What is the Difference Between Damped Oscillation and Forced Oscillation?

Damped oscillation and forced oscillation are two types of oscillations that differ in terms of the factors affecting their amplitude and energy loss.

Damped Oscillation:

Refers to the oscillation that degrades over a specific period of time.
Damping is the resistance offered to the oscillation, causing the amplitude of oscillation to reduce with time due to energy loss from the system in overcoming external forces.
There are two types of damping: Natural Damping and Artificial Damping.
The energy of the system decreases with the decrease in amplitude.

Forced Oscillation:

Occurs when an oscillating system is driven by an external periodic force.
The amplitude of oscillation experiences damping but remains constant due to the external energy supplied to the system.
Resonance can be given as a particular case of forced oscillation.

In summary, the key difference between damped oscillation and forced oscillation is that damped oscillation refers to oscillation that degrades over a specific period of time, while forced oscillation refers to oscillation that takes place when an oscillating system is driven by an external periodic force.

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What is the Difference Between Damped Oscillation and Forced Oscillation?

Comparative Table: Damped Oscillation vs Forced Oscillation

Here is a table comparing damped oscillation and forced oscillation:

Feature	Damped Oscillation	Forced Oscillation
Definition	An oscillation that degrades over a specific period of time due to the resistance offered to the oscillation.	An oscillation that occurs when an external periodic force drives the system.
Amplitude	The amplitude of the oscillation gradually decreases with time, eventually stopping.	The amplitude of the oscillation remains constant due to the external energy supplied to the system.
Energy Loss	Energy loss occurs from the system in overcoming external forces, causing the amplitude to reduce.	The external energy supplied to the system prevents the amplitude from reducing.
Damping	Damping is the resistance offered to the oscillation, which causes the amplitude to reduce with time.	Damping is present in the system, but it does not affect the amplitude due to the external energy supplied.
Examples	Coefficient of static friction, electromagnetic damping, and propagation constant of a wave.	Pushing someone on a swing periodically to maintain the oscillation.

In summary, damped oscillation refers to an oscillation that degrades over time due to the resistance offered to the oscillation, while forced oscillation refers to an oscillation that occurs when an external periodic force drives the system.

Guilherme Mazui

Guilherme Mazui is graduated in journalism from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and a master's degree in Communication from the University of São Paulo (USP). In addition, he has experience in advertising writing and has worked as a content editor in several companies.