Exercise 5.

1 (Spring/Mass System):
6) A force of 400 N stretches a spring 2 meters. A mass of 50 kg is attached to the end of the
spring and is initially released from the equilibrium position with an upward velocity of 10m/s.
Find the equation of motion.
Find the value of the spring constant:
F = ks 400 = k ( 2) k = 200
IVP:

d 2x
dt 2

k
d 2 x 200
x = F (t )
+
x=0
m
dt 2 50
d 2x
dt 2

+ 4x = 0

; x(0) = 0, x '(0) = 10

m 2 + 4 = 0 x = c1 cos 2t + c2 sin 2t
x(0) = 0 c1 = 0
x ' = 2c1 sin 2t + 2c2 cos 2t
x '(0) = 10 2c2 = 10 c2 = 5
Equation of the motion is: x(t ) = 5 sin 2t
23) A 1-kg mass is attached to a spring whose constant is 16N/m, and the entire system is then
submerged in a liquid that imparts a damping force numerically equal to 10 times the
instantaneous velocity.

d 2x

dx

dt 2 m dt
solve the DE:

k
f (t )
d 2x
dx

+ 10 + 16 x = 0
x=
m
m
dt
dt 2

m2 + 10m + 16 = 0 m1 = 8, m2 = 2
GS: x(t ) = c1e8t + c2e2t
Determine the equation of motion if:
a) the mass is initially released from rest from a point 1 meter below the equilibrium position.
Initial conditions: x(0) = 1, x(0) = 0
x(t ) = 8c1e8t 2c2e2t
x(0) = 1 c1 + c2 = 1 ..... (1)
x(0) = 0 8c1 2c2 = 0 ......(2)
Solve (1) & (2): c1 = 1 / 3, c2 = 4 / 3
1
4
Equation of the motion is: x(t ) = e8t + e2t
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3

b) the mass is initially released from a point 1 meter below the equilibrium position with an
upward velocity of 12 m/s.
Initial conditions: x(0) = 1, x(0) = 12
x(t ) = 8c1e8t 2c2e2t
x(0) = 1 c1 + c2 = 1 ..... (1)
x(0) = 12 8c1 2c2 = 12 ......(2)
Solve (1) & (2): c1 = 5 / 3, c2 = 2 / 3
5
2
Equation of the motion is: x(t ) = e 8t e2t
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24) In each case (Q23 part (a) and (b)), find the time at which the mass attains its extreme
displacement from the equilibrium position. What is the position of the mass at this instant?
For part (a):
At the extreme displacement(highest):
x(t ) = 0
8 8t 8 2t
8
8
e e
= 0 e8t = e2t e6t = 1 t = 0
3
3
3
3
At this instant, the position of the mass is:
1
4
x(0) = e0 + e0 = 1 meter.
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3
For part (b):

At the extreme displacement (highest):

x(t ) = 0

40 8t 4 2t
=0
e + e
3
3
40 8t 4 2t
1
1 1
e = e e6t = t = ln 0.384 s
3
3
10
6 10

At this instant, the position of the mass is:

5
2
x(0.384) = e8( 0.384) e2( 0.384) 0.232 meter.
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