the potential
energy is: E p =Mgz, with z=G G ' , G ' being the orthogonal projection of G on the vertical axis ( G 0 z )
.

We have: z=l ( 1−cos θ ) ⟹ E p=Mg l ( 1−cos θ ).

1 2 2
3. At G, the mechanical energy is Em =Ec + E p = M l θ̇ + Mgl ( 1−cos θ ) ⋯ ( ¿ ).
2

Mechanical energy is conserved because at G i, Ec ( G i )=0 and E p ( G i )= Mg l ( 1−cos θm ) =cst .

So, Em ( G i ) =Mg l ( 1−cos θ m ).

1 2 2
For θ=θm, equation ( ¿ ) becomes Em = M l θ̇ m + Mg l ( 1−cos θm )=Mgl ( 1−cos θm ) =Em ( G i ).
2
1 2 1 2
4. At G0, the mechanical energy is Ec ( G 0 )=E c ( G 0 ) + E p ( G 0 )= M v G +0= M vG
2 0
2 0

Conserving mechanical energy between Gi and G0,

1
We have: Em ( G i ) =Ei ( G 0 ) ⟺ M v 2G = Mg l ( 1−cos θm ) ⟹ v G =√ 2 g l ( 1−cos θ m ).
2 0 0

−1
N.A.: vG =8.4 m. s .
0

5. Method 1:

Applying the Fundamental Principle of Dynamics to the point mass, P.

We consider the point mass, P in the diagram below:

In the Galilean frame of reference R=( G 0 ,⃗

ex,⃗
ey,⃗
e z ), the point mass, M, is subjected to two forces:

- W =M ⃗g;
Its weight ⃗
- T.
The tension in the inextensible thread, ⃗
Applying the Fundamental Principle of Dynamics to M in this reference, we have:
∑⃗
F ext =M ⃗g + T⃗ =M a⃗ .
 2
dθ
( )
( )
−l
Mg cos θ −T dt
In the basis ( G , e
⃗ r , e
⃗θ , e
⃗
( :
x ) −Mg sinθ
0 )( )
+ 0 =M
0
d2 θ
l 2
dt
.

eθ :
The differential equation looked-for is in the second coordinate, following ⃗

d2θ d2θ
−g sin θ=l ⟺l + g sin θ=0
d t2 d t2
Under small angle approximations, sin θ ≈ θ and the equation above linearizes to:

d2θ g
+ θ=0
d t2 l
This is a second order linear differential equation with constant coefficients and no second member. In
this case, the general solution of this equation is equal to the homogeneous equation.

2 g
The auxiliary equation is r + =0. Since the roots of this equation are complex, the solution takes the
l
form:

θ ( t )= A cos ( √ gl t +φ)=θ cos( √ gl t + φ)

m

A is the amplitude of the small oscillations of the pendulum bub and is equal to θm and φ is the phase
shift.

But initially, at t=0 , θ=0 ⟹θ m cos φ=0⟹ cos φ=0 ⋯ ( 1 ).

Differentiating θ ( t ) with respect to t , we have:

dθ ( t ) g g g
dt
=θ̇=−θm
l
sin (
√ √l t+ φ )=−θ̇ sin (
√ l t+ φ)
max
.

At t=0 , θ̇ ( t=0 )= θ̇max, since the pendulum bub has maximum speed when passing through the
equilibrium position, G 0, and therefore has maximum angular speed at this point.

This implies that: θ̇max =−θ̇ max sin φ ⟹sin φ=−1 ⋯ ( 2 ) .

−π
( 1 ) and ( 2 ) ⟹ φ= .
2
So, the angular displacements have expression:

θ ( t )=θm cos (√ gl t− π2 )
Method 2:
By applying the angular momentum theorem (The derivative with respect to time of the angular
momentum of a system is equal to the resultant moment of all the external forces acting on this
system).

The angular momentum of the point material, P, with respect to the point O in the reference R is:

0 0
⃗ OP ∧ M
LO = ⃗
d OP
⃗
dt(
l

0 ()
= 0 ∧ M l dθ =
) dt
0
Ml ( )( )
0
2 d
dt
θ
=M l 2
dθ
e
⃗
dt x

The moments with respect to O of these force in the referential R are:

l Mg cos θ 0
- M
⃗
For the weight, O ( W
⃗ ) = O
⃗P ∧ W
⃗ = 0
0
∧
() (
−Mgsin θ
0
= 0
)(
−M l g sin θ
;
)
l −T 0
- MO (⃗
For the tension in the wire, a central force, ⃗ OP ∧ T⃗ = 0 ∧
T ) =⃗
() ( )()
0
0
0
= 0 =⃗0 .
0

The angular moment theorem applied with respect to O , in R , to the point material P writes:

d⃗LO
( )
dt R
M O (⃗
=∑ ⃗ Fext )

d dθ
⟹
[ ( dt
M l2 ⃗
dt x )]
e =⃗
MO (⃗
W ) +⃗
M O (T⃗ )

0
⟹
( )(
0
2
d θ
M l2 2
dt
=
0
0
0
+ 0
−Mg l sinθ 0 )()
The differential equation looked for is given by the third coordinate:

d2θ
=−g l sin θ
d t2
That is, for small angle approximations:

d2θ g
+ θ=0
d t2 l
The solution of this second order linear differential equation with constant coefficients is found by
2 g
finding the solution of the homogeneous equation r + =0.
l

So, the solution takes the form: θ ( t )= A cos ( √ gl t +φ)=θ ( t )=θ cos (√ gl t− π2 )
m
after the initial

conditions have been taken into account as seen above in method 1.

Exercise 2:
Part B:

1. The radioactive decay equation can be written as: N(t) =N 0 e(-λt)

- N(t) is the number of undecayed atoms present in the sample at time, t;

- N0 is the number of radioactive atoms present at time t = 0;
- λ is the radioactivity decay constant.

2. The radioactive decay equation is

3. The half-life of a radioactive substance is defined as the time taken for the atoms in a sample of the
substance to disintegrate to half their initial number.

1 1 1
We find t such that N ( t ) = N 0. We have: N =N 0 e− λt ⟹ t= ln 4=2 t 1 .
4 4 0 λ 2

N.A.: t=6 ×10 6 years.

Part C: Interference of light waves

1. The fringe separation is the distance between two successive fringes.
λD 2 λD
2. We have: x= . But X = =2 x=0.002 ⟹ x=1 mm.
a a
xa
3. We have: D= . N.A.: D=0.34 m.
λ
4. When white light is used in the place of the yellow light, the central fringe is white, and the fringes
either side are colored. Blue is the color nearer to the central fringe and red is farther away.