Normal modes of continuous

systems
A. P. French (CH 6)
V. Satya Narayana Murthy
A217
BITS Pilani Hyderabad
Campus
Hyderabad

Todays topics
Free vibrations of stretched strings
Superposition of modes on a string
Forced harmonic vibration of a
stretched string

Introduction
We studied oscillations of discrete systems
Mass is concentrated at finite number of points
Systems having N degrees of freedom where
N is a finite number N normal modes
Each mode has its own characteristic frequency
and characteristic shape
What happens to the oscillations if the
system becomes continuous
i.e., if N

Continuous approximation:
The motion of the near neighbours is very
nearly the same
We can divide the system into small elements
Explain the motion of the elements ignoring
the motion of the individual particles in a
given element

Free vibrations of stretched strings

Antinodes

Nodes

O
Natural vibrations
or

Stationary vibrations
or
Normal modes

What are the dynamics of such vibrations?

Uniform linear density ()

T
+

Tension = T

y
x

x+x

Fy T sin( ) T sin

Fx T cos( ) T cos

Assume that the y displacements are very

small angles are also small
Fy T

Fx 0

Eqn. of transverse motion

T ( x) a y
y
tan
x

y
2
sec 2 x
x

For small q sec q 1

2y
q
x
2
x

T ( x) a y becomes
2

y y

2
x
T t 2
v

2y

2y
T 2 x (x ) 2
t
x

y
1 y
2
2
2
x
v t

Speed of the progressive waves

y
1 y
2 2
2
x
v t

Wave equation

linear second order partial differential equ.

We now look for solutions of this equation,
which are stationary vibrations
2

y
Amplitude of the motion
2
f ( x) cos t
t

y ( x, t ) f ( x) cos t
2

df

substituting
2 f
2
dx
v

2 y d 2 f
2 cos t
2
x
dx

df

2 f
2
dx
v

What is the solution?

x
f ( x ) A sin

Satisfies the boundary condition at x = 0

To satisfy the boundary condition at x = L
L
f (L) A sin
0
v

L
n
v

Where n is any positive integer

Permitted frequencies
L
n
v

nv
n T
n

2L 2L

nv
2n
L

Frequency of the nth mode

The total length of the string must exactly

accommodate an integral number of half-sine
curves
2L
n
n

When a mode is excited

what is the shape of the string?
Amplitude

x
f ( x ) A sin

n 2

v
L
n

2x
nx
An sin
f n ( x) An sin

L
n

Displacement y ( x, t ) f ( x) cos t
2x
cos nt
yn ( x, t ) An sin

n T
where n L n1

1 = Fundamental frequency

Normal modes in a stretched string

n=6

2L
n
n

n=5
n=4

nn
L
2

n=3
n=2
n=1
0

20

40

60

80

100

Fundamental
mode

Superposition of modes on a string

The physics of Piano, Violin, Sitar etc.
stringed instruments
Pluck a string
It settled downs to a motion which is a simple
superposition of fundamental and lowest
harmonics

These vibrations occur simultaneously and

independently one another
2

y
1 y
2 2
2
x
v t

Why?

linear second order partial differential equ.

y y1 y2 y3 .... Is also a solution

Where

2x
cos1t
y1 A1 sin
1

2x
cos21t
y2 A2 sin
2

And so on

Independence of the modes

If we stop the
motion at A

n=6
n=5

Only green and

red keeps vibtng

n=4
n=3

3rd and 6th

harmonics survive

n=2

Others quenched

n=1
0

20

40

60

80

100

Forced harmonic vibration of a stretched string

Steady state solution
y ( x, t ) f ( x) cos t
y (0, t ) B cos t

Amplitude

B
O

y ( L, t ) 0

f ( x ) A sin

v

f ( x) A sin( Kx )

where

K
v

wave number

f ( x ) A sin

v

From the boundary condition at x = L,

L

sin
0
v

L
p
v

From the boundary condition at x = 0,

B = A sina
A

B
L

sin p

B
L

sin p

Normal mode frequency

A

n v
n
L

sin p
n

Driving frequency is close to one of the

natural frequencies A becomes large
Damping will limit the actual amplitude

6.5 A stretched string of mass m, length L,

and tension T is driven by two sources, one
at each end. The sources both have the
same frequency and amplitude A but are
exactly 180 out of phase with respect to
one another. What is the smallest possible
value of consistent with stationary
vibrations of the string?