This applet illustrates
damped harmonic motion with resistance
proportional to the velocity of the body.
The user enters the damping and the initial conditions, and the applet animates the
body's motion and plots the position, velocity, and energy as functions of time.
The units of length and energy in this applet are arbitrary. The unit of time is
the period of the undamped oscillator. Damping is measured in units of the
critical damping.
Instructions for use
- Enter the damping and initial conditions using the scrollbars provided.
- Click "launch".
- Repeat as often as desired. To clear the screen, click "clear".
- You may leave this page and return - the applet will suspend operation
while you are away. To quit the applet, either destroy your browser window
or quit your browser.