Practice question

**Damped oscillations** occur when resistive forces dissipate energy, amplitude decays exponentially as A(t) = A₀ e^(-b t/2m), b damping coefficient (kg/s), frequency slightly reduced ω' = √(ω₀² - (b/2m)²). Damping arises from friction or viscosity, energy loss per cycle proportional to velocity squared, motion eventually stops. A pendulum oscillates about a fixed point due to a linear restoring force (gravity component), while a planet’s orbit is periodic but governed by inverse-square gravitational force. Applying x = A cos(ωt + φ), v = -ωA sin(ωt + φ), a = -ω²x and E = ½kA² = ½mω²A², result The restoring force is linear follows, reflecting SHM dependence