Much of physics sometimes remains incomprehensible.And the thing is not always that a person just read a little on this topic. Sometimes the material is given in such a way that it is simply impossible to understand it for someone who is not familiar with the fundamentals of physics. One rather interesting section that people do not always understand the first time and are able to comprehend is periodic oscillations. Before explaining the theory of periodic oscillations, let's talk a little about the history of the discovery of this phenomenon.
History
The theoretical foundations of periodic oscillations wereknown in the ancient world. People saw how the waves move evenly, how the wheels rotate, passing through a certain period of time through the same point. It is from these simple, at first glance, phenomena that the concept of oscillations has gone.
The first evidence of the description of vibrations is notsurvived, but it is known for certain that one of the most common types of them (namely, electromagnetic) was theoretically predicted by Maxwell in 1862. After 20 years, his theory was confirmed. Then Heinrich Hertz conducted a series of experiments proving the existence of electromagnetic waves and the presence of certain properties inherent only in them. As it turned out, light is also an electromagnetic wave and obeys all relevant laws. A few years before Hertz, there was a man who demonstrated to the scientific society the generation of electromagnetic waves, but due to the fact that he was not strong in theory, just like Hertz, he could not prove that the success of the experiment was due to fluctuations.
We are a little away from the topic. In the next section, we will look at the main examples of periodic fluctuations that we can meet in everyday life and in nature.
Kinds
These phenomena occur everywhere and constantly.And besides the waves and rotation of the wheels already exemplified, we can notice periodic fluctuations in our body: contractions of the heart, movement of the lungs, and so on. If we scale up and move to larger objects than our organs, we can see the fluctuations in a science like biology.
An example might be periodic fluctuations in the number of populations.What is the meaning of this phenomenon? In any population, there is always an increase, then a decrease. And this is due to different factors. Due to the limited space and many other factors, the population cannot grow endlessly, therefore nature has learned to reduce the number using natural mechanisms. In this case, there are periodic fluctuations in the number. The same thing happens with human society.
Now we will discuss the theory of this concept and analyze a few formulas relating to such a concept as periodic oscillations.
Theory
Periodic fluctuations are a very interesting topic.But, as in any other, the further you plunge, the more incomprehensible, new and complex. In this article we will not go deep; we will only briefly describe the basic properties of the oscillations.
The main characteristics of periodicoscillations are the period and frequency of oscillations. The period shows how long it takes the wave to return to its original position. In fact, this is the time during which the wave travels the distance between its neighboring ridges. There is another value that is closely related to the previous one. This is the frequency. The frequency is inverse to the period and has the following physical meaning: this is the number of wave crests that have passed through a certain area of space per unit of time. Periodic frequencyif it is presented in the mathematical form, it has the formula: v = 1 / T, where T is the oscillation period.
Before turning to the conclusion, we will tell a little about where periodic fluctuations are observed and how knowledge about them can be useful in life.
Application
Above, we have already considered the types of periodicfluctuations. Even if you are guided by the list of where they meet, it is easy to understand that they surround us everywhere. Electromagnetic waves emit all our electrical appliances. Moreover, connecting the phone with the phone or listening to the radio would not be possible without them.
Звуковые волны также представляют собой колебания.Under the action of electrical voltage, a special membrane in a sound generator begins to vibrate, creating waves of a certain frequency. Following the membrane, air molecules begin to oscillate, which eventually reach our ear and are perceived as sound.
Conclusion
Physics is a very interesting science.And even if it seems that you seem to know everything in it that can be useful in everyday life, there is still such a thing in which it will be necessary to understand better. We hope that this article has helped you understand or recall material on the physics of vibrations. This is indeed a very important topic, the practical application of the theory of which today is found everywhere.
